[jc34]

Launched at 545PM and got off at 9PM.

Been playing around with making swimbaits; rats, wakes, glides. Had a little wake bait I made and paint in a RIDICULOUS pattern and wanted to see what happened. Made my way to the Dam and had giant bass following this little bait nearly every cast. Im sure they were just wondering what the hell this fish was, vs. interested in eating it.

Caught one small fish on an swaver 168 and then moved off to find some frog fish. No love on the frog at all or any other swimbaits.

Converted to the TR worm around 8PM and started catching fish. Boated 3 then hooked into something large that I thought was a submerged log (there actually is a log in the spot). I saw the belly and then line snapped. I think the glass bead cut the line. Retied and threw out to the same spot and hooked a good one. Packed it in after that, surely leaving them still biting.

 

[Jeremy]

I like that custom paint. Could go for a million or two on the block at Sotheby’s, LOL! Interesting lure, sounds like the bass aren’t sure if they want to eat it or frame it and hang it on the wall.

 

[Jeremy]

I also use glass beads. I’d heard that glass beads work well with lead bullet weights because the lead is soft and does not chip the glass. When I switched to tungsten bullets, Todd advised me to quit using glass beads because the dense tungsten will break the glass leaving sharp edges that will damage my line. He gave me a quart ziploc with a couple hundred plastic beads of all colors.

I took his word for it, but after awhile I missed my glass beads and I started using them again with tungsten weights. I would carefully examine the bead after each cast. It did not take but a couple of casts for the tungsten weight to chip the bead causing sharp edges. For me, the advantages of tungsten outweigh the benefits of glass beads, so I pretty much gave up on glass beads for Texas rig.

 

[carbonbass]

What advantages does tungsten give? One possibility that I read somewhere is that tungsten itself can create a clacking sound.

 

[jc34]

I also use glass beads. I’d heard that glass beads work well with lead bullet weights because the lead is soft and does not chip the glass. When I switched to tungsten bullets, Todd advised me to quit using glass beads because the dense tungsten will break the glass leaving sharp edges that will damage my line. He gave me a quart ziploc with a couple hundred plastic beads of all colors.

I took his word for it, but after awhile I missed my glass beads and I started using them again with tungsten weights. I would carefully examine the bead after each cast. It did not take but a couple of casts for the tungsten weight to chip the bead causing sharp edges. For me, the advantages of tungsten outweigh the benefits of glass beads, so I pretty much gave up on glass beads for Texas rig.

I agree. Its actually the first time Ive had a break-off using the tungsten to glass. I have plastic beads Ive used before and dont seem to get the same bites I get when using the glass. Especially in low light or night situations, that glass really makes a lot of noise which I think helps fish locate the bait.

What advantages does tungsten give? One possibility that I read somewhere is that tungsten itself can create a clacking sound.

Its a denser, heavier metal than lead. I have steel and brass weights and they are roughly 2.5X bigger than equivalent tungsten weights. Smaller profile weight for the ounce has less resistance through vegetation and water. Lead is close but not as dense as tungsten so same story, but not as great of a difference when compared against steel or brass. Also lead is just a nasty metal to be leaving on the bottom of the lake if you were to lose it. There's a reason lead birdshot was outlawed in the U.S. for hunting migratory waterfowl.

 

[Jeremy]

The advantage that tungsten gives me is purely sensory. Six years ago I tried braided line (PowerPro 50#) and I was blown away by how much more sensory feedback from the Texas rig lead bullet/braid over the stretchy nylon mono (Big Game 12#) I had always used before. I could actually feel the bottom and start to understand what the pros meant when they talked about feeling rocks, wood, shell, etc. Also the bite detection improved a lot.

I fished straight braid for less than a year before moving on to flouro (also low-stretch). Then I tried tungsten weights. The difference in feel from lead to tungsten was nearly as dramatic as the switch from mono to low-stretch line. The bottom feel feedback and bite detection improved again.

I agree that it is not good to litter the lake with lead, but it is tons cheaper than tungsten and an excellent density for fishing weights.