New Calculator Tool!
I’m pretty happy with the Core Lead Length Calculator in the Tips section. Here is a quick summary and instructions on how to use the tool.
In the past I cut a number of lengths and tested my setups in a big basin of water at home. However, that usually ended up with wasted lead and the time to run these weight tests at home. After spending a bunch of time testing out lead core weights at home on various rigs, I decided to code my own tool. This is the first iteration of the tool, and would love your feedback or any suggestions to enhance the tool. Cheers! Jesse

Core Lead fishing weights instructions
Below is a screen capture of the tool with some quick instructions. You simply enter your float size and the diameter of the lead core you’re using. You also have the option to add any additional weight (e.g. jig, lure, bait, etc).
Once you’ve clicked Calculate, the tool will generate a recommended length of lead core based on your input.
In the example above, we’ve chosen a 20 gram float & 1/4 inch lead with no additional weight. After clicking “Calculate”, we get a recommendation to use 2.17 inches of 1/4″ lead.
If the float is unbalanced (aka. too much weight) the calculation will tell you in red bold text.
If the recommended lead is around 1/2 ” there really isn’t a need for any additional weight. You’ll see a “Note: …” under the small lead recommendation.