Tungsten Weights

[Heron]

Ok, Im scratching my head over this. 

 

What does a tungsten weight, do for your presentation, that a lead or steel weight does not?  

[atcoha]

denser, smaller physical size for weight ratio.

[Daniel Lin]

Makes a lot of sense for more heavyweight presentations. My 3/8oz tungsten sinkers are the size of my 1/8oz lead sinkers. I assume this ratio should apply fairly well to larger sizes. I don't get to use them as much as I would like, especially being shorebound, but I think the advantages of being able to replace a comparatively gargantuan 3/8oz lead sinker with tungsten for say, deep water t-rigging would be fairly obvious. 

 

I think tungsten's really found a home in punching setups, but I haven't really played with punching weed mats so I can't personally comment on it. It appears that the much smaller size of tungsten for the same weight allows you to punch better through weed mats? 

[Greeneye8181]

Tungstens are expensive but worth it.

They don't scratch your line really. They slide better and make a nice presentation and *click* noise. Better for the environment 

[Heron]

Ok, how does this compare with steel? 

[einscodek]

Its heavier than steel so it can be smaller a weight.

I've never needed it.. I know all these claims such as sensitivity etc I've not seen the benefit of.. the only benefit I see is I can use a smaller size weight

I have a pack but I'm still using my steel bullet heads..

[Catch and Grease]

They are worth it if you think they are worth it... I personally can't afford them, or at least don't want too haha

[F14A-B]

I love Tungsten, I do feel better with it, I also use tungsten jigs, it's become silly high in cost though.

Ultra steel, I can feel pretty good with it too, I have been using it in tube rigs & drop shot rig's

Brass is good too.. I wish ultra steel would stretch the bullet weights, thereby giving it a chance at a lower profile.. But it's got a good feel to it.. Just huge in size, lol

[primetime]

Tungsten is not all that expensive in weights less than 1/2 oz and besides flipping and punching heavy mats, or fishing deep, I think most people use bullet weights in the 1/8-3/8 range, and you can find a 4 pack of 1/4 oz Tungsten weights for roughly the same price as say a pack of 4 Florida Screw in weights which are lead. The smaller size is what I like best, I also find if I am dragging the bottom, I can feel the composition a little better if I am using Braid, not so much with Mono.

 

I have read that it makes a more natural noise when it hits wood or rock and I just figure that it can't hurt since I like putting a bead in between a bullet weight that slides and the smaller profile also looks alot better when you start getting into 1/2 and larger. A 1 oz bullet weight of lead looks crazy to me now. I have steel weights but I hate their shape and they look funny when pegged. Brass is too loud for my liking even for a carolina rig and I hate a carolina rig, but when i do use it, I would rather skip the brass all together and just add a plastic bead, maybe a ticker at most, but often put the rattle in the soft bait instead.

 

I do notice the Tungsten Drop Shot Sinkers help by sliding though grass easier and so do the smaller bullet weights and weeds to not stick to them as much from my experiences,so I will keep using a smaller weight as the less terminal tackle the better.

[LittleBob]

When I first started buying all my gear I was still I college so lead was the way to go just because I could get so many for little to nothing. I came across some tungsten on sale and bought them and I won't use anything else now, to me it seems like I can feel everything so much better it's worth the added cost.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Take a 3/8 oz regular casting jig.  Now take a 3/8 oz Keitech Tungsten Casting Jig and set them next to each other.  The Keitech has a smaller profile, same weight.  Tungsten is great to have a smaller profile with the same weight to get down deeper as you would with a bigger bait.  Works wonders when the bite is not on, especially on those high pressure blue bird sky days.  Another thing I forgot to mention is the feel.  You feel so much more with tungsten.  Tungsten weight + braided line = fishfinder.

[papajoe222]

For me, it isn't a cost, or size thing. It's a sensitivity thing.  There is a world of difference between lead and tungsten when it comes to transmitting information back to me. The same goes for brass and steel.  Drag a C-rig with a tungsten weight over a hump and you can immediately tell when the bottom composition changes, where the weeds, rocks, shell beds, or whatever are.  I equate the difference to that of fluoro vs. braid. For sensitivity, I choose braid.  The majority of my rods are in the $100 or less range and tungsten and braid give me the sensitivity I can't afford from  more expensive equipment.

