I have turned a bunch of needlefish plugs on my lathe. Next problem is how to weight them. I have purchased the bullet type weights from nj tackle. would appreciate any help that you can give. Should I weight them with the belly weights or do you wieght them with tail weights? In a habbs plug is there weight in the tail? thanks for any help chuck

you can do both tail and belly weights or all belly weights..

if its a medium sized needle, one belly weight in front of center and 2 belly weights in the tail work nice for a slow sinker.

If you use just a tail weight, the needle will roll around.

what kinda wood?
how thick?
how long?
what size hooks do you want to use?

want it to float or sink, or slow sink, or drop like a rock.

i fill a bucket, wire the plug, put on hooks. then add weight by tapeing it to the plug until i get what i want.

put a shot in front of the belly hook and a slug up the rear.

Depending on how large the needle is, is how you determine how long of a slug or how many of those belly weights to use.

test float in a bucket of salt water after you seal it.

Im weighting my first needles as well. Looks like you cant go wrong with some weight in the belly and butt. Im doing a few like that.

My needles are really light without weights (white cedar). If I wanted to keep them more of a floater, would you only use belly weights?

Originally posted by Lower
Im weighting my first needles as well. Looks like you cant go wrong with some weight in the belly and butt. Im doing a few like that.

My needles are really light without weights (white cedar). If I wanted to keep them more of a floater, would you only use belly weights?

yes you could do that, put 2 near the back and one up forward and see how it works.

trial and error I guess.

There are many ways to weight a needle its more according on what u want them to do.for yrs all i ever seen in NJ was 3/4-1 oz needles for floatin on top an maken a wake.bigger water will like a slow sinker(suspender) an water with some current even a little heavier.these are basic guidlines there are many other circumstances where one will work better that another.i generally like em to be heavier in the tail to cast.with some counter weight up front to get em horizontal.Thats why i like the hooks more forward also.