Featured Bait: Tungsten Worm Weights
Planning, precision, and first-hand testing have allowed the folks at Epic Baits to take tungsten to the next level.
Epic Baits Tungsten Worm Weights feature a diamond finished line hole that is double-coated, heat-treated and polished to create a virtually fray-free tungsten weight that you can count on. These high-density weights also provide incredible sensitivity so you can feel every bite and easily decipher bottom composition.
Epic Baits Tungsten Worm Weights are constructed with 97 percent tungsten and 3 percent nickel and are half the size of comparable lead weights.
How to Rig
Texas rigging is ideal for 3/16-ounce tungsten weights because this size is the sweet spot for casting and flipping in most situations. Including a weight stopper is important to take into consideration, but it will depend on the desired presentation to determine if one should be used. When flipping heavy cover/vegetation with braided line, it’s crucial in most cases to ensure that the stopper is pushed up snug to the weight to prevent snagging between the weight and the hook.
Sight fishing will call for a Texas-rigged plastic in most situations. In this case, leaving 2-3 inches of separation between the stopper and the weight is crucial, as it allows for free motion of the bait. This is advantageous when trying to entice fish through a twitching/quivering presentation. A free-sliding weight with no stopper can be ideal when casting towards isolated targets or dragging/hopping a bait across a target area. This tungsten weight can also be an ideal choice when fishing lighter Carolina rigs.
The choice of weight size will depend on the depth of a target, thickness of cover and desired fall rate. When fishing deeper targets or heavier cover, upsizing the weight will be a crucial decision.
How to Fish
Rod, reel and line choices are dependent on the cover and presentation in play. For flipping and pitching around heavy cover, braided line and using a medium-heavy to heavy, fast action rod is typically the ideal choice. When pitching baits a short distance with a 3/16 weight around isolated or sparse cover, a medium-heavy, fast action rod will do the trick. However, a slower action rod tip will be the better choice when making a long cast in open water, because it will help with distance and allow the rod to “load up” on a fish when there is a lot of line out after making a long cast. Rod sensitivity is a crucial part of feeling a bite when fishing a Texas rig. A high-speed reel with at least a 7.1:1 gear ratio will be a requirement. Be sure to experiment with how long you leave the bait in the strike zone before reeling it back in, as well twitching the bait vs “dead-sticking” it. You could miss a lot of bites if you pull the bait out of the strike zone too quickly. Patience is key.
Featured Pro: Dean Rojas
Dean Rojas holds one of the longest, most impressive records in bass-fishing history: the heaviest single-day weight ever recorded in a five-fish-limit format at 45.2 pounds.
