Dougs Custom Lures Slip Sinker Bullet Weights

• Know when to peg. Peg the weight tight to the hook eye when you're punching mats, flipping into timber, or pitching into any heavy overhead cover where you need sinker and bait to enter the same hole. A rubber bobber stop or toothpick does the job. Leave it free everywhere else.
• Match weight to depth and cover. 3/16 oz is right for most shallow to mid-depth presentations — soft plastic on a weedline, around docks, or along grass edges. Go to 1/4 oz when you're working deeper structure, need a faster fall, or are punching through thicker cover.
• On a free-sliding setup, watch your line. Most bites happen on the fall before you ever move the bait. The sinker hits bottom first, then the bait settles. That pause is when they eat it — watch for the line to jump, tick, or go slack.
• Straight rigging makes the difference. On a Texas rig, the sinker only works as well as the hook setup below it. A bait that's crooked on the hook will spiral and spin regardless of the sinker. Take the extra few seconds to rig the plastic straight — it's the part anglers skip most.
• Fluorocarbon runs through lead cleaner than braid. For most Texas rig applications, fluorocarbon is the right call. Low visibility, sinks naturally alongside the bait, and transfers hookset energy efficiently. 12–17 lb for most presentations; 20+ when punching.

Proposition 65 Warning
This product contains lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, visit P65Warnings.ca.gov.

Thread the line through the sinker (point-end first so the nose faces the hook), then tie on your hook and rig the soft plastic Texas-style with the point buried back in the bait. The sinker sits against the nose of the bait and slides freely up the line on the hookset, separating from the bait so the fish feels less resistance. Use 3/16 oz for most presentations — weedlines, grass edges, timber, docks, and any situation where you want a natural fall rate. Step up to 1/4 oz when you need more depth or a faster fall to stay in the zone. This is the primary application — most of the Texas rig fishing Doug does with soft plastics starts here.

Peg the sinker tight to the hook eye using a rubber bobber stop or a toothpick broken off flush with the weight. The pegged setup keeps sinker and bait locked together so they punch through the same opening in the mat or fall as a single unit when flipping to tight cover. Use 1/4 oz as a starting point for punching — go heavier if the mat is thick enough that 1/4 oz won't break through cleanly. When the bait hits bottom under the mat, give it a second before you move it. The strike usually comes immediately after the fall. Set the hook hard and fast — fish under mats don't hold long once they feel resistance.

Slide a heavier egg sinker or use a larger bullet sinker on your main line, add a swivel, then run an 18–24" fluorocarbon leader to your hook and soft plastic. The bullet shape works on a Carolina rig the same way it does Texas — it moves through cover and along bottom structure without constant hang-ups. The long leader lets the soft plastic float and glide freely behind the weight, which is what triggers fish holding on deeper structure, humps, and long points. Drag it slowly and let the sinker do the work of contacting the bottom while the bait does the work of attracting the fish.

• Store sinkers separately from soft plastics — lead contact over time can damage plastic bait bodies.
• Wash hands after handling. Keep out of reach of children.
• Natural lead finish will develop a surface patina over time — this does not affect performance.