Guppy Weights For Versatility
BY ERICH CARLSON
Off Shore Tackle’s OR20 series Guppy Weights is already a staple in the arsenal of most serious walleye anglers. If you are not already using them, you should be! Here’s why. Originally designed for use with the OR16 Pro Clip, anglers have found the Guppy Weight to have other applications as well. By making a few minor modifications, the OR20 Guppy Weight can double as both a Snap Weight and an in-line weight, enabling you to tweak or adjust presentations in a matter of seconds. While this has been done for years by some anglers, it is surprising how many others still haven’t tried it.
The primary application of the OR20 Guppy Weight for most anglers is for Snap Weight trolling, and coupled with the Precision Trolling Data app, this is an absolutely deadly combination for walleye, anywhere they swim, but there’s more to it. The Guppy Weight easily converts into the perfect in-line trolling weight by simply removing the split ring and OR16 clip on the top and replacing it with a quality crankbait snap and ball bearing swivel attached to the rear hole. Occasionally with the two- and three-ounce Guppy Weights, I’ll use a tiny drill bit to open up the hole on the tail end making it easier to attach some styles of snaps. I have found these to perform flawlessly when rigged with quality components. The switch literally takes seconds.
Weights for trolling spinner rigs over structure and also in emerging weeds.
Real Advantages
The design of the Guppy Weight gives it several advantages when rigged as an in-line! First the rounded nose and wide profile are less prone to hanging up when pulling spinners on rocky structure. If you are fishing effectively near shoals or rocky structure, you’ll often be trolling your baits near bottom. I’ve found this design of the Guppy simply hangs up less. While a lot of anglers will opt for a bead chain style in-line, the higher pull point of the Guppy Weight seems to get less abrasion, as the point of contact is elevated. This makes a big difference in snaggy, zebra mussel infested waters.
Another place where the Guppy Weights really shine as an in-line weight is in the weeds! Yes, the weeds! Often, when a bait pops free from submerged weed growth (primarily cabbage), it triggers a strike from a hungry walleye. After years of trying different methods from split-shot, bead chains, other fish shaped weights, to bottom bouncers, the Guppy Weights, especially the ½ oz, have truly earned the number one spot for pulling spinners through cabbage. The angle off the top pull point on the OR20 Guppy Weight goes into the wider, rounded nose. If you are trolling cabbage effectively, you will be making occasional contact, and your weight will encounter the cabbage before your spinner. The Guppy Weight’s design allows it to hit the cabbage, momentarily getting caught up in it, yet sliding and popping off a large percentage of the time. This triggers an amazing number of strikes.
Ice Fishing
Everyone who uses tip ups in the winter knows the importance of having a depth finder for helping to place your bait in just the right place in the water column. The Off Shore Tackle Guppy Weight with the OR16 Pro Clip also doubles as a reliable depth finder. The pin in the OR16 ensures that you won’t lose it once attached to the line. The lighter weights work great for setting slip-bobbers, while the heavier sized 1 oz., 2 oz. and 3 oz. work great for getting you set up quickly in deep water.
Summing It Up
When the bite calls for trolling Snap Weights or in-lines, whether in the weeds, structure, the open basins, or even ice fishing the OR20 series Guppy Weights are your answer when it comes to versatility and success.
