The sinker and weight guide: shapes, lead and tungsten

A sinker is more than dead weight. Its shape decides how it moves through weeds, how it sits on the bottom and whether a fish feels it, and its material decides how big it is for its weight. This guide covers the common shapes, how lead and its replacements differ, and what to know about lead-free tackle in Texas. TPWD's tackle guide says sinkers are used to cast your bait, take it to the bottom, hold it in place or keep a bobber upright, and range from BB split shot to five pounds.

Shapes and what they do

• Split shot: small and round with a split you crimp onto the line, so you can add or remove weight quickly. Wikipedia lists it as a quick way to adjust weight.
• Bullet: bullet-shaped and widely used to rig plastic worms in Texas-style bass fishing, since the point slides through cover.
• Egg or barrel: rounded, with a narrow hole through the middle. Wikipedia says it is useful on rock or debris-covered bottoms. Run on the line above a swivel, it lets a fish take the bait without pulling against the weight. This is the usual idea behind a Carolina rig or fish-finder rig.
• Bank and no-roll: long, ovate weights. On The Water says a no-roll lies flush to the bottom and is for catfish in slow rivers, and does not recommend it for surf.
• Pyramid: flat-sided. On The Water says it digs into the sand after the cast but easily pops out, and calls it best for quiet backwaters or small baits and not the best choice for larger baits in big surf.
• Sputnik: a teardrop molded around several wires. On The Water says the wires dig into sand or mud for a firm hold and trip on the retrieve so it reels in more easily than a wedge. Wikipedia calls a similar design a claw sinker, with wire spikes for surf fishing in strong currents.
• Wedge (frog tongue), hatteras (storm) and coin: On The Water calls the wedge the top choice for big baits in strong surf but hard to retrieve, says the hatteras holds better than a pyramid but not as well as a wedge and is popular in muddy back bays, and says the coin stays in place but can be dragged, kicking up sand.

A bullet weight (left) next to a round weight on a swivel, with wide-gap hooks, in a tackle box. Photo credit is in Photo credits.

TPWD's red drum brochure says a heavy grabbing sinker is needed to keep baits stationary on the surf bottom, and TPWD's tackle guide says that in many cases you place your sinker 4 to 8 inches above your hook so live bait looks natural. Use the lightest weight that reaches the fish and holds where you want it.

Lead, tungsten and the alternatives

Wikipedia lists the density of lead as 11.348 grams per cubic centimeter, and says it is soft (Mohs hardness 1.5) and very malleable, which is why split shot can be pinched on with pliers. It lists tungsten at 19.254 grams per cubic centimeter, about 1.7 times as dense as lead, with a Mohs hardness of 7.5. Because tungsten is denser, a tungsten weight of the same mass is smaller, so it can be more compact in cover. Many anglers say tungsten also transmits bottom feel better; we did not find a test, so we leave that as opinion. Wikipedia says tungsten is popular with largemouth bass anglers, about twice as dense as lead but several times costlier, and that its environmental effects are essentially unknown. It says steel, brass and bismuth are marketed as alternatives but have lower density or higher cost.

Split-shot weights: the slit is what lets you pinch one onto the line. Photo credit is in Photo credits.

What about lead?

• TPWD's beginner card says to use lead-free sinkers.
• A 2003 Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine article said lead poisoning from sinkers and jigs is a factor in the deaths of a small number of waterbirds, mainly loons, and quoted a TPWD research director saying there was not enough data then to justify a total ban in Texas. It said three northern states banned lead sinkers and jigs under a set weight, and that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had not restricted them nationally. It listed steel, bismuth, clay, tin, glass, rubber and tungsten as nontoxic options.
• Wikipedia says lead sinkers are outlawed in the United Kingdom (under 1 ounce), in Canada and in some U.S. states, and that they are banned in all U.S. and Canadian national parks.
• We did not find a current Texas rule that bans lead sinkers. Check TPWD and any park or refuge where you fish, since land managers can have their own rules.

Keep reading

• The freshwater hook guide
• The saltwater hook guide
• Surf fishing on the Texas coast
• Tackle & Lures: sinkers

This is general information from the pages named below, on the dates shown. Local and land-manager rules on lead can differ from the state's.

For more reading, we suggest these articles

• Wikipedia: Fishing sinker (shapes, materials, regulations) (checked 2026-10-16)
• Wikipedia: Tungsten (density and hardness) (checked 2026-10-16)
• Wikipedia: Lead (density, softness and toxicity) (checked 2026-10-16)
• On The Water, Jimmy Fee (June 23, 2017): 6 sinkers for surf fishing (checked 2026-10-16)
• Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, Larry D. Hodge (April 2003): Get the Lead Out (checked 2026-10-16)
• TPWD Fish Texas: Basic fishing tackle, rods and reels (checked 2026-10-16)
• TPWD: Fishing Tips for Beginners (PWD CD K0700-0808, 2020) (checked 2026-10-16)
• TPWD: Red Drum in Texas (brochure) (checked 2026-10-16)

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