In the interest of covering all of our bases and making it simple for our newer readers, today we are going to look at our gold standard for dropshot weights. For the past few seasons, we have been and continue to use the River2Sea Tungsten Tear Drop Shot Sinker for all of our dropshot applications.
Now I know that some of you are going to read this and completely disagree with me. That’s fine, but if you’ve never tried the River2Sea, you really don’t know what you’re missing. You may find yourself asking, “Have you guys ever tried brand X?”.
I can only tell you that we have tried and continue to try as many offerings in this area as we get our hands on. So why do we advocate this particular dropshot sinker? I’m glad you asked.
Let’s start with the obvious which is the shape of the weight itself. In this case it is a traditional tear drop shape. We have fished over all kinds of cover with all kinds of shapes and have found that for all but the most unusual condition, the tear drop shape gets hung up less often overall than any other single shape. This is a good thing considering that these are not even close to being inexpensive. Anywhere from $5.50 for 6 to $9 for 3 depending on the size that you choose. So why would we use something this costly when there are other, cheaper alternatives out there?
To answer that question, we could reference several articles that we have written or, just outline again why we go with tungsten over lead whenever we can. We at MVF believe in using alternatives to lead whenever feasible because, not only is it better for the waterways that we fish, but tungsten provides some very practical advantages too.
The two main reasons to go to tungsten are one, its size as opposed to lead. A lead sinker will be about twice the size of the same weight in tungsten. Secondly, the feel or sensitivity you get when using lead is nothing compared to that of tungsten. You have heard stories of people being able to feel every pebble on the bottom of the lake. Obviously, there are several pieces of equipment between you and the lake floor that contribute to this but tungsten sinkers can make a huge difference given it is the only change you make.
Is feel that important when dropshotting? There are times when all you have is feel using this technique. I have never caught a fish that bit more lightly than when using the dropshot rig. Because you use this rig when the bite is tough, often you will get bit and the only indication is that tiny tap or minor change in weight on the end of the line. There won’t be any noticeable pull, line moving off, vibration or anything else.
Just the ever so slight tap or additional weight. This is when the sensitivity of tungsten pays off. As we all know, bass can and will spit your offering in a heartbeat. If you don’t get a hook in them they are gone. At the risk of being redundant, this is where the extra sensitivity really pays off.
In addition to the tear drop shape of the River2Sea, the eyelet where that you thread your line through is bearing supported which allows it to spin freely. This contributes to it not hanging up as much as some other weights that we have used as well as making it less likely to tail wrap a fish during the fight.
All of these attributes contribute to make the Tear Drop Shot Sinker a reliable, well executed product that is always in our tackleboxes.
| River2Sea Tungsten Sinkers | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |    |
| Don't leave home without it | |
See ya’ on the water …