In Southern California, leadheads tipped with live squid are very productive for yellowtail and white seabass because they keep the bait in the strike zone longer. Since the strike zone varies from day to day, I need to have different sizes of leadheads available, which can get expensive and, if I run out of the right size, ruin my day of fishing. I’ve turned to my assortment of egg sinkers and hooks to solve the problem. The only other thing I need is a piece of rubber tubing or a rubber band. Simply slide the egg sinker onto the main line, then tie on a hook. Slide a doubled piece of scrap line up from the hook side so a loop comes out the top side of the sinker. Slide the sinker down so it rests right on the hook eye, slip a piece of rubber tubing through the scrap-line loop and pull it into the egg sinker with the scrap line. The tubing wedges in the sinker with the main line and holds the sinker right on top of the hook. Pull one of the scrap-line ends to free it from the sinker, bait up and drop it to the strike zone.
– Mike Ciciulla, Wilmington, California
