Tungsten Jigs?

[Choporoz]

I've been too cheap to pay much attention to tungsten anything in the past.  However, yesterday I was trying to get to a smaller jig profile, but frustrated at the drop rate to 20' of my smallets, 1/4 oz.  I got to thinking that maybe 1/2 or 3/4 oz tungsten might have offered smaller profile, but gotten to the bottom at a rate I'd have been more comfortable with.  However, I haven't seen much discussion about using tungsten in skirted jigs.  Am I overthinking this?  I guess I could/should have just thinned a skirt and accomplished what I wanted.

[Siebert Outdoors]

You are correct.  The tungsten jig head will have a smaller profile then a lead jig.  A rough comparison would be lead 1/2 tungsten size would be about 3/8.  That is roughly a good comparison.  I've compared some of the football heads and arkys I sell to the lead versions.

[Choporoz]

Thanks, Mike.  For no apparent good reason, I hadn't seen the tungsten jigs on your site - even though that's the first place I looked.  My week excuse is that I only get first 48 items when I first open your page and didn't realize there was a page 2.  Order incoming.  I'm fishing rather steep rocky drops - often from 8 to 30 feet over just a couple/few yards.  Can be difficult to maintain bottom contact and enough line tension to feel a bite.  I'm thinking football over arky.  Thoughts and opinions?

[Siebert Outdoors]

Thanks!  I'd go football because I fish a lot of rocks.

[WRB]

Considering all the factors tungsten would be last of my priorities when fishing jigs in deep rocky structured lakes. I fish with a custom shape jig head head in 7/16 oz in clear water between 3' to 30' often. First priority for me is line type and diameter followed by trailer size and shape. The line I use 90% of the is 10 lb Small diameter premium FC. Trailers are 90% of the time custom pork rind similar to L3 or L4 lizard ( split tail X 3" or 4" nose hooked). Pork falls thru the water column with less drag and movement than soft plastic. My preferred skirt is bucktail hair or living rubber.

With this combination the fall rate is about ideal.

I do use small 1/8, 3/16 and 1/4 oz tungsten jigs for wacky fishing worms, smaller round head size improves hook sets.

If you are considering a tungsten jig, go with a 3/4 oz football style head, living rubber skirt and single tail type grub soft plastic in lieu a double tail if pork trailers are not your thing. You can use a worm cut down to 4" and split the straight tail, works great in deep water. Definitely use smaller diameter FC line!

For deep water try to find a jig that uses a .046 diameter forged 5/0 premium hook like Gamakatsu #114. Heavy wire hooks require heavier line to achieve a good hook set, heavy line slows the ROF significantly.

Tom

[Comfortably Numb]

These work great. Buy some skirts and nice jig for about two bucks. Skirts stay on them well too

 

http://www.barlowstackle.com/Hidden-Lead-Jig-Head-Painted-P1519C190.aspx

[Choporoz]

Thanks, Tom!  Great info.  Lots I hadn't considered.  I'm using 15 lb co-poly on my jigging set-ups and have been happy for most applications.  I've ditched flouro altogether.  But, I may try lighter hybrid.   I only have a couple of old hair jigs (from walleye fishing 20+ years ago), but they probably would have been perfect for what I was trying to do the other day.  I also had fairly bulky craw trailers and will work with slimmer tails and experiment.  Appreciate your help!