Adding weight to lures

[CandleWorks]

Hi

This may be a newbie question, but I am just starting out.

My rod, shimano aerocast, is rated for 50g for ideal casting distance.

However, I find that the bigger, heavier jigheads all have bigger hooks.

I would like to rather target smaller fish while getting the hang of things. So a smaller hook is ideal, but would like the extra weight for distance casting.

Anyone have advice on rigging sinkers inline with softbait / lures?

Found online "carolina rigs" and inline barrel sinkers but nothing like that in the local shops.

Any advice would be great.

 

[Fly-aholic]

Peg the sinker in front of the soft plastic on the line.
Depending where you are fishing, do it Texas rig style with sinker in front of plastic on the line.
Carolina rig does work well, especially in clear water as the weight is further from the lure.
Don't be apprehensive regarding hook size. A 5inch soft plastic fits nicely on a 5/0 and 1-1.5 weight.

 

[Fin-S]

Go to a flyfishing shop and buy some lead wire used to tie flies. Normally comes in a fine and a medium version.
Tightly wrap some of that around the hook eye and about a third of the way down the shank. Cover with red nail varnish or if you are adept, then tie in some red feathers over the lead and you both disguise the lead and have an extra attractant.

 

[Spool-Song]

Tungsten is heavier than lead, so if you can find some tungsten jigs, that might work if you can find them. they are more expensive, but a few countries are offering them to people who are worried about lead poisoning the environment.

 

[Zacharias]

I have found that by adding any form of weight to small lures it affects the way they perform, even changing treble hooks for single hooks affects the action of many lures especially the famous onda onda.(tested in a swimming pool) Having said that fine soldering wire around the shank of a treble or single painted over with nail varnish can help when casting light lures in windy conditions.

 

[Tackle-holic]

Screw lock hooks with belly weights work very well, but you are limited wrt hook size and weights - sometimes you might want a smaller hook with a heavier weight

 

[Tackle-holic]

So you can do this.....

 

[Tackle-holic]

Or this.
Casts way, way better than a jig head and much better than a texas rig with a pegged slip sinker.
Nice feature is that you can get the plastic to sink horizontally, you can slow your retrieve down to basically stationary and the lure is not lying on the bottom.

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

A palomar knot and a drop shot achieves the same quite simply..

 

[Tackle-holic]

You would think so, but I can re-rig from a spoon to this as quickly as clipping one on and back to a plug is just as simple
Not so with a DS rig
Also the method with doubled braid on the hook shank sinks and holds differently to a drop shot rig

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

Evolution, I dig it!

 

[CandleWorks]

Tackle-holic wrote:

Or this.
Casts way, way better than a jig head and much better than a texas rig with a pegged slip sinker.
Nice feature is that you can get the plastic to sink horizontally, you can slow your retrieve down to basically stationary and the lure is not lying on the bottom.

I like this. Thank you.

Will try it out next weekend