Let me get this straight. You have no problem with throwing out a marker and having the weight not touch the bottom, and you trust it is in the desired location. Then whem you throw a marker out and the weight hits the bottom, you are convinced the bouy floats off target? All the time in no wind or waves?

I have never NEVER heard anything that makes less sense. Maybe a screen door on a submarine!

You might want to sit back and think about this for a while, or maybe you have.

You wrote that " NOBODY worries about getting the sinker on bottom." You can't be serious?

I am going to copy this thread and show my friends, they won't believe me if I just tell them!

The weight is absolutely supposed to be on the bottom!

Do you catch any fish while using a marker buoy?

I don't really have a problem with my marker buoys continuing to "run" after the weight has hit bottom. The line usually stops moving and they pretty much stay in place. If the bottom is really smooth the weight might slide around a bit. I'm going with Upnorths idea and replacing the flat lead wrap with a pyaramid so I think the extra weight will help them stay put all the time. For some reason, I thought the standard buoys came with around 80 feet of line. Ouach, I'm not sure why your buoys are still unwinding after the weight has hit bottom. What type are you using? In real high winds I've had my "H" shaped ones do an occasional extra flip. I prefer the dumbell style from Lindy. Try not to get too worked up over Cart's comment, it was kind of funny.  The way you were describing your set up I too was picturing buoys with ten feet of line floating around in thirty feet of water. While I'm not completely onboard with your system, I do understand that the drag of line and weight will keep the buoy more in place than say a paper cup floating on the water.

I want my weights on my buoys to be on the bottom at all times.I've actually never heard of using them any other way.

So, when you drop a marker of unknown line length the sinker always hits bottom, and obviously the line keeps unwinding and marker travels an unknown distance away from target. To each his own.

Jim

Just what kind of markers are you using?    I've dropped mine in water as deep as 35' and I've always had enough line, if I didn't, I'd add more line.  Another amazing feature of mine is the buoy actually stops unwinding when the weight hits bottom. Granted, I had to pay extra for that feature but it's worth it.  Now, if there's a decent chop on the water it's not unheard of for the marker to unwind occasionally as it rides the waves but certainly not to the extent where they're traveling "unknown distances" away from my target I was marking in the first place.  

Since your markers are allowed to just float around with the weights dangling I'd suggest tieing a 2/0 treble on the end by the weight and bait it with a bluegill or some livers.  Sounds like a perfect opportunity to double up on your catch with some catfish.  

I don't know the brands, one type being orange and H-shaped from BPS. They come in 4-pks I think. The other is like a yo-yo made of styrofoam. I don't usually need markers in shallow water. I mostly use them for times when a target is deep and staying on it with proper casting angles would be too difficult with GPS alone. It's all very simple. In deep water they unroll until the line plays out. If they snap stopped I know the sinker is suspended over bottom. Frankly I prefer to not want bass to have those things hitting around them. In shallower water they unroll quickly until sinker hits. Until the line tightens wind/wave drift moves the marker along the surface. With just a little wave presure the H slowly unwinds the rest of the line until the line is fairly tight. By then the marker is not where I tossed it. And neither does yours. But where I toss them with sinker suspended they remain in place. The resistance of the weighted line to the water column is greater than the very light marker, so the marker hangs over the sinker. They all stay in place except in winds too high to make for comfortable fishing. In calm water my H markers float with extra line wrapped on if sinker is on bottom. But in shallow with wind they don't stay put over the sinker. I'm not looking for precision placement anyway, just a general idea of the shape of a structure. I won't take more than a couple minutes putting them out on one pass of the boat. Adding line to be sure they are on bottom is a rediculous idea, taking way too much time just for outlining an area. Good grief! I'd rather fish than make sure every marker sinker is on bottom.   It's a lot like setting out jug rigs for catfish. I don't bother putting sinker on the bottom even with a 2 gallon jug unless I expect high wind. They just float over a channel rarely moving out of line until a catfish bites and swims it away. Even with a sinker on bottom they yank it out of position. But until they bite a suspended sinker holds those big jugs in place. Wind puts a lot more pressure on the jugs than on those little H markers. Back to the H markers. I don't know the line lengths and don't care. They have whatever length that comes on them. The sinker is weighted so as not to submerge the marker. I just toss them and let them unwind. If I see they are in shallow water I know the marker will drift off until the line is out, then they stabilize wherever they stop.  By then I'm probably done fishing the spot anyway.

Maybe there's some confusion about using them in lakes as described above, and in a flowing river. In a river the sinker would have to be on bottom, but if much current they'll all float away regardless of where the sinker is. I fished the Ar River for many years and wouldn't use them in current strong enough to move the boat.

Jim

WOW!

He thinks the will stay put with the weight not on the bottom, but will drift with the weight on the bottom!

Anyone else confused, besides him and I? :-?

You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink.  ;D

Jim

You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink. ;D

Jim

How about you can post about marker buoys, but you can't make oachita think!  :

Or common sense isn't so common anymore!  ;D

I'm heading to the lake for 5 days, some time will be spent crappie fishing.  I've got an anchor with about 50 feet of rope on it but I think I'll just cut it down to about 10 feet.  Who needs the extra 40 feet when I can just dangle the anchor over the side and the boat stays in place!!  

;D  Let me suggest one or two drift socks instead.

Jim