# Bullet weights



## BLK fisher (Feb 26, 2009)

I was just wondering what you guys do as far as bullet weights. When do you peg it, when don't you. Do you match the color of the weight to your plastic or mismatch. I personally peg in heavy cover and not in open water. Also the color combos I have been experimenting with. What do you guys do?


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## russ010 (Feb 26, 2009)

I use bullets for everything. I usually stick with 1/8oz for every presentation.. I've got a few 1/16oz, but don't use them as much. 

I hardly ever peg them - I take that back, I've never pegged them.. I like that if I get up on a log or limb, I can use that unpegged sinker to fall down the line and leave the bait up in the air a little longer.

As far as colors.. I use 3 colors... red (mostly used, and works well for me in any water conditions), black (used some, but not much) and then regular silver.

I hadn't ever used bullet weights in the regular silver, but after using the shakey heads (I paint all of my shakey heads usually in watermelon) - well, the silver has started producing a lot more quality fish for me.


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## Captain Ahab (Feb 26, 2009)

I use varied sizes for fishing Smallies in the river mostly. Depends on depth, current and size of the plastics.


I always use unfinished / unpainted mainly because i snag fairly often. 

Unpegged as well


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## BLK fisher (Feb 26, 2009)

Russ, I used to use red alot also, no matter what color plastic I had on. I am trying to compare plastics to jigs i guess. I match my trailers to my skirt colors and it works out fine. Here in Jersey there is so much muck on the bottom of our lakes I don't think the fish even see the weight thats why I chose the red so much. Imagine this, If a fish is in the vicinity of your lure and you hop your plastic up all he will see is a red flash and that might interest him more. I know they say red is the first color to disappear underwater but thats only translucent reds. Just a thought. This year I am going to mix and match and see what happens.


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## russ010 (Feb 26, 2009)

ya know, as far as jigs and jig trailers go - I will use every color under the sun for the jig, and always use a green pumpkin or watermelon colored trailer...

The red weights I don't think lose color under the water... why would Strike King go so far as making their "red" eye baits if fish couldn't see it??

I like using the red weights, and sometimes even red hooks. I've got a 7.5lb and 10lb bass to my name that were both caught using red weights and hooks...


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## Nickk (Feb 26, 2009)

I'm slowly switching over to all tungsten but it's expensive. I use both painted and not, for painted I typically use green or black. I sometimes peg, well actually I like to use bobberstops, when I'm pitching t-rigged craws(Zoom Speed Craws).

I used the Parasite weights for a while but I tore the bait everytime I caught a fish, cool idea but didn't work for me.


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## russ010 (Feb 26, 2009)

I've actually had better success with regular cheap lead weights... for me, they move through cover easier with the larger size in the small weights.

I lose way to many weights to justify spending the money on tungsten...


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## Quackrstackr (Feb 26, 2009)

I peg whenever I am flipping a soft plasic or fishing heavy grass and need to punch through. Otherwise, it is unpegged.

I have never used a painted bullet weight, ever (and that's a mightly long time). I have caught thousands of fish with unpainted weights. You would be really hard pressed to ever make me believe that the weight color makes a discernable difference in productivity for bass fishing.


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## Brine (Feb 26, 2009)

Red changes to black relatively quikly the deeper you go with opaque material.


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## Quackrstackr (Feb 26, 2009)

russ010 said:


> The red weights I don't think lose color under the water... why would Strike King go so far as making their "red" eye baits if fish couldn't see it??
> 
> I like using the red weights, and sometimes even red hooks. I've got a 7.5lb and 10lb bass to my name that were both caught using red weights and hooks...



So who is right, the marketing gurus for Strike King or the ones for Shakespeare's Cajun Red line? :mrgreen:


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## Brine (Feb 26, 2009)

Quackrstackr said:


> russ010 said:
> 
> 
> > The red weights I don't think lose color under the water... why would Strike King go so far as making their "red" eye baits if fish couldn't see it??
> ...



They both have a dog in the fight. :mrgreen: 

Strike King is marketing red in OPAQUE material which seem to make a difference sometimes in shallow water. And, it's really about light penetration more than water depth.

