Yes. Weights can be used with lures, but you must consider how much weight to add and if it complements your fishing technique. There are a number of reasons why you might need to add weight to your lure or obtain a fishing sinker: Weights improve your lure's ability to anchor. This is particularly important if you plan to drop your bait deep in the water. If you don't want to go too deep, then avoid dragging a heavy sinker on the bottom. Weight also helps keep your bait afloat after you have thrown it into the water. Without weight, your bait will quickly sink to the bottom where it is likely to get eaten by fish that are close by.
Lures require different amounts of weight depending on what kind you buy. Some popular types of weights include: Bait balls - small, hard objects that often look like plastic cheese balls. They usually weigh between 1/4 and 1 oz (1-20 g). Fish find them interesting to eat and won't notice when you throw them into the water. Plastic eggs - similar to bait balls, these items also weigh about 1/4 oz (1 g). The only difference is that they are smaller. Fishing spoons - these tools look like long needles and typically weigh between 1/8 and 3/8 oz (3-10 g). Spoons are useful for picking up tiny food items that wouldn't catch your attention otherwise.
Sinkers let you to cast your line further distances. It also helps to improve the sinking rate and ability of your lure and line.
The most common way to weigh down a lure is with lead. This is because lead is heavy for its size, and it is affordable. Other materials used to weight down lures include zinc, iron, brass, and copper. The choice of material depends on how much impact the lure will see from use over time as well as your budget.
Weighting down your lure will help it stay in place while you search for fish. This is especially important if you plan to go offshore where the water can be very deep. Without a weight, your lure will likely drift away from where you left it.
Lures with weight attachments are available for almost any type of fishing situation. Whether you want to attract bass, salmon, or trout, there are sure to be weighted lures that will do the trick.
Lead is the most common weighting material used by anglers. It is inexpensive and easy to work with. You can melt it down and reuse it over and over again. Or you could buy new lead if you run out of old scraps.
Use lures with a baitcaster if the total weight of the lure PLUS the additional sinker exceeds 1/8 ounce. Topwater lures, crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, swim jigs, punch baits, swimbaits, flipping baits, and soft plastics are the most frequent lures used with a baitcaster.
If you plan to go fishing for black bass, you need to choose between a baitcaster and a spin-cast reel. Since these fish don't worry about losing their prey, you don't have to be as careful when choosing your lures. That being said, topwater lures work best when targeting black bass because they'll stay above the surface where black bass can see them. The same is true for crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. For effective casting, though, you should still use good technique regardless of which type of lure you're using.
Baitcasters are usually more affordable than spin-cast reels, but that doesn't mean they're not worth spending money on. Many anglers prefer baitcasters because they're easy to cast and quick to rig. If you plan to spend much time on the water, though, you might want to invest in a better reel because you won't be able to keep up with it if you have to change out rigs too often.
Here are several tried-and-true fishing weight designs and how to utilize them.
By adding weight to hard baits such as jerkbaits and crankbaits, you may change their performance characteristics. Making a lure hang, rise slowly, or even sink might be useful when you want the bait to linger in the striking zone for a longer period of time. However, increasing weight might alter the action of the bait. For example, if you increase the weight enough, the crankbait will fall over backward.
The best way to determine what weight is appropriate for your situation is trial and error. Start with something light and see how that performs. If it doesn't catch many fish, then add weight until it does. Don't go too far though; you don't want the bait to be so heavy that it drifts away from where you are trying to catch it.
Crankbaits are designed to get fished fast and deep. That's why most often than not, they are sold with weights already attached. But if you want to go lighter weight, here are some things to consider:
The faster you cast and the deeper you pull the cord, the farther and faster the lure will travel. This is good if you are after larger predators like gars or large game fish like bass.
If you want to catch panfish or smallmouth bass on a crankbait, then you'll need to stick with heavier lures that move more slowly through the water.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
