I've noticed that most of you guys up north use pencil lead for weight. Down here I use Bouncing Bettys from the bank. Most of the guides also use the Bettys in their DBs. Why do you think that is so? I have had much more success using the Bettys than any other kind of weight (pencil lead or slinkies).

People fear change, Steelheader99. And, people are just stubborn when it comes to adapting.

"My great grand pappy used lead, my grand pappy used lead, my Dad used lead, so I used lead too!"

I've seen a lot of that on the river.

Also, could be a cost issue. Not too sure I know what a bouncing betty is, or looks like. Those BB's might be expensive to make, or get up here, especially if no one carries them. I do know that spools of solid core pencil lead is *cheap* up here.

Ease of use? Doesn't get much easier than cutting of a chunk of soid core pencil lead, pinching a hole in one end and putting it on your swivel.

Bottom substrate? Some rivers are way more grabby and snaggier (is that even a word?) than others?

Technique being used? Different rivers and different techniques dictate what lead you should use. IE, I wouldn't use a slinky to pocket-pitch the PinkConeHead on the Hoh. I want the worm to get down to the bottom *now*. Also, round cannon ball sinkers work great for backbouncing and hover fishing. Wouldn't consider using a 16" piece of pencil lead when doing that.

Fire up the digital photo and show us your rig and why it's the way to go.

I tried them a long time ago, they didn't hang up as much, but they still did. It became a cost issue. I still like the tickety tickety of the lead bouncing on the bottom.

I understand that they do cost a bit more than the lead does. They are @ $1-1.25 per weight. Out of the last 3 years that I have been using them, I have only lost 3 of them. 2 were due to snags in underwater brush, and 1 was due to the glue wearing off in the center and the weight detached from the swivel.

I have provided a link on a Tech Report that I found online. It will give you a visual on the weight and how to rig it. I rig it with a slider attached to my main line, above the swivel to my leader.

Bouncing Betty Link

I almost forgot to add: I believe that my success rate had improved due to the presentation of the bait. The bouncing betty is rubber and "bounces" off the rocks as it flows down the drift, instead of dragging along. I think that it presents a more natural flow than the dragging lead. I dunno if that's what it is or not. I do know that I still use all 3 methods for weight, depending upon river flows and location. But I do seem to do better with the BB as opposed to the other 2 methods. Just a thought.