# does anyone in us make namix sinkers?



## matt c (Dec 1, 2007)

I bought some namix sinkers from the uk a few years back when shipping wasn t quite so bad and I'am looking for some more.Does anyone in the us make or carry them?I am looking for 4-5 oz size.
Thanks for your help

Matt


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## junkmansj (Jul 23, 2005)

What do they look like? Picture?


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

They look like a sputnik make from a tournament sinker cut in half.


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## Sparky's (Jul 10, 2012)

here's their web page… http://www.namixfishing.com/ if you bought a mold you could make your own!

There are others like them in the US. We have several Bait and Tackle shops in central FL that carry the same design.


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## matt c (Dec 1, 2007)

Thanks
I have there web site just wanted to know if anyone made them here.Where in fla do you find sinkers of the same shape?I don t just want the wires spunik shape I like the namix stubby shape

Thanks
Matt


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## FishingNorthEast (Sep 26, 2012)

The Namix are a great lead and the moulds can be purchased and shipped at a very reasonable rate, however I am very surprised to see that the "Outcast" leads have not had a mention anywhere on the forum yet. Far superior and taking the UK by storm amongst all levels of anglers. I use both types of lead, Namix when distance does not really matter and outcast when it does, with the added bait retaining clip for certain venues/rigs. Namix moulds can be picked up for around £30.00 = $43.00 ish ?


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Theyve got fuuny names, like the "Dumpy"


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

I've often wondered why these styles of lead were not available here as well.
I would love to see some pics (or links to...) of the Outcast styles.
Perhaps when the Yankees are not on, or I am not sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for a Jet's slaughter, I will do the legwork myself.
Until then,
TjB


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## J Barbosa (Aug 22, 2012)

The sputnick style is readilly available in the states but most tackle shops in my area of NJ don't carry them. They are usually expensive/labor intensive compared to regular sinkers. I like the sputnick when I fish a high-low rig with worms. Softer casts let me get more of the worms out a decent distance without having them fall apart.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Sputniks are also immensely useful when using long leaders and live bait. Draping a crimped hook loop over one of the wires makes a sort of low-budget clip down rig, keeping the bait close to the sinker until it splashes down. You lose a lot less distance by dragging some line through the air, than you do by trying to cast the long leader + bait.


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

I have two or three of original Sputnik' sinkers that came from a mold that came the UK many moons ago. I have since misplaced the mold; (like someone borrowed and failed to return it)

I make my own 'sputnik' sinkers from lead and copper wire. They hold just as well as the folding arms ones do. 

You can also buy molds here in the US. JMHO C2


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## FishingNorthEast (Sep 26, 2012)

A couple of images of the Outcast leads.




























The unique shape of the lead has been dictated by wind tunnel analysis and testing, the final shape is a balance between casting performance, bait protection and grip, all in one lead...... the unique bait clip allows the caster to place the rig on the ground without the risk of the hook falling off the bait clip, suiting in particular casters who use "off the ground" or "inertia" styles of casting.

The tension that is applied to the rig at the beginning of the cast releases the hook from the spring and onto the bait clip that is directly above it. 
Originally developed for use with pulley rigs the system works equally well with paternosters, up & over rigs etc.


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## FishingNorthEast (Sep 26, 2012)

Here are a couple of images of the Outcast leads.

























The unique shape of the lead has been dictated by wind tunnel analysis and testing, the final shape is a balance between casting performance, bait protection and grip, all in one lead...... the unique bait clip allows the caster to place the rig on the ground without the risk of the hook falling off the bait clip, suiting in particular casters who use "off the ground" or "inertia" styles of casting.


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## FishinMortician (Jun 19, 2007)

I make them......

Namix with bait clip in 135 gram- 4.8 ounce. I can make these with long tail wires for added grip, with or without baitclips, ( with and without grip wires, as requested ).













But....here is a beautiful tournament sinker, with a twist, it has grip wires attached. It also has a slightly weight forward shape. This is an advantage in that it works to steady the sinker earlier into the cast. When you cast, your sinker tends to pitch and yaw until it straightens and flies true. Weighted forward lessens the length of time it takes to straighten fly true, which retains more of the sinker's speed, which means more distance. It also enjoys an extremely aerodynamic shape, so it carrys well. No bait clips on these- sorry. I utilize the Breakaway IMP or their Impact Shields. Gemini makes a nifty little "Solo Clip", which is a variation of their Splashdown sinkers bait clip. A little tough to finger and manipulate, but once clipped, they do not let go until splashdown occurs. Effective for OTG casters mostly.


