Mostly used for catfish, egg sinkers are ideal for casting and trolling waters with varied contours and vegetation. Due to their shape, snags are less likely. You can also use these sinkers for bass, trout, and other varieties along the bottom of a body of water.  

To put an egg sinker on your fishing line, slip the line in through its center and secure with a swivel or split shot. Below that, you'll attach your leader, then your hook.  

This lightweight sinker is very versatile and a favorite among anglers due to its easy installation, removal, and relocation.  They have a slit in the center that allows it to "grip" the line, which means threading isn't necessary.  Rather, you use your fingers or pliers to fasten it to your line.  

Split shot sinkers can add extra weight anywhere along your line, allowing for greater control of its placement in the water. Additionally, they can help hold larger weights at exactly the right spot on your fishing line. 

These fishing sinkers look like teardrops or bells, and are also known as bass casting sinker weights. Instead of feeding your line through the center, you'll thread it through a loop on top. 

To attach a bell sinker to your fishing line, you can either secure it directly to the line and attach a leader with your hook below that, or attach the sinker to a leader off your line in a slip weight rig.

Both of these setups allow the sinker to pull the line deeply to the bottom while your bait or lure floats just off the floor.  

These sinkers are similar to split-shots in how they look and attach to your line, but they're bigger and usually heavier. In the slot where the sinker clamps the line, you'll find a rubber coating that protects your fishing line from damage.  

You can add rubber core fishing sinkers by first pressing your line into the rubber groove down the sinker's center. Next, twist the rubber tabs at either end in opposite directions. This will draw the fishing line down into the rubber core for a secure hold.  

Like a teardrop or bell sinker, these have an eye where the line can be tied or threaded. As the name implies, they're shaped like pyramids, but the eye is at the base. This means the sinker will be upside-down once you cast.  

Their shape allows for rapid sinking not just through water but into soft floors as well—which makes it an excellent choice for bottom fishing. Furthermore, the flat sides help prevent movement in fast waters.  

One option is to attach your pyramid sinker to a swivel near the bottom of your fishing line, then attach your next swivel and leader line with a hook below. You can also use a three-way swivel so that the hook can float upwards off the bottom. 

These sinkers are a bit of a crossover between egg and pyramid versions: they're teardrop-shaped but not rounded. Rather, they feature six flat sides that resist both currents and snags.  

Setting up your line with a bank or reef sinker is very similar to other varieties: attach it to a swivel on your line (or tie it off), then attach your leader and hook below that.  You can also thread your line through the eye and secure it with beads for an adjustable slip rig.  

A favorite for anglers using live bait, walking sinkers look a bit like bent and flattened teardrops or a shape resembling shoehorns.

You can "walk it" over rocks and other normally challenging areas, dragging your live bait through the water to entice your next catch.  For this reason, you might also hear them referred to as live bait rigs.  

To add a walking sinker, simply pass your line through its eye. Secure with a swivel or split shot, then attach your hook or other desired elements of your rig.  

As the name would imply, bullet shots are extremely useful for gliding through water and vegetation, thanks to their narrow cone shape.

Because it is a sliding sinker, you thread your line through it and attach your lure and hook just below that.  

A bullet shot is ideal when you'd like to use a walking sinker, but the underwater topography won't allow it (such as excessive weeds).