Just curious how many of you guys use these and why? I use pencil lead and leadmaster pliers, but would
consider making some slinkies is there were some benefits. What are they?

I use slinkies almost exclusively. The main reason is that I feel they slide over the rocks alot easier, and hang-up less often. You do loose some "feeling", but I think it is worth it. Lead still comes in handy for some situations, but slinkies are superior most of the time.

The BIG drawback is the ammount of time I spend making them, or the money I costs me to pay my 14 year old daughter to make them.

I use lead 95% of the time just because I know the feel of it so well. I run it off a dropper and when it does hang up it pulls free saving the rest of the rigging. I use a slinky every now and then and it just doesn't feel right. Old habits die hard I guess.

The only time I ever use a slinky is in real snaggy holes, one's with larger rocks. The slinky slides over and through the cracks in the rocks where regular lead gets pinched and hangs up... Other than that I'll use lead all the time, it has a true tick, tick feel.
Keith

It took me a while to totally switch over to slinkies, but I'm sure glad I did.

At first I missed the steadier tick on the bottom that lead gives, but once you are used to it slinkies are just as easy to use to read the bottom as lead.

Two more important bonuses: First, you don't get hung up as often. This means less $$ and more time fishing. Second, the difference between a hit and a slinky tick is much bigger than the difference is between a hit and a lead tick. That means more hookups.

More fishing time, less gear loss, and easier to discern a strike. Give it a try and stick with it for a while. You won't go back to lead.

Fish on...

Todd.

P.S. Slinkies, of course, don't work in all situations, like deeper faster water, or very short slots in faster water. For all else, though, they are money.

They have there purpose but don't fill the needs in my neck of the woods.
Lead sinks the quickest,gives the strongest signal it is on the bottom,is the cheapest and hangs up the most.I use it more because of the shorter runs in my haunts.

Slinkies are slower to sink.give a weaker signal that they are on the bottom,cost more,but hang up alittle less than lead.I use these on the west end where the drifts are bigger and can afford the slower sink time.

I use slinkies in the spots that are to snagy to run lead very well. Other than that it is lead. I fish slinkies out of necessity and hate the feel of them.