[GoDeep]

I like tungsten due to the smaller size. The smaller the weight, the better the chance that I won't get snagged up where I fish. 

[rippin-lips]

It's a very dense material. So it transmits vibration better. Just like fluoro is more dense than mono. Fluoro and tungsten is a great combination. As said 10x already. It's also smaller,so it comes through cover easier. It's nowhere as cheap as lead but there are places online where you can get smaller sizes for about $1-1.50ea. I use the heck out of 3/16 and 1/4 so I buy a lot of those.

[benthinkin]

For punching its the same amount of weight in a smaller area. This means that you can punch the same grass with a tungsten weight that you cannot with lead or steel.

[WIGuide]

I know a a lot of these have already been mentioned but here's a list of advantages as to why I use tungsten weights :

• Roughly 1/2 the size of lead which leads to a more natural presentation
• Smaller size equates to less hang ups around wood and grass
• Much more sensitive than lead steel or brass relays bottom composition much better
• Harder than lead which means it won't deform as easily
• Weights won't wear on line like lead will once deformed
• Won't rust or tarnish or corrode like lead, steel, or brass
• Weight will come through a basses mouth better as it's teeth can't grip it like they can with lead which leads to better hook up ratio
• Allows you to downsize presentations without loosing feel or casting distance
• Tungsten allows the creation of unconventional weights i.e. Eco Pro Tungsten's Pro Wacky Weight
• Makes punching a lot easier
• Tungsten is more eco friendly than lead. 

[J Francho]

Tungsten is all they sell here, everything else is illegal in NY, LOL.

[Heron]

Do you all use Tungsten weights on your Carolina rigs?

[primetime]

I would for sure if I used a conventional c-rig. I will drag the bottom but I use either a Jig or modified c-rig which I guess some call a mojo rig or split shot rig, and I like tungsten better for reasons mentioned..1/2 oz is much smaller and streamlined, slides through cover, but most importantly if you have a heavy enough weight with braid and fluoro, even mono leader, you can feel the change in bottom better which is the key to success imo. If you feel a muddy bottom turn to hard shells, and you get a bit hung up, odds are you can get ready to set the hook.

 

I only mentioned 1/2 oz since I am usually fishing in water under 10', but if I am deeper and dragging a bait along bottom, I do use the 1 oz barrel sinkers in tungsten and can feel what is happening much better, most importantly if the bait is ticking weeds, or if bottom is soft, and if it is, I know I want to find hard bottom to catch fish. You can use lead and still catch fish, but Tungsten is no doubt better for feel and size, sound I am not sold on, but I will give it the benefit of doubt. Plus, They just look better and more natural

[Ratherbfishing]

I'm holding out for depleted uranium weights.

[kikstand454]

I wish I could talk myself into tungsten Carolina rigging. I know it is superior to lead in every way.

Except price. And I lose a fair amount of c-rigs each year!

Hmmmmm

Decisions. ..

[J Francho]

I'm curious as to what you do with that "extra information" a tungsten weighted Carolina rig or drop shot is supposedly telling you.  I use lead for DS and brass for a c-rig. I can tell whats there based both on feedback and what's on the graph.  I'm not convinced that sensitivity is really an advantage, and not just a side effect.  I use tungsten on my pegged t-rigs because its smaller.  I also like to match the bullet size to the bait, so if I'm using a big plastic with a light weight, I will switch to steel, since it's a better fit, and is more weedless that a tiny 1/8 tungsten head on a 12" worm.

[Munkin]

I'm curious as to what you do with that "extra information" a tungsten weighted Carolina rig or drop shot is supposedly telling you. 

 

It lets me feel when they are looking at the bait so I have time to get ready for the hook set   How any fish were ever caught before tungsten I just don't know?

 

Allen

[J Francho]

There's no arguing they are more sensitive. But, it's not like other modern updates, like instant AR, faster gear ratios, multi disk CF drags, or even braid. There are clear advantages and gains in those features. I see it like saying fluoro is better because it clearer than clear mono.