Tungsten Bullet Weights

[RuddyDuck]

What brand of Tungsten weights does everyone like to use with their texas rigged plastics? I want to try some this year as I normally just use lead. Mostly cause of the cost. What's a normal price for them? I see the SK's for about $7 bucks a pack depending a bit on the size and was wondering if there were cheaper brands out there. I did find some SK ones on clearance at Wally World for $5 a pack and I am gonna start out with some of those.

Any do's or dont's to fishing them, best rod set ups, best size, etc.

Thanks.

[CAMAN]

There is a seller on eb@y with bulk tungsten weights for an excellent price. Just search "bulk tungsten bullet weight" and they should be the first items to pop up. My goto sizes are 3/16 and 1/4 oz with 1/4 being by far the most frequent.

[Deitz Dittrich]

They can be quite expensive. I too have used the strike king ones.. I have used the VMC ones, and you can sometimes find a pretty darn good deal on them if you buy in bulk online sometimes.. Keep an eye on your knot, tungsten is more abrasive. But beyond that, fish it just like lead, but you can get away with heavier for the same size. The smaller size tungsten will not eat up the gap of your hook as bad as lead will. I use a lot of 1/2 oz.. and 3/4.. But will go as light as 1/4 too. As for rod and such, just be sure its within the rods suggestions for best performance.

[Wayne Ek]

I use Strike King tungsten weights and that's a very good price. The only time I use lead any more is when I'm pre-fishing and the lake has a heavy population of small northerns.

[RK]

I use Strike Kings, and they're good. Vike and VMC weights are also fairly reasonable.

As much as I like tungsten, I still use lead a lot just because of the pike factor. There are times when I'll get bit off 4 or 5 times in a day, and if you're using a 1/2 oz weight, or worse yet punching weights at $5/sinker, it starts to add up in a hurry...

[JP Z]

I haven't jumped on the Tungsten bandwagon yet. Granted I am mostly a multispecies angler who mainly targets bass. So I am expecting toothy critters, but it's hard for me to spend that much on sinkers..... But to be honest I really don't flip/pitch at all so that could be where I am missing out if I did.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I feel the cost pain.. I have primarily gone over to tung.. it hurts when you get bit off..

[Meat-Run]

I only use tungs when I'm punching otherwise lead is my first choice its just to expensive and not to many stores carry the product.

MR

[RuddyDuck]

Thanks for the info. Yes losing them to Pike is also part of the reason I haven't used them yet! My plan is to use them for pitching mostly around cover and docks when you want a more compact, but heavy bait. When I am fishing more weedlines, points and open water spots, then I will probably stick to lead.

[Todd S.]

I T-rig probably 75% of the time and only use tungsten, way better than lead IMO. Yes it costs more, but they offer more feel/sensitivity to me, I guess to me price is what it is. Part of the fun of bass fishing for me is spending my hard earned money on hoards of tackle.

Once you start using them I bet you'll only want tungsten. If you just want to start with some I use 3/16 the majority of the time for what it's worth.

One of things I use to mitigate some of the pike bite offs is Bullet weights T stop pegs. They slide in from the cup end of the weight through the tip, then trimmed on both ends. I have had on occasion a bite off from a pike where the bullet weight is still pegged to the line but everything else was missing

[MN BassFisher]

There is nothing worse than losing some Tungsten to a Pike! Todd S. made some good suggestions 3/16th is a good all around size. You can go lighter for a more finicky/shallow bite and then heavier for a deeper bite. I like to peg my bullets as well with a rubber T-Stop - I've never had it save my bullet weight though, that would be a good feeling!

[Larson15]

Once you start using Tungsten there is no going back......I bet in the near future we might see a lead fishing ban in Minnesota as well. Several states have already adopted this.