Why Tungsten Weights is better than lead for Bass fishing by Mark Fong

tungsten weights have small profiled and better hookup for bass fishing

Tungsten Rocks

Story & Photos

BY MARK FONG

WB

T

ungsten is a chemical element repre-

sented by the symbol: W and the atomic

number: 74. Tungsten is a dense mate-

rial. The word tungsten means “heavy stone in Swedish”. Tungsten is both very high in

tensile strength and corrosion resistance.

I am sure you are wondering where this train of

thought is going. Simply put tungsten has become

a valuable material for bass anglers as it pertains to

the mundane world of fishing weights.

For years, lead has been the standard for

fishing weights and to this day it continues to be

economical and widespread. However, if you are

looking for the latest and greatest, and of course

which bass fisherman isn’t, tungsten offers many

advantages over traditional materials like lead and

brass.

SMALLER IS BETTER

My introduction to tungsten came not coinci- dentally with my first experience punchin’ heavy mats at Clear Lake some ten odd years or so. Ever since then I have been a huge fan of tungsten.

Since it is much denser than lead, a tungsten sinker of equal weight is far more compact (40 per- cent smaller) than one made out of lead.

This is an important fact to consider when punchin’ heavy vegetation. The smaller profile of tungsten penetrates a vegetative canopy much easier and efficiently than a comparable lead weight.

In addition tungsten’s small profile translates to a better hookup ratio and a more natural pre- sentation. The difference can easily be seen when you take into account that it is common place to

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