GEARING UP
tungsten truths
By Mitchell Forde The fishing tackle market is in the midst of a takeover — a tungsten takeover . Over the past decade , tungsten weights have steadily replaced lead . These days , you ’ d be hard-pressed to find a touring pro throwing a lead bullet sinker , and tungsten is even encroaching in categories beyond terminal tackle .
Turning to tungsten offers a few clear advantages . It ’ s more dense , meaning a tungsten sinker that weighs the same might be half the size of a lead version . It provides increased sensitivity . It ’ s also less harmful to the environment — a handful of states , particularly in the Northeast , have banned lead weights .
But there ’ s one major drawback : cost . On a persinker basis , a pack of tungsten worm weights can cost 10 to 20 times more than lead weights of the same size . If you ’ re bassin ’ on a budget , it can be tough to justify that extra expense , especially if lead has gotten the job done just fine in the past .
There are several instances , though , when most avid anglers find the benefits of tungsten to be worth the extra bucks . Here ’ s a handful of tungsten products that offer clear advantages over their lead counterparts .
1 . beast coast tungsten compound O . W . sniper football jig
$ 5.64 – 6.49 | tacklewarehouse . com
Outside of terminal tackle , one of the categories tungsten has overhauled quickest is finesse jigs . It makes sense ; the density of tungsten allows for a much smaller head and thus overall profile for those fishing in deep water or current . Plus , it aids in sensitivity as the bait is dragged along bottom . Beast Coast has created several such jigs , its most popular being the O . W . Sniper . Designed by St . Lawrence River hammer Travis Manson , it doesn ’ t have a weed guard ( the O . W . stands for “ open water ”) and features a hand-tied skirt
1 and double-barb hook keeper . It even comes in a “ hybrid ” version that features both marabou hair and a silicon skirt . It ’ s offered in an impressive array of hues — 12 regular colors and four hybrids — in sizes of 1 / 4 , 3 / 8 and 1 / 2 ounce .
Color : Stealth Craw
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2 . epic baits tungsten flipping weight
$ 6.99 – 13.99 | epicbaitsfishing . com
Tungsten has almost universally replaced lead among high-level flippers , especially when they turn to heavier weights . The density of tungsten , and the fact that it ’ s typically available in an array of painted colors , makes a Texas-rigged plastic look more natural than a bulky , shiny lead weight . So , with a plethora of tungsten weights on the market , what makes some better than others ? Epic Baits pro Scott Suggs said the biggest factor is line abrasion , or lack thereof . Tungsten weights have developed a reputation for wearing out line , leading to breakoffs . But Epic ’ s tungsten is polished all the way through the line hole so that , even without an insert , it will never fray your line . The weights are available in eight colors and 11 sizes ranging from ¼ ounce to 2 ounces .
3 . strike king tungsten thunder cricket Vibrating swim jig
$ 17.99 | strikeking . com
Suggs raved about the newest version of Strike King ’ s bladed jig . No surprise , he noted that its tungsten head creates a loud , unique sound when contacted by the blade . It ’ s also smaller than the original Thunder Cricket — not just the head , but the entire bait . That results in more bites on pressured fisheries and also allows the tungsten Thunder Cricket to swim a bit deeper than a regular model of the same weight . While Suggs said the Tungsten Thunder Cricket has become his go-to bladed jig for most scenarios , he ’ s particularly excited about its smallmouth-catching prowess . “ When they came out with that bait , they came out with the best smallmouth vibrating jig that ’ s ever been on the market ,” he said .
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Color : Sexy Shad
58 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2024