Weights

Fishing weights at Charlie's Fishing: bullet weights, drop shot weights, tungsten, cheburashka and clip-on weights

The weight is the part of your rig that decides how deep your bait fishes, how fast it falls and how well you feel the bottom. With softbaits on a Texas rig, a Carolina rig, a drop shot or a cheburashka, the weight is separate from the hook, so you can change it in seconds without retying. On this page you find all our fishing weights: tungsten, brass and lead-free bullet weights, drop shot weights, tungsten cheburashka weights, clip-on and screw-in weights to make a lure run deeper, weight stickers for swimbaits, and a few jig heads that belong here as well. They come from Toppies, VMC, Green Bass, Illex, Rapala, Swimbait Republic, Nays, BKK, Berkley and Fiiish, for perch, zander, pike, black bass and sea bass. Below we explain which weight does what, whether tungsten, brass or lead suits you best, and how heavy to go for each depth and current.

Bullet weights for the Texas rig and Carolina rig

A bullet weight is a cone-shaped weight with a hole through the middle. On a Texas rig it slides on your line right in front of an offset hook, with the hook point tucked back into the softbait, so the whole rig comes through weed, wood and stones without snagging. On a Carolina rig the same bullet weight sits 30 to 60 cm in front of the hook, stopped by a bead and a swivel, so it drags over the bottom while your bait floats or glides freely behind it. Put a glass bead between the bullet and the knot and every hop makes a small click underwater. The Toppies Tungsten Bullet Weight comes in 3.5, 5.3, 7.2, 10.6 and 14 g. Because tungsten is much denser than lead, it is many times smaller for the same weight: it casts further, sinks faster and lets you feel every stone and every bite. The Toppies Brass Bullet Weight (5.3 g, 4 per pack) is the cheaper alternative: brass is harder than lead, so you still feel the bottom clearly, at a price close to ordinary lead. The Green Bass Fishing Lead-Free Bullet Weight (4 and 6 g) is made from an alloy with no lead, zinc or copper, has its weight printed on it, comes with green crystal beads and has a punching shape that pushes through dense weed. Rig them with an offset hook from Hooks and Rigs and a bait from Craws & Creature Baits or Ned's & Worms. Our HideUp finesse guide shows which HideUp baits work on a Texas or Carolina rig.

Drop shot weights for perch and zander

With a drop shot the weight sits at the very end of your line and the hook is tied 20 to 50 cm above it. The weight stays on the bottom and your softbait hovers at that height, so you can shake it on the spot without moving it away from the fish. The Toppies Tungsten Drop Shot Round (5.3, 7.2 and 10.6 g) is a compact tungsten ball for hard ground: it rolls away a little when you move it, which gives your bait extra life. The VMC Drop Shot Sinker is an elongated lead weight with a quick-change clip, 5 per pack: the 14 g suits most drop shot fishing in canals, harbours and lakes, and the 17 g keeps bottom contact in deeper water, current or wind. Its product page pairs it with the VMC Dropshot Hook and the BKK Dropshot Hook Armorpoint. Want a weight you can clip on and off in a second? The Illex John Weight below also works on a drop shot. More drop shot baits for Perch and Zander.

Cheburashka weights: change weight without retying

A cheburashka is a small weight on a wire link. You clip it between your leader and the eye of an offset hook, so the weight hangs in front of the bait on its own hinge. The bait moves freely, the head of the rig stays small, and you can go from heavy to light, or to no weight at all, without cutting your line. The VMC Cheburashka weights are made of tungsten, in 2, 4 and 5 g, 3 per pack. VMC pairs them with its own offset hooks, such as the VMC Cheboo offset hook, whose red dot keeps your softbait in place cast after cast. Fish it along stone banks, harbour walls and canal edges with a lift and a fall, and watch your line: many bites come on the drop. Our Frapp Dotty Dart article shows how we rig a V-tail softbait on a cheburashka, and you find craws to fish on it in Craws & Creature Baits.

Clip-on and screw-in weights to make a lure run deeper

Sometimes the fish hold deeper than your lure runs. Instead of changing lures, you add weight to the one that already works. The Illex John Weight is a clip-on weight with a steel clip that you attach close to the centre of gravity of a minnow, jerkbait, big swimbait or squid jig, so it runs one layer deeper straight away. The chequered sides keep the clip in place while casting and fighting a fish. It comes in 2 to 28 g, 5 per pack. The Rapala Screw Diver System Weights are tungsten weights that you screw into the lure by hand. They fit the Rapala Super Shadow Rap Glide 11 and the Rapala Super Shadow Rap Glide 16, in packs of 5 and 7.5 g or 10 and 15 g. Without a weight the Glide 16 runs 0.5 to 1 m deep; with a weight it becomes a slow sinker. Read how we fish it in our Super Shadow Rap Glide article. For softbaits there is the VMC Refill Weight (10, 15, 20 and 25 g, 2 per pack) that goes on the VMC Refill Screw: screw it into the nose of your softbait, add a stinger and choose a weight for the depth you fish, or none at all for a shallow presentation. See the full ranges of Illex, Rapala and VMC.

