Is the tungsten with it for me?

[rbalkevitch]

I have around 250 jigs. Many different kinds but no tungsten. I fish in water less than 20' most of the time here in michigan.  Will i really see a difference in this shallow of water? Is it worth it to expand my jig assortment?

When do tungsten jugs work the best?

[DR.SPECKLER]

Tungsten is nice when fish get pressured and finicky.can use tiny 2 and 3mm that are tiny compared to lead jigs.sometimes i use lead for the slow drop and erratic flutter but i have tungsten tied on 99% of the time in any depth.tungsten drops faster,smaller presentation but heavier than lead and most times better sharper hooks.energized outdoors is a great place to get cheap tungsten jigs.jmo

[chilly-willy]

Blue gill fishing I have the best luck with tungsten in water beyond 4 foot reason is it get past smaller fish to the bottom dwellers faster.. then letting it wooble to bottom  slowly getting picked off by little fish some time we fish for those little one for bait here in michigan.  For pike and "bass" = depending how fast ice forms if it forms after December 31 were not after bass lol's in past years..  any how any thing deeper then 4 foot the tungstens are worth it. 

Also energized out doors has great jig at great prices.

[RyanW]

See, the thing about tungsten jigs....don’t think of them as “20% heavier than lead at the same size”. Think of tungsten jigs as “20% smaller than lead at the same weight”. Thinking that way will make you realize that tungsten is awesome for all depths because it’s about the weight of the jig relative to its profile when compared to lead. Tungsten allows you to downsize (from traditional lead) and keep the weight needed to actually jig a profile that small. A lot of guys think “cool, I can fish the same size jig but it’s heavier”. But I don’t see very many going “cool, I can fish a smaller profile that weighs the same”.

Having said that, I’ve used tungsten jigs exclusively for at least the last 5 seasons at depths ranging from 3’ to 30’, sizes 2.5mm-5mm, and tungsten excels at it all, IMO.

[Iceassin]

See, the thing about tungsten jigs....don’t think of them as “20% heavier than lead at the same size”. Think of tungsten jigs as “20% smaller than lead at the same weight”. Thinking that way will make you realize that tungsten is awesome for all depths because it’s about the weight of the jig relative to its profile when compared to lead. Tungsten allows you to downsize (from traditional lead) and keep the weight needed to actually jig a profile that small. A lot of guys think “cool, I can fish the same size jig but it’s heavier”. But I don’t see very many going “cool, I can fish a smaller profile that weighs the same”.

Having said that, I’ve used tungsten jigs exclusively for at least the last 5 seasons at depths ranging from 3’ to 30’, sizes 2.5mm-5mm, and tungsten excels at it all, IMO.

I like your analysis Ryan...sounds logical to me. I too use tungstens exclusively for pannies...3 mm 99% of the time. 2.5 and 4mm on rare occasions.

[matzilla]

99c and up https://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/ice-fishing-tungsten-jigs/ yeah its worth it

As pointed out you can fish smaller or the same size and faster. I use tungsten year round for all panfish.

[perch chacer]

When small jigs and a finesse presentation are required, use tungsten jigs.  The tungsten will get you down faster then a jig of equal size in lead.  It will depend on water clarity, depth and lake in order to decide if tungsten is better then lead.  I always carry the tackle shop with me so I can change to most anything.

[docbas]

I have to agree with everyone else here.  Mostly fish with tungsten jigs all the time.  Better feel on the line without going to a way too big jig.  But I always have a large selection of everything else just in case.

[esox_xtm]

Tungsten is not magic. Seems like it sometimes but really it's just another tool in the box, albeit a darn good one. In last years In-Fishermans Ice Fishing Tactical Guide there was a great editorial column on tungsten. Just came back across it this morning and it's really a good read.

Basically it boils down to three things: Fishes smaller, drops faster, fishes heavier. Of those three, dropping faster comes at the bottom of the list of importance for me.

A study cited in the column documented the drop speed of tungsten and lead jigs with the same size and shape. The deal is all other things being equal the tungsten will be heavier. Someone here trotted out 20% but I cannot confirm or deny that. In the study the jigs were tied on the same kind and test of line and allowed to free fall down a 4" diameter tube, 5 feet tall filled with water. The study recorded a fall time of about .25 seconds faster per 4 feet of water for the tungsten jig vs the lead. In real life, if we were fishing side by side in 16 FOW and you (tungsten) and I (lead) dropped our jigs simultaneously with the goal to reach the bottom first you would beat me by one second.  One second. One thousand one... That's it. To me one second isn't making or breaking a presentation. And often times I don't even have 16 FOW under me.

What matters more to me is to be able to keep either a smaller size or have more weight per size. I like the little bit of heaviness tungsten adds. I can feel what's going on down there better. The draw back here is sometimes heavier is too heavy for neutral fish to inhale and that's not good.

In the end, like everything else, it's about what works best, what works for you and what the fish want at any given time. It becomes a matter of compromise to where nothing is (hardly ever) perfect. It's just what you can make work to your satisfaction. The other part is you've already got 250 jigs. When you have that many options there is temptation to change constantly searching for the magic lure. Or stare into the box trying to divine which one you should choose next. Both result in lost fishing time. Over time for some open water pursuits I've tended to simplify my choices to keep me fishing instead of changing or pondering. The amazing thing is it seems I do better on fish when I focus on my presentation and location instead of what color or size I'm fishing. Not always, certainly, but often.

So, short answer? Pop for a handful or two of tungsten in your favorite colors and see if it makes a difference. Some days they will be like magic. Others, nothing special. Still a good tool to have in the box. X2 for the jigs @ Energized Outdoors.

[slipperybob]

When I first tried tungsten types of jigs, what I found at the beginning was that hooks were brittle or of the cheaper ones while I paid that premium price. 

Like as mentioned, it's profile size in regards to weight.  When fish are on negative mood, meaning very light suction, a more neutral boyant lure helps out. So it means collectively it's lure, weight, and line resistance.  Add into personal preference, rod sensitivity, reel type, precision, and personal hand feel.

There's hype and there's tools for the situation.  Can never know what the fish really wants when they're selective, but easily caught whenever they bite anything pretty much.

I've recently begun to fish old style methods again, plain hook attached to weight.  Weight is either a little jig head, a brass bullet, a spoon, a blade, inline spinning lure body.  There were times this old style set up worked better and made all the other lures just my carry around weight.  However I still like to play with my lures and that's worth it to try something new or different from time to time.

I encourage people to try and tell us what the results are.  We all are here to share.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Many covered benifits of tungsten. I won't buy panfish jigs unless they are tungsten.

[wirenut45]

for me, no more lead! why? some states have already banned lead, some are trying to ban lead, n, future trend looks bleak for it. i have lead and use it when i can,t find a tung. similar jig. and there are several patterns i,ve not found in tung. they may be out there, but i,ve not found them. so, i,m not investing in lead when it may be illegal to use where i fish.JMO, wire

[matzilla]

....which is sill because tungsten isn't all that safe either, compared to lead they're both heavy metals with health risks associated.