What's your go-to lure weight for shore fishing at a lake?

[bitsandbass]

I'm trying to get a sense for what weight lures you guys reach for when casting out from the shore at a lake.  I'm thinking 1/4oz offers a decent combo of distance and depth.  I was curious to hear what you folks are using. 

[Seth_7]

1/8 or 1/4! 

 

[Choporoz]

0 - 3/16 primarily

I don't even use 1/4 from boat much any more...mostly if windy or fishing more than 10'. 

[FishDewd]

For lakes around here, probably 1/2 oz. For two reasons: depth, and lot's of boats making big waves. If I throw out 1/4 oz or less there is a good chance it will never touch the bottom.

[All about da bass]

3/8

 

[Armtx77]

1/16-1/8

 

Your best sucess will happen along the banks ie casts at 10 and 2 positions.

 

Unless you are fishing known drop offs or are trying to punch through surface lettuce, I dont see a need for heavier lures and line.

 

I cant load up the pic, but I caught a 5.2 LMB on a weightless T-rigged, 2.8 Keitech Fat Swim Impact, this past weekend. I was just working the weedline from the bank and noticed the line moving towards deep water on the slack line.

[LionHeart]

What rods are you guys using for those lighter weight lures? Trying to decide whether it's better to get a med/fast bait casting rod, or just stick to spinning gear for lighter Trigs.

[bitsandbass]

6 minutes ago, LionHeart said:

What rods are you guys using for those lighter weight lures? Trying to decide whether it's better to get a med/fast bait casting rod, or just stick to spinning gear for lighter Trigs.

 

Same.

[Armtx77]

9 minutes ago, LionHeart said:

What rods are you guys using for those lighter weight lures? Trying to decide whether it's better to get a med/fast bait casting rod, or just stick to spinning gear for lighter Trigs.

My go to has been a 7' ML-F HMG spinning rod with Daiwa BG 1500 and 8lbs NanoFil.

 

With that being said, if you want to do a lot of T-rigging. You may want to go with a M-F. This weekend was my first roll with T-Rigs on this set up and I missed several fish, because the rod just absorbed so much of my hook set and I couldnt get a "hook drive" through a very soft lure.

[scaleface]

I look at my rod . it is rated for line and weights . I use what it recommends .

[the reel ess]

Weightless

[Angry John]

2-5 oz.  Casts a good long way and I am fishing water most shore guys can't reach.

[LionHeart]

5 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I look at my rod . it is rated for line and weights . I use what it recommends .

Thank you for your contribution to this thread.

[the reel ess]

27 minutes ago, LionHeart said:

What rods are you guys using for those lighter weight lures? Trying to decide whether it's better to get a med/fast bait casting rod, or just stick to spinning gear for lighter Trigs.

I use spinning gear mostly for light T rigs. For 3/16 o.z and above, I use BC gear.

[Graham]

1/16 up to 2oz baits, really depends on the situation. If you give some more detail on your particular situation I can tell you what I’d throw given those circumstances.

[Deleted account]

Could be no weight, could be an ounce and a half, or anything in between, fishing from shore has nothing to do with it, so no "go-to" for me. I use what gets the job done best on a given day on a given body of water. 

[Catt]

Texas Rig: weightless to 1/4

Jig-n-Craw: 1/4 to 1/2

Spinnerbait: 1/4 to 1/2

Buzzbait: 1/8 to 1/2

Rat-L-Trap: 1/4 or 5/8

 

Then there's frogging, topwater, & punching 

 

Not many crankbaits ?

[Bankbeater]

Anywhere from weightless to 1/4 depending on vegetation, wind, and depth.

[soflabasser]

Anywhere from weightless to a couple ounces depending on what technique I am using and what I am targeting.

[BrackishBassin]

I throw weightless stuff quite a bit with a ML spinning rod. Don’t have issues with hook penetration, but it’s spooled with 15lb braid. It’ll drive anything but those thick flipping hooks into a fish. 

 

I bank fish almost exclusively and don’t use anything heavier than 1/2 ounce (jig). My chatterbaits, swim jigs, and spinnerbaits are all 3/8. I do fish cranks (mostly squarebills) along a rip rap bank. Also throw lots of top water stuff (whopper plopper, frogs, walking baits, and poppers) because it’s my favorite style fishing and I don’t tend to lose them often to snags. And that’s about the extent of what I have confidence in. I’ve tried jerkbaits a bunch, but never caught a fish on one. 

 

However, I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a set up to throw bigger swimbaits. I feel like they’d be just as effective from the shore and the top hook style would get fouled up super easy. 

[Bluebasser86]

So many variables to this question. I use a weightless wacky rig a lot, a 3/8oz bladed jig or spinnerbait a lot, a 1/4oz T rig, and a 1/4oz jerkbait the most I'd guess. 

[BankBasser]

I fish almost exclusively from shore and use up to...

 

T-Rig +plastic - 1/4oz

Jig +trailers - 3/8oz

Spinnerbait - 3/8oz

Lipless - 3/8oz

Square Bill - 3/8oz

Topwater - 1/2oz

Frogs - 1/2oz

Whopper Plopper 110

A lot of weightless

[ClackerBuzz]

17 hours ago, Graham said:

1/16 up to 2oz baits, really depends on the situation. If you give some more detail on your particular situation I can tell you what I’d throw given those circumstances.

This.

It depends mainly on two things: depth and bottom content.

 

If ur fishing 10+ ft you don't want to wait for 1/16 oz to slowly sink.

If ur fishing rocky bottom 1/16 oz might break off too much so you need to go weightless.

If ur fishing a mucky pond bottom a specific technique like drop shot will keep ur weight in the muck but worm clean above.

 

Basic rule:  if you break off in rock 2-3 casts in a row you need to lighten ur weight, or go weightless.

[J Francho]

I don't think I've ever put any thought into having a "go to" weight.  I just fish.

[Junger]

I like to feel the bottom for contour, especially when fishing a new spot, and most of the ponds and lakes here are pretty shallow, 1-6 feet around the banks so I go for 3/8oz to bang the bottom.