Sink rate
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ft per second
Sinking rate is how fast your lure falls through the water, usually in feet per second. Once you know it, you can count your lure down to an exact depth instead of guessing, and match your jig to the depth you need to reach.
| Lure weight | Sink rate | Time to target | Typical use |
|---|
A lure falling through water reaches a steady speed where the pull of gravity is balanced by drag. Heavy, compact lures fall fast. Light, bulky lures — a weightless plastic, a big paddle tail — sink slowly because they push more water for the same weight.
The practical unit is feet per second. A jig that falls at 1 ft/s covers 12 feet in 12 seconds. That is your countdown: say "one one-thousand, two one-thousand" and you know roughly where the lure is.
Cast, let the lure hit the water, and start counting the moment it does. Let it fall for the number of seconds the calculator gives you, then begin your retrieve. Your lure is now in the strike zone from the very first turn of the handle.
The other use is staying in contact. If you know the lure falls one foot per second and you are working a 15 foot edge, you can let it fall for 12 seconds and start your retrieve without touching bottom.
Thin line cuts through water and lets a lure fall freely. Thick line drags and slows the fall. On a light jig, going from 15 lb mono to 10 lb braid can change your sink rate by a third — which is the same as switching to a heavier jig without changing lures.
This is one of the few times braid is a straightforward upgrade: thinner line for the same strength means a faster, more natural fall and better feel when the lure does touch bottom.
Sink rate only matters if you can feel the lure. These are the ones that hold a fall you can count.
The classic countdown lure. Lead head, hair tail, falls head-first at a predictable rate and works from panfish to striped bass.
Check current price on Amazon →Dense and compact, spoons fall fast and flutter. The standard choice when you need to reach depth quickly or work a vertical school.
Check current price on Amazon →A soft plastic on a jig head. Slower fall than metal, more realistic movement — better when fish want a slower presentation.
Check current price on Amazon →Tungsten is denser than lead, so you get the same weight in a smaller package that falls faster and slips through cover better.
Check current price on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, TackleCalc earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are set by Amazon and change without notice. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Full detail for every calculator is on the methodology page.
A countdown only works if you know the rate behind it. The jig head weight calculator sets the weight for the depth, the trolling depth calculator covers moving presentations, and the lure color chart decides what to fish once it gets there.
Most anglers want roughly one foot per second as an all-round rate. Half a foot per second is a slow, finesse fall. Two feet per second or more is a fast fall for deep water or fish holding tight to the bottom.
Pick a known depth, cast out, let the lure hit the water and count the seconds until it touches bottom. Divide the depth by the seconds and you have feet per second.
Yes. Braid is much thinner than mono or fluorocarbon at the same strength, so it drags less through the water and your lure reaches its natural sink rate instead of being held back by the line.
Usually the line. Thick mono, a windy day bowing the line, or a bulky soft plastic all add drag. The calculator assumes a slack-line, straight-down fall.
Count down gives you a starting point, not a fact. In current the lure drifts as it falls, so it will be further downstream than directly below you. Use a slightly heavier lure to compensate.
Jig head weight calculator · Lure weight calculator · Lure size chart · Line diameter converter · Best bass lures
Weight and depth: Lure Weight Calculator · Jig Head Weight Calculator · Sinker Weight Converter · Trolling Depth Calculator · Downrigger Depth Calculator
Line and leader: Braid to Mono Converter · Line Diameter Converter · Reel Line Capacity Calculator · Shock Leader Calculator · Fly Leader Length Calculator
Knots and hooks: Knot Strength Calculator · Hook Size Selector
Reel, drag and cast: Reel Gear Ratio Calculator · Casting Distance Calculator · Drag and Leader Calculator
Fish and catch: Fish Weight Calculator · Fillet Yield Calculator · Fly Line Weight Calculator
Reference charts: Lure Color Chart · Fishing Seasons by Species · Fish Water Temperature Chart · Split Shot Sizes Chart
Also worth reading: Jig head weight guide · Split shot sizes chart
Disclaimer: The numbers on this page are estimates based on published specifications and standard formulas. Real-world results vary with brand, gear condition and how the equipment is set up. TackleCalc is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with any manufacturer. Nothing here replaces the instructions that come with your own gear.