what size bullet weights do you carry?

[grimlin]

1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2 oz.

And no lighter is not better, rate of fall is & that is determined by the bass

Actually you are right Catt.I will agree with that.

However,when fishing from the bank,I find that the heavier the weight the more it'll spook the crap out of the fish.On "most" days.

If i want to count how many fish i caught on a lighter weight than a heavier weight let say over 1/2 oz.  My numbers of fish caught dramatically higher on a smaller weight.Why is that? I've been having skunk days every time i pull out a 3/4 or 1 oz jig...

Plus when walking the bank you don't want to be carrying around 25 pounds of just weight.3/8 oz most of the time is heavy enough to work for a faster rate of fall.

[Raul]

From 1/16 to 1 ounce.

every size in between?

Yep, every size in between, two things I take in consideration to choose the weight are:

1.- Rate of fall

2.- Wind speed

And also, I don 't always use bullet weights just for soft plastics, I also use them on deep diving cranks.

[I.rar]

personally, ive cought more fish on weights smaller than 3/8oz than i have with heavier weights. i agree with gremlin , heavier weights do spook my fish more so than lighter but i have cought bass with a 3/8oz weight in less than 3' of water...

Yep, every size in between, two things I take in consideration to choose the weight are:

1.- Rate of fall

2.- Wind speed

And also, I don 't always use bullet weights just for soft plastics, I also use them on deep diving cranks.

ive used split shots up on the line when using shallow cranks with success but never bullet weights... have you done this with shallow divers?

[tyrius.]

It is an absolute fact when fishing either a Jig-N-Craw or Texas Rig that the bite will come on the initial fall; the key to triggering that bite is Rate of Fall.

I catch tons of fish dragging soft plastics and jigs along the bottom. So, they don't always bite on the fall.

I carry 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8.  And by carry I fish from the bank so I do carry them.  I've got enough other junk and don't want to carry around a bunch of weights that I won't use.

[tholmes]

I use mostly 1/8 - 1/4, but I keep a few 1/2 - 3/4 around 'cause the wind can be pretty fierce here, especially in the spring.

Tom

[Siebert Outdoors]

I carry 8  230gr's.

From about 1/16th to 1.5oz

[Raul]

ive used split shots up on the line when using shallow cranks with success but never bullet weights... have you done this with shallow divers?

I use a deep diver to plow the bottom where :

1.- the same bait would not reach the depth I want it to run

2.- to contrarest the bouyancy and make the bait to rise more slowly

3.- to reduce the loss of distance between the bait rising and hitting the bottom again.

I use a C-rig with minnows, super shallow and shallow divers when I want the bait to be near the bottom but riding above the bottom and behind the sinker.

[Catt]

Y'all truely don't get Rate of Fall?

I'm not saying go from 1/64th to 1 oz. but many times going up a 1/64th or 1/16th makes all the difference in the world. I don't let water depth, bank fishing, wind or a preconceived notion of "lighter is better" select my lure weight. Often times when an angler isn't getting bites they will change lures, I change lure weights first.

The fact that a higher percentage of bites come on the initial fall was proved the first time Glen Lau took a camera underwater.

[bigfruits]

Catt-

i think the confusion was that your first post about the "rate of fall fact" seemed to suggest they bite it on the fall 100% of the time

[Catt]

It is an absolute fact when fishing either a Jig-N-Craw or Texas Rig that the bite will come on the initial fall; the key to triggering that bite is Rate of Fall.

Believe it or not in 10' of water a bass can inhale a 1 oz jig long before it hits bottom

100% of the time???  :-?

a higher percentage of bites come on the initial fall 

[J Francho]

I'm with Catt...ever have one (or several) of those days where it seems you really have to pop that t-rig off the bottom to get bit?  It took years for the light bulb to go off in my head that they wanted it on the fall, not crept along the bottom.  A slight change in weight can mean not getting through weeds, or lingering too long in unproductive water.  Too much weight, and it zings by them unnoticed, or simply ignored, which might be even worse.  Also, note that different baits are not the same animal with the same weight.

[I.rar]

I'm with Catt...ever have one (or several) of those days where it seems you really have to pop that t-rig off the bottom to get bit? It took years for the light bulb to go off in my head that they wanted it on the fall, not crept along the bottom. A slight change in weight can mean not getting through weeds, or lingering too long in unproductive water. Too much weight, and it zings by them unnoticed, or simply ignored, which might be even worse. Also, note that different baits are not the same animal with the same weight.

im kinda on the fence about this one. ive had bass take the bait on the fall, pick it up off the bottom , and take it while its being crept/drug/hopped along the bottom so there is not 100% to this imo. it depends on what the fish want that day.

[grimlin]

Y'all truely don't get Rate of Fall?

I'm not saying go from 1/64th to 1 oz. but many times going up a 1/64th or 1/16th makes all the difference in the world. I don't let water depth, bank fishing, wind or a preconceived notion of "lighter is better" select my lure weight. Often times when an angler isn't getting bites they will change lures, I change lure weights first.

The fact that a higher percentage of bites come on the initial fall was proved the first time Glen Lau took a camera underwater.

yes we do.....But when bank fishing you are limited to what you can carry..... :

I've put on a 3/8 jig head with a tube then add another 3/8 bullet weight.How's that for innovation of getting a faster fall rate? I'm the only person i know that'll do that.Sounds stupid but it works!

[J Francho]

I'm with Catt...ever have one (or several) of those days where it seems you really have to pop that t-rig off the bottom to get bit? It took years for the light bulb to go off in my head that they wanted it on the fall, not crept along the bottom. A slight change in weight can mean not getting through weeds, or lingering too long in unproductive water. Too much weight, and it zings by them unnoticed, or simply ignored, which might be even worse. Also, note that different baits are not the same animal with the same weight.

im kinda on the fence about this one. ive had bass take the bait on the fall, pick it up off the bottom , and take it while its being crept/drug/hopped along the bottom so there is not 100% to this imo. it depends on what the fish want that day.

What's there to be on the fence about? If they aren't picking it up off the bottom, then what's the point? No point in doing one thing, if its the other that is getting bit. What I was pointing out was the why part of the popping retrieve getting bit, not that dragging worms won't catch.

[Catt]

Exactly what J Francho said, it took years for that light bulb to go off in my head and for me to realize a higher percentage of bites come on the initial fall.

Why do y'all think Flippin, Pitching, & Punching is so effective?

I'll give my answer; it's a technique that utilizes the initial fall 100% of the time

[Raul]

Tubes are deadly on the fall.

[J Francho]

Tubes are deadly on the fall.

So are grand pianos. And safes.  Avoid Acme Moving Co.

;D

[burleytog]

I have had a couple of nights where they would kill 3/16 but never look twice at 1/8 or 1/4.