4 Reasons to Use Tungsten Ice Fishing Jigs(a)

Tungsten ice jigs are a hot trend on hard-water. Lure selections from manufacturers are growing, and more anglers are seeing the unique advantages tungsten provides on ice.

Small jigs that “fish heavy” are a main ingredient for many crappie ice fishing tactics. Since tungsten is much denser and approximately 30-percent heavier than lead, it gives new options for jig-size and weight combinations. This has benefits when downsizing, for instance. Tungsten also sinks faster than a similarly sized lead jig, which is an asset in deep water.

Ice-fishing guru and full-time guide, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl of Max, Minn., is well versed in the virtues of tungsten jigs for crappie. Here are 4 reasons tungsten jigs are standard in his ice fishing box:

Punch slush
Fast drop
Aggressive jigging
Great for downsizing

Punch slush
“Tungsten punches through a slushy hole nicely without needing to go to a gaudy-sized lead jig,” Brosdahl said. “This reason alone is why I use tungsten so often.”

To appreciate this statement, we must take a page from Brosdahl’s stealth fishing handbook. To Bro, slush is your friend. While most anglers scoop it out, he kicks extra slush into a freshly drilled hole. The reason: a slushy hole reduces light penetration for a more natural setting below. In contrast, a clean, slush-free hole allows a spotlight-like beam to shine in water, which can spook clear-water crappie.

The challenge is getting a small bait through the thick, icy soup. For tiny lead jigs, Brosdahl often uses a method he calls jousting. With the jig at the rod tip, he thrusts the rod into the slush to get the tiny jig below the debris before opening the bail and letting the bait sink. He’s never broke a rod, but he’s seen others snap sticks trying the method.

With tungsten, jousting is rarely needed. Average-sized tungsten jigs easily punch through slush. When the slush is extra thick, or when using a tiny tungsten jig, Bro makes a pilot hole in the slush with his Humminbird transducer.

Brosdahl admits he sometimes needs to reach in and pull a big crappie through the slush to land it. But, it’s a small hurdle and a better option than not hooking them at all.




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