Why use any weight if you don't need it?

richg99 · Post by **richg99** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:55 am

In other than high current or high wind situations, why use a weighted jig head of any weight...when fishing under a cork......rather than just a bare hook?

Many years ago, I fished with live shrimp under a cork. No weight. Now, when I go to tie on a plastic (anything) my initial thought is to use the lightest jig-head that I can.

Heck, the cork will provide the weight for casting. The plastic lure will drop and move more realistically without a heavy jig head. Duhhh....why any weight at all on the hook??

Just posting for a discussion... richg99

ThePopinCorkKid · Post by **ThePopinCorkKid** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:09 am

i think it depends on what you throw. for example for shrimp imitations such as gulp shrimp i find that using a weighted jig head gives it a more life like motion because it keeps it close to the bottom like a real shrimp.

LocoSeamonkey · Post by **LocoSeamonkey** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:36 am

richg99 wrote:In other than high current or high wind situations, why use a weighted jig head of any weight...when fishing under a cork......rather than just a bare hook?

Many years ago, I fished with live shrimp under a cork. No weight. Now, when I go to tie on a plastic (anything) my initial thought is to use the lightest jig-head that I can.

Heck, the cork will provide the weight for casting. The plastic lure will drop and move more realistically without a heavy jig head. Duhhh....why any weight at all on the hook??

Just posting for a discussion... richg99

EXCELLENT QUESTION. I honestly use a jig because that is what I have seen others using. Plus, I use the Rockport Rattlers and I like them.

karstopo · Post by **karstopo** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:45 am

No weight needed. Back when I used Gulp some, I'd put on a Gulp crab or shrimp on a circle hook under the cork. Seemed to work fine. Never really tried a paddle tail or rat tail that way. I'd hook the Gulp shrimp right in the middle so I would float level instead of through the horn like you might do with a live shrimp.

texnomad · Post by **texnomad** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:57 am

My trend has been to use unweighted corks. Add a split shot, sized as required, about 12-18" above the lure.

richg99 · Post by **richg99** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:04 pm

Yep. I can see if the weight was 12 ..18 inches above, the lure will settle naturally.
richg99

texnomad · Post by **texnomad** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 2:15 pm

Seems I also get less tangles with that arrangement also.

Yaklash · Post by **Yaklash** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 2:20 pm

I was told many years ago (for live shrimp), the reason to weight your bait was that on the cast, without some weight below the cork, the likelihood of your cork and leader getting twisted into a crappy mess was greatly increased. The first time I tried a Gulp under a popping cork, I kinda forgot this and it wasn't but about 4 or 5 casts into that drift that I had a mess to untangle. I untangled the mess and added a split shot to the leader rather than take off the live bait hook and tie on a 1/16 oz jig-head. Worked fine. I do both now - in deeper water, an offset hook with a split-shot 12" up the line and in shallow water (shorter leader) I use a 1/16 oz jig-head.

adanvjr · Post by **adanvjr** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:52 pm

Whenever I'm fishing over a grass flat, I use an EWG hook instead of a jighead.
The lead-part of a jighead snags up grass, making my lure less attractive.

Kayak Kid · Post by **Kayak Kid** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:51 pm

I suppose if you cast bait under a cork, and spend most of each cast watching for the cork to go under, then it doesn't matter significantly if the bait is weighted or not. However, when I fish plastics under a cork, I constantly pop the cork all the way back to the boat. a properly weighted plastic provides much better action when used in that manner.

Live shrimp provide their own action and sound. Gulp provides it's own smell. An occasional 'pop' will provide attraction enough for an unweighted shrimp or gulp.

The above is one man's opinion based what works best for him.

Piscator · Post by **Piscator** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:38 pm

I use a jig head under a popping cork to keep the bait horizontal. Snug up the knot on the back of the eye to give some torque to keep the bait level. This would harder to do with a bare hook unless the eye was bent at 90 degrees. I do not like a plastic bait floating head up and tail down.

I use weightless Texas rig when swimming a plastic in shallower water.

TKFStubb · Post by **TKFStubb** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 5:18 pm

This is a great discussion, guys! This is the sort of info that a newbie can use to move on to the catching stage. Keep em coming!

Spoonbill · Post by **Spoonbill** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:23 am

I don't put a weight under my cork/Gulp combos and haven't had any trouble catching hardheads.

5moreminutes · Post by **5moreminutes** » Mon Sep 07, 2015 10:38 am

I use to do the bare hook for live shrimp under a cork. One day after fishing artificial under a cork with a jig head I used it for live shrimp. Felt like I had more hits. Kept the bait lower in the water column and haven't changed it since.

lagavulin62 · Post by **lagavulin62** » Mon Sep 07, 2015 10:51 am

I don't use fake bait under a cork but for the arties I have always read use the lightest weight to present in as realistic a way as possible. Unless very windy for ex Have always used 1/16 oz jig for gulp. The surf more weight unless the rare lake conditions.

M T Stringer · Post by **M T Stringer** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 3:21 pm

Kayak Kid wrote:...when I fish plastics under a cork, I constantly pop the cork all the way back to the boat. a properly weighted plastic provides much better action when used in that manner.

...THIS...

...or...

Another thing to factor in, depending on where you normally chase fish, the lure may sit on the bottom (soft marsh mud in my case) before the leader is fully extended. If you are throwing an unweighted cork, you will not get accurate "pops" out of it when popping, due to the way it is sitting in the water, and the type cork it is (cupped, cigar, oval). Weighted corks solve that problem in this case...They also allow you to rig plastics weedless on an EWG hook, which is my preferred style.

willee · Post by **willee** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 3:30 pm

Not all plastic baits are as heavy as the Gulp stuff.
Some will even float.
You want the bait to be beneath the cork ... not floating beside it.

MyronSmith · Post by **MyronSmith** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:38 pm

I prefer not to use weight or jig heads at all unless the current and/or depth demands it. Most of my plastics, including Gulp, are rigged weedless on an Owner screw lock hook. (below) This is due to the shallow water I fish, and the presence of gras and oyster that create problems when using jig heads, weight, and exposed hooks.

TexasKayakFisherman.com

Why use any weight if you don't need it?

Why use any weight if you don't need it?

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