Weight stickers and clip weights for swimbaits

Swimbaits and glidebaits are tuned with small weights. The Swimbait Republic Glideway 126 Weight Stickers (0.7 and 1.0 g, 10 per pack) turn the Swimbait Republic Glideway 126 from floating into suspending or sinking. The Swimbait Republic Glideway 176 Weight Stickers weigh 1.5 g each, 10 per pack, for the Swimbait Republic Glideway 176, which floats out of the box. The Swimbait Republic Glideway 236 Weight Stickers fit the cavities of the Swimbait Republic Glideway 236: fill one cavity and it suspends, fill both and it sinks slowly. Add a sticker on windy days, in cold water, when you fish from a high bank or quay, or when you want a little more casting distance; to take one out, hook the point of a treble in the notch of the cavity and pull. The Nays TRN 190 Clip Weight 2.5 g adds 2.5 g to the Nays TRN 190 for a steadier, deeper running line in wind or current. Read our Glideway 176 review and everything about the Nays TRN, and see Swimbait Republic and Nays.

Jig heads and screw-in heads in this collection

A few heavy jig heads sit in this collection too, because for many anglers the head is the weight. The BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hooks run from 5 to 25 g on hooks from 1/0 to 5/0, 3 per pack, with the Hyperlatch keeper that holds your softbait in place. The Berkley Screw-In Jighead goes from 5 to 80 g: it screws into the nose of a big softbait and takes one or two stingers, for casting along drop-offs or vertical fishing in deep water. For the Fiiish Black Minnow every body has its own heads, named after where you fish them: the Fiiish Black Minnow 90 N2 Jigheads (5 to 20 g), the Fiiish Black Minnow 105 N2.5 Jigheads (8 to 16 g) and the Fiiish Black Minnow 120 N3 Jigheads (6 g Shallow to 50 g X-Deep). Read our Fiiish Black Minnow guide, and our zander guide for beginners on how heavy a head to fish for zander. All other heads are in Jigheads, and see BKK Hooks, Berkley and Fiiish.

Tungsten, brass or lead-free weights?

Tungsten is much denser than lead, so a tungsten weight is far smaller for the same grams. That means less drag in the air and in the water, longer casts, a faster fall and a sharper feel of the bottom and of every bite. It costs more per piece, which is why many anglers use it for finesse fishing and clear water. Our Toppies tungsten bullet and drop shot weights, the VMC Cheburashka weights and the Rapala Screw Diver System Weights are tungsten. Brass sits in between: harder than lead, so you still feel a lot, but much cheaper than tungsten. The Green Bass Fishing bullet weights are lead-free and made from their own alloy, with 0% lead, zinc and copper, for anglers who would rather leave no lead behind. The VMC Drop Shot Sinker and the Swimbait Republic weight stickers are made of lead. Browse Toppies and Green Bass for their full ranges.

Which weight for which depth and current

Fish the lightest weight that still lets you feel the bottom. If you lose contact, go heavier; if the rig crashes down and snags, go lighter. Wind, a deep bow in your line and a big bait all ask for a step more weight. As a starting point:

• Perch in canals, polders and harbours up to about 3 m deep: 3.5 to 7 g bullet, cheburashka or drop shot weight
• Perch and zander in lakes and canals of 3 to 8 m: 7 to 14 g
• Rivers with current, or water of 8 to 15 m: 14 to 17 g on a drop shot, 14 to 28 g on a jig head
• Deep water with strong current and vertical fishing from a boat: heavy heads such as the Fiiish Black Minnow Deep and X-Deep heads or the Berkley Screw-In Jighead up to 80 g
• Hardbaits and swimbaits that need to run a little deeper: a clip-on John Weight, a Screw Diver System weight or a weight sticker

Fishing a river? Our river fishing article lists the lures we bring. More small parts for your rigs are in Terminal Tackle.

Which weight for which situation

• Weed, wood and stones with a craw or creature bait: Toppies Tungsten Bullet Weight on a Texas rig
• Dense weed and lead-free fishing: Green Bass Fishing Lead-Free Bullet Weight
• Sand and gravel with a floating bait: Toppies Brass Bullet Weight on a Carolina rig
• Perch and zander on hard ground: Toppies Tungsten Drop Shot Round
• Drop shot in deeper water, current or wind: VMC Drop Shot Sinker
• Stone banks and harbour walls with an offset hook: VMC Cheburashka weights
• Getting a jerkbait, minnow or swimbait a layer deeper: Illex John Weight
• Fishing the Super Shadow Rap Glide deeper: Rapala Screw Diver System Weights
• Big softbaits with a stinger and a choice of weights: VMC Refill Weight

Find the baits to go with them by species: Perch, Zander and Black Bass.

Why buy fishing weights at Charlie's Fishing

We stock weights in many sizes, and every product page lists the grams and pieces per pack, so you know exactly what you order. Everything ships from our stock in the Netherlands, with fast delivery across Europe. Not sure which weight suits your rig, your bait or your water? Send us a message and we are happy to help.

What weight should I use for drop shot?

For perch in canals and harbours up to about 3 m, 5 to 7 g is usually enough. In lakes and canals of 3 to 8 m use 7 to 14 g, and in deeper water, current or wind 14 to 17 g. Use the lightest weight that still keeps steady contact with the bottom.

What is the difference between a Texas rig and a Carolina rig?

On a Texas rig the bullet weight slides right in front of the offset hook, so the bait stays close to the weight and comes through weed and snags. On a Carolina rig the weight sits 30 to 60 cm in front of the hook, so it drags over the bottom while the bait floats or glides freely behind it.

Are tungsten weights better than brass or lead?

Tungsten is the densest, so the weight is smallest for its grams: it casts further, falls faster and gives you the clearest feel of the bottom. Brass is harder than lead and cheaper than tungsten. Lead is the cheapest, and lead-free alloys such as Green Bass are an option where you would rather not use lead.