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Lead vs Tungsten

Tom Sawyer

By Tom Sawyer
in Ice Fishing Minnesota

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Lead vs Tungsten  

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Tom Sawyer Veteran

Tom Sawyer

Posted
Posted (edited)

Wanting to take a poll, maybe @Rick could help ..... Who uses lead presentations yet while targeting fish in shallow water. Under 15 feet .....

Gills

Crappie

Perch

Edited by Tom Sawyer
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IceHawk Grand Master

IceHawk

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Not very often anymore like to fish fast looking for aggressive fish. If anything for a smaller slower presentation I will go down to a 3 mm tungsten and a bigger plastic to slow my fall rate. My style of fishing is the cat and mouse method playing take away so my cadence is more of a slow up down. I'm not a pounder style fisherman like the Godfather Dave Genz. In fact back in the day his jig of choice was a fatboy lead for his style of fishing.  I've found that rarely I cant get a reaction strike from a quick falling tungsten. If not I move hole to hole picking of the aggressive ones from the school. I don't like to waste time on stagnet fish,  In fact I threw a bunch of my lead hooks away as they rarely got used anymore but still got a few just in case. There definitely is a advantage to lead as the slower fall rate can be a killer but just doesn't fit with my style fishing anymore. 

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AlwaysFishing23 Experienced

AlwaysFishing23

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Pretty much exclusively use tungsten 99% of the time regardless of depth. Only lead I use Is split spots which is rare. Few extra bucks for a 2 pack of tungsten is worth it to me for increased drop speed. 

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Kettle Mentor

Kettle

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For the most part I have really come accustomed to tungsten, I find it easier to fish with. If I'm fishing really early spring ice sunnies in like 8ft I'll use some older lead jigs but even in 15-20ft it's nice how quickly I can get to fishable depths when there's a school of fish

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eyeguy 54 Grand Master

eyeguy 54

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Totally agree with IceHawk.  Love the tungsten.  I don't do the pound either. I see guys doing it once in a while but I have never got the hang of it. 4MM T is my favorite size for panfish with plastics usually 1 inch to 1.25.   I do go to the 3MM  when they get fussy. Had to do that today early with a small piece of plastic and the spring bobber, then when they got a bit more aggressive switched to the 4. Was a nice day out there.  I remember IceHawk talking about the cat and mouse deal a few years ago when I was starting to learn to hole hop. Great advice. For perch 1/32 or 1/16 oz spoons if they wont hit the tungsten.

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Chill62 Experienced

Chill62

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Shallow water usually I want a larger profile bait and since drop isn't a worry lead is my go to and reason #1 is Pike, #2 Pike, #3 you guessed it Pike.  Instead of paying 2-4 dollars a jig up shallow I'll switch to a cheap lead jig especially up in the weeds because I know its a matter of time before a pike visits and kisses my jig good bye.  Now out deeper the tungsten are the only way to go.  Drop is quicker and since tungsten is denser I can turn my sensitivity down more and pick those jigs up better when I'm out deeper chasing panfish suspended.  Issue I have is this most tungsten jigs are $3 plus because the blank has to be made in China or a nearby country so small time guys have to order the blanks and it costs a lot in shipping. 

 

In Fargo this past weekend was a company selling 3-6 mm tungsten jigs for about 1.30/each and if you bought 30 you got a free case ($9.99 value) to store them.  I'll be honest I bought 30 and figured for when my buddies are with I'll tie one on for them so if they loose it or don't return it I'm not out $3+ on the jig.  Wednesday I my 2 pound test broke on a crappie and I lost my 3mm Clam Wonder Bread jig so I figured WTH I'll try one and see what happens.  Granted my normal jigs I use are custom and I have a modified hook which these don't have but at almost 70% off of my custom I'll try them.  I caught probably 100 fish with that jig (4 mm) and yes a few scratches here and there but no chips or cuts.  Now it's got me thinking of replacing my lead with tungsten because its hard to find lead at $1.40 a piece then I don't have to worry about keeping lead and tungsten separate.  I just ordered more today and with free shipping along with the free case if purchase 30 or more jigs my price per jig came to $1.3865 so unless people can find me lead for less than a dollar with painted jigs I'll be switching to 100% tungsten.

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Tom Sawyer Veteran

Tom Sawyer

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That will need to remain classified, so not to bias the poll results. 

quid pro quo mr eyeguy64 ....

I'm sure @IceHawk would totally,,, give you that information for some of your wonderful treats ?.

@Chill62 you won't be disappointed, "the company" has been putting out quality for years. Closed out quite a few colors and sizes my self, earlier this year. Some for a buck a piece ☺

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eyeguy 54 Grand Master

eyeguy 54

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Sharing the company would help a small business succeed. Not the website. Just who. Plenty of us like to try different companies. Not sure how that would effect the poll. Don’t be a kid pro quo like joes. ?

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Tom Sawyer Veteran

Tom Sawyer

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14 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

Sharing the company would help a small business succeed. 

 

Company is doing just fine. 

Man has it really quieted down out here on the lake. 

Ask IceHawk.   ....

Give and you may receive, after all mr eyeguy, it is the Christmas season ?

 

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eyeguy 54 Grand Master

eyeguy 54

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I share treats with those I like. Sausage. Jerky. Smoked crappies. Bacon. ?

 

image.jpeg

Edited by eyeguy 54
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Tom Sawyer Veteran

Tom Sawyer

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24 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

I share treats with those I like. Sausage. Jerky. Smoked crappies. Bacon. ?

 

Get busy on those crappies, they were good out here last spring. "lots" more today........

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eyeguy 54 Grand Master

eyeguy 54

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Soon. Real soon. Mmmmm smoker warming up. 

A66CB7E3-6308-4DB4-82CA-663B145D4B0C.jpeg

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Wanderer Grand Master

Wanderer

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Posted
34 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

I share treats with those I like. Sausage. Jerky. Smoked crappies. Bacon. ?

 

image.jpeg


Hmm, never had any eyeguy treats.... ??

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IceHawk Grand Master

IceHawk

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4 hours ago, eyeguy 54 said:

I share treats with those I like. Sausage. Jerky. Smoked crappies. Bacon. ?

 

image.jpeg

So that's why you didn't offer me any ?  Remember what comes around goes around LOL! you wouldn't of had that nice bucket of fish yesterday  if someone didn't tell you were to fish. That's how you treat your guide treatless ? Didn't you use to fish the S end ?

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IceHawk Grand Master

IceHawk

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16 hours ago, eyeguy 54 said:

What’s the company?

I'm assuming Amped outdoors formaly energized outdoors. Great prices with quality to boot!

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eyeguy 54 Grand Master

eyeguy 54

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????

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