To Bead Or Not To Bead

I use a faceted bead on a pegged T-rig if handy, unless it seems fish are only interested in pecking at the bead. That's one reason for matching bead color to sinker color. Sometimes I can't find the beads. My sole reason is as Tom wrote, to protect the hook knot. I usually peg the sinker on a T-rig, snug up to the worm, so there is no rattle from my beads. It just makes a bit of a "neck" for the worm, the sinker being the head, and allows the sinker "head" to swivel a little more. If I wanted to fish it unpegged then in my opinion a bead would just get in the way catching strands of weeds. With all the stop & go crawling of an unpegged T-rig I think weeds get mashed between bead and sinker, while without the bead whatever gets behind the sinker just glides off the worm easier.

I use glass beads with lead sinkers. When I began using tungsten and brass I began getting the glass breakage and cut/frayed line. Hard sinkers get those very expensive black composite beads (brand forgotten for now), plastic or metal beads. The metal beads in baitshops seem to cause line wear, while some I got in a craft store have a cleaner hole. Same goes for the glass beads. I guess the idea is they make better beads so a necklace won't break easily. Plastic beads are easiest on line.

I peg whenever I figure the lure would otherwise drape over a limb. I want the worm/lizard/etc in contact with the sinker. On smooth sand or gravel bottoms I'll go unpegged. A pegged soft plastic will result in a bass tossing it from the added leverage and weight, so why risk that when pegging isn't necessary? When a bass takes it unpegged the sinker slides up-line, removing the leverage needed to sling it out of the mouth.

When wanting some rattle on a T-rig I do as already written, insert a glass rattle past the hook or use an in-line plastic rattle up-line, or attach a jig rattle to the hook (EWG or 4/0+ only).

Jim

To peg or not to peg is another topic altogether. The weight sliding away from the worm or creature on the descent through the water column gives the lure more action and time to reach the bottom. The free sliding weight and bead separates from the worm, the weight hitting bottom first, the bead slides down to the weight and the worm is still slowly being pull down by the weight of the hook with it's tail floating upwards. When you lift the rod tip the line tightens and pulls the worm to the bead and the weight. This initial worm movement is the high percentage strike time and the reason skaking the worm against the weight and bead is so effective. This lift fall, weight and bead separation with the worm following, the click of the brass & glass is what this presentation is all about. If you are fishing heavy weed or wood cover,I agree it's better to peg the weight and I prefer lead for pegging. Keep in mind that I rarely use weights over 1/4 oz for Texas or slip shot rigs and only use high quality Top Brass polished tempered glass beads.
Tom