The length of the hook
Before we get into the shapes of the sinker heads, it is important to find the right compromise when it comes to the size of the hook.
A hook that is too long, which comes out too close to the lure's tail, will tend to restrict the lure's movements and therefore its swimming. On the other hand, a hook that is too short may cause anglers to miss many bites where the trout will grab the lure, but not necessarily the hook, and will not bite. A very short hook also increases the risk of losing the lure, which is no longer held securely on the lead head.
In general, when choosing a hook size, the ideal is that it comes out on the first third of the lure. Of course, there are many preferences in this regard and there are some special cases, such as grubs, whose tail is only swimming, and who can therefore see their hook emerge in the second third of the lure without restricting its swimming action.
Hook quality:
To fish for trout, it is important to use leaded heads with a quality hook. The hook should be fine enough and very sharp to guarantee a good penetration at the time of the hooking, because certain parts of the mouth of a trout are rather hard, in particular the palate.
The use of a fine iron hook will help to avoid damaging the fish when unhooking them. However, the hook must be of good quality so that it does not open during the fight with a fish a little bigger or more powerful than expected, especially in river fishing where the current can be quite strong!
Leaded head shapes:
-
Round lead head :
The classic lead head par excellence, a real all-rounder that can be mounted on all lures, ideal for single line fishing.
-
Soccer lead head:
The soccer head has an oval shape, like a rugby ball or American soccer, hence its name. It allows to strongly accentuate the rolling of a lure when it is used in linear. It also has the advantage of offering a nice presentation when the lure is placed on the bottom.
-
Leaded head shoe :
The sabot head has a very specific shape and use, its downwardly offset sinker completely shifts the center of gravity of the lure. It allows a perfect presentation for slow fishing over the bottom with the tail of the lure coming up during breaks.
-
Leaded head dart
The gliding head, or dart head is triangular in shape with very flat sides that allow on the one hand to slow down the lure during the descent of a stretched banner, and on the other hand to make completely erratic the swimming of the lure during an animation with small strokes of scion: the "darts".
Variations of lead heads to remember
Some particular lead heads can change the game during a trout fishing session, this is the case of the paddle heads!
These round lead heads which have a small flexible cable on which is fixed a small paddle with the aim of transforming the lure into a micro spinner can be frightening! The vibrations and flashes of light emitted by the paddle do not generally leave trout indifferent!
A small variant is also more and more used, either by conviction or by obligation on certain courses: the lead head without barb. This allows you to catch and release fish without any worries and without damaging them! Barbless hooks are even less injurious and therefore more respectful of our game partners than hooks whose barbs have been crushed.
