Snap-loc sinkers from Water Gremlin are a great choice for plunking spawn or night crawlers for Great Lakes trout and salmon. This allows you to float bait slightly off bottom. When a fish hits they don't feel any resistance because the line slides freely through the sinker.
Run your line through the sinker and through a small colored bead. Tie on a high quality barrel swivel. Tie on a leader of 16-25" of 6 pound fluorocarbon. When using crawlers inject them with a shot of air from a worm blower. If using spawn add a small marshmallow or piece of styrofoam to float eggs off bottom. Place your rod into a holder and watch for bites. Bites can range from the rod doubling over, to something as subtle as the line going slack. Cast this rig out where river current runs into the lake.
This technique can pay big dividends when fish are staging and preparing to make their spawning migration but low water and unfavorable conditions dictate that they wait.
Garett Svir
Slab Seeker Fishing
