Painting Lead Sinkers Black

[New Bass Man]

I did a search and could not find information on lead sinkers.

My question is whether or not to paint my lead sinkers black. Some people say yes, others say no.

What say you experienced fisher people?

[Will]

I've tried painting my lead sinkers, but then it seemed the fish didn't bite as well. Now your brass sinkers you might want to paint if the fish don't bite.

[Raul]

Rocks don 't care if the sinker is painted or not, toss in a painted sinker and by the time you have retrieved it will be half painted.

[New Bass Man]

You're probably right.  Most of the ones I've seen painted, the paint was coming off.

[Brad_Coovert]

I hate shiny sinkers, brass or lead.  I fish painted ones, usually with hard, heat applied paint that seldom chips.

I've heard you can fizz lead weights in hydrogen peroxide and that will dull them.

Never tried it though.

Brad

[Gatorbassman]

I paint most of my sinkers. I have found that Rustolium is the best paint. Two or three coats and it stays on pretty good. I have found a color that is somewhere between watermelon and green pumpkin that is great. I will post what it is called when I get off of work.  My colors are Black, Brown, Green and Red. I try to match my worm or the color of the bottom depending on what I have rigged most of the time.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I paint most of my sinkers. I have found that Rustolium is the best paint. Two or three coats and it stays on pretty good. I have found a color that is somewhere between watermelon and green pumpkin that is great. I will post what it is called when I get off of work. My colors are Black, Brown, Green and Red. I try to match my worm or the color of the bottom depending on what I have rigged most of the time.

Thats what I do too. I will spray them with walmart special primer then usually black paint.  The main reason I do it is so they dont corrode on me.  I dont throw worms much and the weights sit around for awhile.

[mcipinkie]

I'm paranoid about shiny sinkers and/or jig heads. I try to paint them all. I paint green ones, blue ones, brown ones, black ones. You name it, I've got it. If something happens where I don't have a painted sinker or jig, I always carry a black permanent marker and at least darken them up.

However, one of my tournament partners, an excellent fisherman, just ties them on goes to work. Shiny, dull, painted, unpainted, it doesn't matter to him, and he just catches the snot out of the fish.

You figure it out. As for me, I'll keep painting mine.

[Matt Fly]

Ditto, I have painted bullet weights for 20 yrs, makes a difference to me.  Have you ever bought a finished jig that wasn't painted.  

My daughter used to get mad at me for invading her nail polishes.  I was desperate a few times.

White is a very good bullet color at certain times of the year.  Throwing a white tube with a black or lead weight doesn't match too well.  

[Chris]

I powder paint mine or touch it up with a marker I don't like shiny sinkers. Dull gray is fine too.

[texasbass1]

Another way you can turn lead black is to soak the weights in drain cleaner over night. Be careful and make sure you rinse the weights after you finish.

[Jeff P.]

I spray paint all my lead weights, in several different colors to match the plastic I'm throwing or to match the bottom.   I have a bunch painted green, black, and brown.  I just use the cheap Wal-Mart spray paint, and touch them up in my spare time.

[Rebbasser]

White is a very good bullet color at certain times of the year.  Throwing a white tube with a black or lead weight doesn't match too well.

Hadn't thought about white.  As a I have said before, not bad advice for a sip ;D.

I've been spray painting my sinkers as long as Matt_Fly.  It makes a difference for me in that I have more confidence with a painted sinker.  I usually use flat black.