4 ounce ( blue rollers ) with short tails and 4 ounce with long tails





















Same style of sinker, this time 5 ounces ( yellow rollers ) short and long tails






















I have also invented two other types of sinkers. Here is one I named Hi-Flight.






























This sinker flies for extreme distances, even further than the above sinkers, then holds like a champ, even better than the above. They weigh in at about 5 ounces. All of these sinkers will easily out grip an 8 ounce pyramid or storm sinker, so you can use a rod that has better bite detection, simply because it doesn't have to be a heaver. Also a lot easier to retreive because they don't fight you all the way back in like a pyramid does. They also will set your circle hooks for you. It is not easy to set a hook when you have over 150 yards of 15lb test mono out there. The fish takes the bait, swallows and turns, and the sinker provides the resistance to position the hook, then it sets the hook as it pops free. This is my best sinker by far, but beyond the means of most fishermen's wallets. I have gifted a few of them and currently getting ready to make some more. Time consuming and expensive to make. The secret is that the grip wires are positioned behind the sinker itself. This allows them to travel in the slip stream. The disturbed air. Just like how geese fly or why a NASCAR driver drafts. Cool Huh ?

Also, there is a built in bait clip on these. The blue plastic sleeve is free to move up and down the tail wire, with just a bit of resistance. I position my bait on the clip, which is flatter than what appears in the picture. I then trap the hook between the plastic and the clip to hold it in place. Then when the sinkers settles onto the sea floor, and pressure is applied, the plastic sleeve retracts, by sliding towards the sinker itself, and releases the hook. 100 % retention, 100 % release, 100 % protection for the bait until it is on the sea floor. Sand fleas need some help when they splashdown you know. Easy to tear free and you not realize it.


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## FishingNorthEast (Sep 26, 2012)

A breakaway device fitted at the wrong end of the lead does not make a tried and tested aerodynamique new sinker, especially when fitted to a basic Namix cast lead. www.outcasthpt.com are the tried and tested choice in the UK


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

I still think the ones with legs opn top would cast further, if i ever use any of the namix sinkers it would be the "dumpy" because i could screw with people about the name


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## FishinMortician (Jun 19, 2007)

FishingNorthEast said:


> A breakaway device fitted at the wrong end of the lead does not make a tried and tested aerodynamique new sinker, especially when fitted to a basic Namix cast lead. www.outcasthpt.com are the tried and tested choice in the UK


Thank you for sharing your opinion regarding my design. Of course, if you don't have any idea of what you are talking about, you should try to be a little nicer. My Hi-Flight sinker is not fitted with a Breakaway device, it is a Gemini device, and I doubt you know a damned thing about the flight characteristics of sinkers, because you can't even spell aerodynamic. So now that we are past all of that, I am happy to point out a few things about sinkers-especially your sinkers- because they ain't that impressive to me. In fact, I think they are poorly designed and doubt that they are the tested choice of UK anglers....at least not the smart ones.



The best shape for anything that is going to fly through the air is a teardrop shape. Like this sinker right here.










It has a tip that is not sharply pointed, but rather something special scientists call an "ogive"










An ogive is the best shape for the speeds our sinkers travel. Commercial jets also have this same shape, because it is the most aerodynamic for them, and the speeds they travel. If our sinkers, or that jet, was going to travel at super sonic speeds, then a sharp pointy nose would be best. The difference between the two is slight, but significant. You can see the difference between an ogive and a cone here in this shot.










Now back to the tournament type sinker. As it flies through the air, the air separates to allow it to pass. This air tries to stick to the surface of the sinker, but due to the shape of the nose, a thin layer of nothingness exists against the surface of the sinker, and this keeps the molecules in the air from catching on the surface. Then this no air layer continues down the sides, and as the sinker tapers off, it disappears and the air comes back together quickly. Very smooth transition through the air column, as only the very tip is engaged with the molecules in the air. That is the most aerodynamic shape- no question about it. It is why the tournament sinkers are of this shape, and not shaped like the sinker you think is best.

