Fishing on ETx lakes - my goto bait is a worm on a modified Texas rigged hook. The moss in the lakes hangs up on the lead weight, so I went to weighted hooks with the center pin coiled spring. This works very well for me, but finding those hooks wasn't easy, and they are costly (approximately $1.50ea) compared to a plain offset hook. So,shopped online and found I can put together a circle hook, center pin coiled spring with a split-shot weight (on the hook shank) for approximately 55 cents. They work just as well as the ready assembled hooks and I always have plenty of them on hand. What am I missing by going this route?

Bill, I do something very similar. I buy a 50 pack of 4/0 Mustad 60 degree bend jig hooks, a 50 pack of the Owner CPS (centering pins screw in locks) and rig fluke and shad baits that way. But, it is a small step, and I have done it, to press on a piece of lead and make a keel weighted hook.

These work very well!

Brad

Brad, I have all the parts to make skipping jigs, but haven't started yet. I would like to go after some bass under all the docks we have here.

DOA makes weights you can add to the bait or the shank of your hook,

https://www.doalures.com/category-s/1911.htm

I also use these,

http://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/t...1.uts?slotId=18

Pull out the rubber and crimp them on.

I do something similar to Brad but like the option of weighted shank at time too so I can present the bait different which is why I buy the weights.

This is the hook I use and at 29-37 cents each in the 3/0 through 5/0 per 100 you can't go wrong,

https://www.ttiblakemore.com/product/4643-60-degree-heavy-duty-jig-hook-bleeding-bait-finish/

I use this keeper,

https://www.barlowstackle.com/Owner-TwistLOCK-Centering-Pin-Springs-P3269.aspx

It is the same as Brad but I make sure to get the medium or large for the most part or it will tear out on a bigger fish.

Thanks for the info, Bert. Always good to know alternative suppliers.

You can also buy sheet lead and use tin snips to cut thin pieces and wrap these around the shank of a hook. The weight can be adjusted by the thickness of the pieces you cut and the amount you put on. We used to do this in my native CO for weighting hooks for trout fishing in moving water.

Instead of the expensive Pinch weights....have you tried using an appropriate Split Shot weight/s?

The reason I use the modified rubber core weights or the DOA crimp weights don't catch as much water as a split shot, the weight is spread out and allows a better swimming action. I have used the BPS clam shots for this as well but they do not work as well as the other weights.