Cajun Red Line is TRANSLUCENT and thereby reacts differently in the same conditions. 

Red has the longest wavelength of color in the spectrum and....Hold, on and I'll post a link.

https://www.kikofishing.com/blog/?p=52


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## darb79 (Feb 26, 2009)

Quackrstackr said:


> russ010 said:
> 
> 
> > The red weights I don't think lose color under the water... why would Strike King go so far as making their "red" eye baits if fish couldn't see it??
> ...



Whoever sells the most, thats who's right. In-fisherman magazine has a good article on this red debate.


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## Captain Ahab (Feb 26, 2009)

Nickk said:


> I used the Parasite weights for a while but I tore the bait everytime I caught a fish, cool idea but didn't work for me.



I had a bunch of those things - I clipped the parasite part off and just the used the weights :mrgreen:


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## redbug (Feb 26, 2009)

i use unpainted bullet weights and almost never peg them if i do I also use the bobber stop.
I use 1/16 or 1/32 oz most of the time but go ti 1/8 in windy conditions.
I am waiting to see if the site sponsor can get me some 1/32 oz tungsten.
brass weights are a bit larger than lead but give a different sound that can work for you


Wayne


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## Quackrstackr (Feb 26, 2009)

1/16, 1/32? :shock: 

I don't know if there is a weight in my box under 1/4 ounce. There may be a 3/16 or two rattling around in there somewhere. :lol:


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## redbug (Feb 26, 2009)

Quackrstackr said:


> 1/16, 1/32? :shock:
> 
> I don't know if there is a weight in my box under 1/4 ounce. There may be a 3/16 or two rattling around in there somewhere. :lol:



I don't think I have any weights in the 1//4 to 3/16 oz in my box.... i have a few bigger for c-rigging ...
I did find it tough fishing the ledges on ky//barkley lakes with these tiny weights...


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## Quackrstackr (Feb 26, 2009)

redbug said:


> I did find it tough fishing the ledges on ky//barkley lakes with these tiny weights...



I bet! :shock: 

Some of the worms that I use would probably float a 1/16 bullet weight. :lol:


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## Waterwings (Feb 26, 2009)

I use mostly 1/8oz, 3/16oz, and occasionally a 1/4oz bullet weight in the standard lead. Have never pegged a weight either. At times, just messing around, I've put a red bead between the bullet weight and the hook and hopefully attract something.


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## ilinimud (Feb 27, 2009)

I have been using black, but all you guys using the unpainted has got me thinking. I have seen those a lot cheaper, and having paint probably doesnt make that much of a differance.

I have also always wondered about the red lures, hooks and weights. I seen the write up in In-Fisherman about it. I have never really bought into the "bleeding bait" claims.


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## Mac (Mar 8, 2009)

The color red loses it's redness at about 12 to 15 feet depths. It basically just loses it's color and registers as black. Now, that does not mean that red is a bad color, and in fact a ton of fishermen believe that a little red on a lure is a good advantage to present on or about a lure. Some of the best lures of bygone days were combinations of red and white. I don't know if transparancy has anything to do with red losing color, opaqueness or translucent may or may have a little difference in the depth. On the one hand, I tie a silver and red jig that so far has caught 21 species of fish....also when fishing a seven inch black culprit worm weightless, I added an oblong transparent red glass bead for a head and had a couple huge strikes on the surface.....I personally think it helps and if below the color depth, there is nothing wrong with fishing dark colors either even if it's no longer red, it will sillouette nicely with the light sky above.


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## redbug (Mar 8, 2009)

Mac said:


> .....I personally think it helps and if below the color depth, there is nothing wrong with fishing dark colors either even if it's no longer red, it will sillouette nicely with the light sky above.




If you think it helps then It does confidence it a big part of fishing. how many times do you find yourself having a tough day, and reach into you tackle and pull out your old trusty lure that you know will catch fish and bingo..


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## ilinimud (Mar 8, 2009)

Yeah...I wish it would happen a lot more often too! LoL


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## fish devil (Mar 12, 2009)

:twisted: I rarely peg unless I'm pitching into heavy cover with plastics. 3/16 -1/4 oz unpainted tungsten are my main sizes.


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