There is a slight fix in play here, and it has nothing to do with aerodynamics. When we cast, our sinkers tend to tumble or wobble, and that creates something called yaw. Yaw is bad for anything that flies, because it destroys any aerodynamic features an object may have, and creates air resistance. Here is an example of yaw.










Now this yawing or tumbling, or wobbling if you like, is most prevalent early into the cast. You can see this effect in a more pronounced manner when casting elongated lures. Anyways, the sinker starts out and wobbles around some, and then it straightens out and flies straight. Even though this event is brief, it kills speed and that limits distance. The tournament sinkers of old did not try to address this effect. They are weighted evenly tip to toe. The sinkers I sell do attempt to reduce this effect. They actually lessen the length of time a sinker wobbles, naturally, by having a slightly weight forward design. In other words, at the midway point, there is more weight forward, than rearward. This causes the sinker to settle down and fly right. If you look closely you can see this weight forward design. It does cheat the perfect aerodynamic shape, but the reduction in yaw more than makes up for the loss. Like an arrow being tip heavy flies best.

Short tail wires tend to wobble less, and long tails tend to wobble more, but long tails tend to hold better. So it is best to have a selection of each.

You seem to have a poor attitude about the Namix sinker, when in fact it is a well thought out design.










It has an ogive nose section, has a weight forward bias, and a nice taper going backwards. In fact there is only one issue about the Namix that makes it less than ideally aerodynamic. That is the fact that it has a flat back. The designer decided to make a trade off, and forfeit some slipperiness in exchange for added protection for a clipped bait. Soft baits are easily ripped free of the hook upon splashdown when a decent cast is made. Tucking a bait in tight behind the sinker allows for the bait to survive the flight and sudden crash.

The reason this feature costs some distance is because as the air slides down the sides and reaches the end of the sinker, a void is created there. A dead spot, and nature abhors a vacuum, and one exists right there in that empty area. So a vacuum exists there and that vacuum tends to act as a brake on the sinker. It works to pull backwards on the sinker, and that kills speed, which causes a loss in distance. You sinker also forfeits distance for this very same reason. Namix was invented well ahead of the Outcast. Gemini also created a Splashdown model with this exact same feature some years back. There have been other designs in the past, so there really is nothing new with the Outcast.

Here are some photos of actual bullets traveling at high speed, much higher than our sinkers travel.



















You can easily see something called the slipstream. You can see the air sliding off the sides of the bullets and trying to close back in on itself. Notice the shock waves coming off the tips at acute angles. Then look behind the bullets at the vacuum that exists there, you can actually see it. Essentially, everything that exists behind the bullet's nose is in disturbed air. Air that has been shocked and disturbed is much easier to move through. In NASCAR and in bicycle races, traveling in this zone is called drafting. Geese fly in a V pattern to enjoy the ease of flying through the layer of disturbed air the lead goose provides. They actually change leaders to give the lead goose a rest. Basic stuff here.

Now these bullets are traveling very fast, much faster than our sinkers travel. That means the angles of the shock waves are different. They still exist, it is just they are in closer to the sinker, and less pronounced. They do not stick out at the same angles. If you look at the Outcast, the Namix, and the tournament type sinkers, the grips are right there in front and out and away. They clearly must break the air in order to pass through. While thin, they tend to be long and there are four of them. There can be no question they catch air and slow the speed of the sinker, and lessen the distance. You could easily measure the difference in distance by removing the grips and casting the sinker.

The sinker I created has its grip wires well behind and traveling in the disturbed air. They are actually drafting the lead, traveling in the disturbed air, slipping easily along. The difference here can also be easily measured. Cast my sinker as is, then remove that non-Breakaway device, then a normal Namix with grip wires, and see. I did and know what happened.

Now lets look at the faults of those sinkers you say everyone in the UK prefers. 










First it lacks an ogive tip, and instead has a simple, blunted, straight sided cone shape to it. This is an automatic reducer of distance, due to its less than ideal shape addressing the air. Next, that sinker has a very pronounced shoulder. That influences how the air travels across the surface of the sinker. It serves to catch air and slow the sinker's speed. Then, overall it is not tapered at all, but instead has a straight sided profile until it reaches halfway back. Again, this is not an aerodynamic feature. I imagine this was incorporated to give the grip wires a place to set. Then when it finally does taper, the taper is exactly opposite of what you would want. It is concave when you would want convex. Again, this is not an aerodynamic feature. They claim it was tested in a wind tunnel, and it may have been, it just was a wind tunnel run by people who flunked physics class- twice. They missed the mark at every single point along the way. There is not a single aerodynamic advantage anywhere on that sinker.

