Couldn't agree more on the snap weights. I've mentioned them a bunch of times on various forums, not that they are new, having come out in the 90's. Still, a lot of people seem reluctant to try them. We all are used to our own techniques and seldom try new things (I'm as guilty as everyone else on that score) . Besides that, other methods like dipseys and 3 way rigs do work, just I have found that snap weights are by far the best system for getting deep fast, they cut through the water, easily un-clip to fight the fish with no weight on the line, and as you mentioned take up hardly any space in your tackle box. The only thing different I do, especially when trolling for lakers, is cast out my lure before attaching the weight. I find I get more hits with the weight further away from the lure.

Moonman.

Up until now I have never heard of snap weights but then I’ve only been fishing in earnest for the past 2 or 3 years.  My big canoe trips are typically for the month of August and as I go further north, to be successful fishing I have to be able to go deep.  This summer I’ll be headed to WCPP for most of August and that means Walleye and Lake Trout.  In the past I’ve mostly used deep diving (15 – 30 ft.) jerk and stick baits – Pointers, Stayzees and Taildancers – and I’ve had pretty good success.  But I’ve often imagined something like these snap weights (even though I didn’t know they existed.)  When I read this post I immediately Googled snap weights and was pretty impressed – they look inexpensive, easy to use and effective which sounds like a good formula to me.  Anyway I’ve got some questions and I hope you all will bear with me.
Just so you know, I fish with a baitcaster lined with 30# 832 braid which I love.  I don’t carry a depth finder or use a line counter but I will be trying out a Scotty rod holder for the first time this trip.
Okay, so a few questions.
First, is Off Shore the brand to use, are they all pretty much the same or is there some other brand(s) that you all would recommend?
Second, as I say, up until now I’ve fished for both Walleye and Lake Trout (though I’ve done a lot more Walleye fishing than Laker) exclusively using deep diving stick and jerk baits (or shallow divers around outflows.)  I’ve had pretty good success but I’m always up for something different and hopefully effective.  My reading suggests that I can still use jerk baits with the snap weight system.  But, given the snap weight, will I want to switch from deep (15 – 30 ft) to shallow divers (3 – 5 ft?)
Second, I haven’t used spinner baits much at all but it sounds like they would be very effective with snap weights.  What size and type of spinner bait would be most effective here – a Mepps in-line type or an overhead safety pin type?  I imagine the latter would be less likely to snag on the bottom.
Third, as I’m using braid, will the snap weights tend to slip?  Although I’m thinking that wrapping the line around the snap before clipping it on would probably solve that problem.
Thanks for the info and whatever else you can offer.

To try to answer your questions: I've got an Eagle Cuda depth finder mounted in my canoe. The head is Ram mounted to the thwart in front of my stern seat. The battery pack is in a thwart bag hanging from same thwart. The transducer is silicone mounted under the bow seat. Wiring is run under the gunnel held with zip ties and clips. Easy system to install, and at the portage, all I have to do is turn it off, and rotate the head. The primary advantage this provides is that I can find and follow contours, staying in productive areas easier. I'm sure you'll find fish without one, I just think you'll find more fish with one.

I've never used spinnerbaits with this system, so...

I use this system two ways. One is to contact sspended fish over deep water (lakers). The other is to use it like a bottom bouncer in 15-25' of water. I think the sinker banging rocks invite waldos to dinner.

Also, as a correction to my original post, I meant 'banana weights' instead of 'teardrop sinkers'. I think either will work, but the banana style has less drag.