Went to the local bait shop the other day to pick up some lead and was a little suprised at the prices….. .60 each for the 4oz .50 for 3oz ect. so I did a quick seach on E-Bay and came up with this, seems like a decent price.
My question is…what sizes/styles would you guys stock up on??..the way I figure I can get 13lbs for 20 dollars(with shipping).
Or is there someone/place else that sells these at a reasonable price ?? 
I mostly use 3-5 ounce sinkers, with a 3 or 4 about 90% of the time (for flatheads, at least). I mainly use no-rolls but have been using bank sinkers a bit this year, as well.
As for where to get them, Moore’s Bait is a good place. I’m not sure what he charges (I normally just grab and pay). That’s not a real convenient drive from LAX, though. Also, you could send a PM to member SCENIC. Jeff runs Scenic Tackle and I have gotten nice no rolls shipped to me from him before. Again, I don’t know what he charges now, but he can fill you in.
I’m guessing he’s making them himself. Sixty cents each is a very good price for a retail outlet.
Last I heard the cost of lead was .55 a pound.
I use 3 and 4 ouncer 95% of the time…5 ouncers for larger baits in the faster waters.
For sturgeon I use 2’s, but mostly 3’s. 
Like Briank said, 60 cents a piece at a retail store isn’t that bad. If you want to buy bulk the Catfish Connection is the place where I get them. I normally use weights in th 2-4 oz range, bank sinkers & no-rolls. Locally, I pick them up at Moore’s Bait. Like Ralph Wiggum, I am not sure what they cost per piece over there because I’m always buying other stuff along with the weights.
Bob gave me ‘the look’ when I bought the bag of 25 3oz sinkers earlier this year. Makes my tacklebox heavy a a toolbox!! 
Thanks guys 
After doing a little more research (Thanks for the Catfish Connection site Flaco-definitly on my saved list 
) I found out that price is ok……
I did look up the cost of molds and that seems to be the method to go to…..have to look around and see if I can find a multi-weight mold……
I have quite a supply of lead (I should say me and a friend),Have been casting my own handgun bullets for quite awhile so…
This sounds like a plan to look at..
Now….My next question is ,What style is your favorite??…The flat banks seem to work well…
Again…Thanks a bunch guys…
I like keeping it simple…all I use is no-rolls. Others use both no rolls and bank sinkers.
Does anyone you anything else??
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Bob gave me ‘the look’ when I bought the bag of 25 3oz sinkers earlier this year. Makes my tacklebox heavy a a toolbox!!
Tip: When hiking to a fishing destination, don’t try debulking by putting the weights in the bottom pocket of your cargo shorts. That hurts like a mother after having a pound or so of lead banging the top of your knee repeatedly!
3-4oz for livebait for Ollies 98% of the time
1.5oz for cut bait in slow currents.
A couple 6-8oz just in case. 2% of the time. Usually in the spring when the stage is high and current swift. If I find some good cover where the current washes right next to it, I don’t want my sinker slowly washing into that stuff and getting me hung up
How many no rolls and what sizes are you looking for? We have them on hand. Price depends on quanity and size.
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How many no rolls and what sizes are you looking for? We have them on hand. Price depends on quanity and size.
I knew you’d show up
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I like keeping it simple…all I use is no-rolls. Others use both no rolls and bank sinkers.
Does anyone you anything else??
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I’ll chime against using no rolls… banks, and flat banks will cover you needs. No rolls are a pain to pour, they twist your line on the drop, and they aim for the snag spots in the rocks.
Bank sinkers and flat banks are excellent. You dont hear much about flat banks because they arent available locally for most of us.
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No rolls are a pain to pour, they twist your line on the drop
Hand pouring No Rolls can be a real pain without question. The biggest reason some people are having problems with them twisting their line is because the holes made in the sinker while hand molding is not smooth and is often times just a bit to small.
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I knew you’d show up
Been out for a bit but just stumbled on this one this morning.
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Hand pouring No Rolls can be a real pain without question. The biggest reason some people are having problems with them twisting their line is because the holes made in the sinker while hand molding is not smooth and is often times just a bit to small.
I can see where the hole can be an issue… but the problem with no rolls is the design. If you cast them into deeper water without holding the line tight as they sink, and there isnt a large bait on the hook to create drag(hold the weight strait).. they tend to spin on the way down and wrap up the leader. The end result is its no longer a slip sinker, and the hook/bait can be pegged right to the weight. This is especially an issue with super lines, its not as much as an issue with very heavy mono(30#+) becuase the line is much stiffer.
Bank sinkers drop like a bullet, and have very little current drag. The thinner profile makes them far less prone to snaging up. Flat banks are like a cross between a no roll and a bank snker, but with the large hole on the end of the weight rather than passing through, they are far less prone to twisting the leader, and they still have the wider profile for more bottom contact to help hold baits in place. The eye will always point downstream, and the sinker will drag strait downstream with te eye in the same position. No rolls on the other hand, as soon as your line is tight, it lifts the front of the weight giving it a wing effect, every time a bait fish panics, the weight will come off the bottom for a moment(pulling at both ends).
Another advantage of any weight with a single eye at the end.. is when a fish picks up the bait.. we detect the strike, tighten the line and set the hook.. the weight will raise strait off the bottom dragging the smallest profile upwards.. or less chance to snag on cover. A no roll will pull up with the side of the weight coming up(largest surface area), or pull forward like a wedge ready to get embedded into any crease(rocks).
There is a reason walleye fishermen prefer pencil type weights for pulling rigs… they are much less prone to get snagged. Another advantage of a pencil type wieght is they sink faster, and dont get as much current drag on the way down(drop a dart, and drop a coin in the water and see the difference).
I have caught 100’s of fish with no rolls, they arent all bad… but I know I catch just as many with other types of weights, and go through less terminal tackle. No rolls are also more expensive than other weights on the average. It doesnt make sense to me to pay more to get more snags.
Everyone has their own preference.. my preference is not with no rolls.
Did I mention I use no rolls exclusivly?
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Did I mention I use no rolls exclusivly?
Its the only mold you own 
I have tried a bunch of types just to experiment. I like the no snags and the flat banks as pictured here http://www.do-itmolds.com/category2.aspx?c=10
I can’t make myself put one around the main line above the hook. I use eggs lately because they are easily the most available in the area but always on a dropper. I like pyramids for some situations but they are pretty expensive when you buy bigger ones.
I like the fact no-rolls are in-line. I have practiced “walking” the bait back near cover like what was shown in this year In-Fisherman cat guide. I also feel like I can control it more when I have to wiggle my bait out of horizontal timber.
These are definitely not good flathead weights:
Thanks for all the input guys!!
I guess what I’ll do is just buy from the local shop until I can get a couple of molds and pour my own…..
I’ll try the different styles and see how well each one performs before I buy.- Thanks for the link Josh..
mplspug….I have not read the cat guide yet..but an oldtimer showed me how to do that “walk” quite some years ago..but with the sinkers he used at the time – it was kind of hard to do so I gave up trying -With the no-rolls it seems it would be a bunch simpler…can’t wait to try!! 
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