So now there is just one small issue left between us. The original poster asked if anyone made Namix sinkers over here in the good old USA. I chimed in and offered to make the man some Namix sinkers, and decided to offer him a something different as well. You chimed in to say something snotty, and dismiss my design out of hand. Then you suggested that the Outcast sinkers were a viable option for him. I looked at the prices in that link, and they are unbelievable. When I converted the pounds to dollars, they work out to be almost $ 24 each. That doesn't include shipping, taxes, exchange fees, and duties either. I bet he would end up paying almost $ 100 for just three sinkers. Hardly an alternative to any of my sinkers. Also, it is very hard for me to believe that the men in the UK are clamoring to pay 14 pounds for that dumb sinker. There are plenty of alternatives over there that will fly further for a lot less money.....and now those alternatives are over here- M8


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Them uk sinkers dont even have stuck out legs. Im glad i just use brute force for most of my cast as im usually throwin 8oz + a big ol bait. And FishinMortician might even be smarter than solid(if thats possible


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

That was an excellent post, Paul. You have easily dismissed your doubter. 

You've done your homework, and I'm actually looking forward to picking up a box of the high flights or tournaments.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

When it all comes down to it arent we just trowing a string with something we think a fish might like into the big pond and hoping a dumb little fishy wants to eat it. This thread hurts my noggin. I need to go grab my heaver and toss a few 8's to get this feeling of dumb outa me...

I' d be interested to actually see real life casted averages between the designs more than scientific mumbo jumbo. Like ten of each test casted...same rod, same caster, same reel, same line.....BTW. I get the aero. aspects just sayin how much does it really matter?

Oh and the most important aspect to being a successful fisherman is not in tackle at all it is in confidence. So even if dude who likes the Nemix lead is wrong from a scientific point he has confidence in what he is throwing and will out fish the guy always questioning it. Why do you think there are so many damn knot debates on here. The best one ( knot, hook, lead, line, rod, reel, bait, spot, hook placement, etc) is the one you have the most confidence in and can rig at midnight on a new moon in a 20kt wind after a dozen and a half of Yuenglings or brown liquor drinks of your choice.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

gilly21 said:


> When it all comes down to it arent we just trowing a string with something we think a fish might like into the big pond and hoping a dumb little fishy wants to eat it.
> 
> I get the aero. aspects just sayin how much does it really matter?


Ask these questions on a day when you're fishing into a headwind, working hard for every last inch you can get out of your cast. (and finding that even then it's still not enough)


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

solid7 said:


> Ask these questions on a day when you're fishing into a headwind, working hard for every last inch you can get out of your cast. (and finding that even then it's still not enough)


I get it. Me and the boys discuss the details at nausium on the beach. We argued over whether hooking skull down or chin up made a difference. Just saying it aint worth arguing or hurt feelings over the interweb. Feeshin is a dumb mans hobby we all make real complicated. 

Oh and only reason I replied to this thread was because I got tired of seeing the note that I hadnt posted in a while. 

And lastly for what it's worth, none of the guys I hold regard to opinions are participating in this thread. So this is just a fun debate more than anything. That is not a bash to anyone here just that I don't know you nor the conditions you fish in.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

No worries, there, gilly.

I mostly like using sputnik style sinkers, because I like to use the legs as low budget "clip down" attachments if I'm not throwing so far. (no extra hardware) This guy is offering high quality sinkers at a price that the cheap crap sells for in my local shops. So if I want to employ the high tech aspect, I can, but if I just want a sputnik, all the same. Best of both worlds.

These are best utilized with small baits on clip down setups.

There are 2 beaches that I fish that have a sand bar that is about 15 feet out of my range. If I could use a sinker that, on a 100+ yard cast put me out an extra 15-20 feet, it would get me where I need to be. Mind you, on a 120 yard cast, 15-20 feet is a gain of about 5 percent. I could easily see that being accomplished with this product.

These are not for everyone, and that's OK. Those of us who use them, know why we do it.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

solid7 said:


> No worries, there, gilly.
> Those of us who use them, know why we do it.


That is all that matters!


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

gilly21 said:


> That is all that matters!


That was just an honest assessment, and a tacit approval of the product - not smartassery.


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