Definition of 'Sinking/weighted lines/baits'

Changing the property of fishing lines so that they are less likely to catch or ensnare animals feeding at the surface or in the mid-water column. They include low profile line, a kind of rope linking lobster pots that might be suspended deep enough to avoid whale entanglements but with enough floatation to lie above rocky bottoms that tend to abrade them. Weighted mainlines may also increase the sinking ate of pelagic longline gear, making it less likely to capture surface-feeding seabirds.