Tungsten jigs are smaller, faster-sinking and more sensitive than lead jigs. These characteristics, plus other benefits, make tungsten the preferred choice for a range of different multi-species fishing scenarios. Here’s a closer look at five major benefits tungsten jigs offer, and how using these heavy-metal jigs can help you catch more fish.

A tungsten jig can be anywhere from 30 to 50 percent smaller than a lead jig of equal weight. This makes a tungsten jig advantageous when using downsized presentations.

The smaller jig head size of a Tungsten Roach Jig or Tungsten Nymph Jig, for example, keeps the overall package well proportioned. Both of these jigs do an excellent job of matching the forage preferences of crappie, yellow perch and other panfish.

Downsizing commonly goes hand-in-hand with soft-bait finesse tactics for larger predators, like bass and walleye. For instance, the compact profile of a RedLine Series Tungsten Ned Head Jig with a Ned BLT, or a RedLine Series Tungsten Swimbait Jig with a Mooch Minnow, can garner more strikes when fishing in clear water. The same can be said when fish are inactive or show a preference for smaller, subtle presentations.

Another virtue stemming from the compactness of a tungsten jig is it sinks faster than a lead jig of an equal weight. This makes a tungsten jig ideal for getting into the strike zone in deep water.

A speedy sink rate can also influence a soft-bait’s action. Expect a slight change in the tail action of a swimbait, like The Suspect or The Mayor (3 inch), or a Mooch Minnow on a 1/4- or 3/8-ounce RedLine Series Tungsten Swimbait Jig than a lead jig. Noteworthy, too, is how an accelerated descent ending with a tungsten jig and CrushCity plastic smashing into bottom can be effective at attracting fish and triggering strikes.

A denser metal than lead, tungsten produces a stronger sonar return and helps an angler maximize the effectiveness of their electronics. This is why tungsten products, like the RedLine Series Tungsten Swimbait Jig and RedLine Series Tungsten Ned Head Jig, have become vital for casting around the boat to bass, walleye, lake trout, pike and other fish marked with forward-facing sonar. Similar benefits apply for anglers video-gaming with 2D sonar when vertically jigging or moping a baitfish profiled plastic, like The Jerk or a Mooch Minnow, on a tungsten jig.

Improved feel (aka sensitivity) is another reason more anglers are trying on tungsten jigs. Compared to lead, tungsten’s density makes it more efficient at transmitting vibrations when a jig hits an object. This, in turn, influences the amount the angler feels when fishing bottom and, subsequently, improves one’s ability to detect fish-holding features (e.g., rock piles, boulders, clam beds, hard-soft bottom transitions, etc).

A spinoff effect of greater sensitivity is, in certain scenarios, the angler can use a lighter tungsten jig to reap the rewards of downsizing and a slower fall rate — along with fewer snags — without sacrificing feel. This is a major advantage when finesse fishing bottom-oriented fish.

Tungsten’s density also transmits vibrations out into the water with similar efficiency to how it sends signals up the fishing line and into the rod the angler is holding. The ticking and clacking sounds produced when a tungsten jig hits rocks or other hard surfaces are louder than a lead jig and, as a result, can attract fish and trigger strikes more effectively at times.

VMC’s tungsten jigs are lead free. As a result, the Tungsten Moon Eye Jig, RedLine Series Tungsten Ned Head Jig and RedLine Series Tungsten Swimbait Jig, to name a few of the brand’s tungsten offerings, are suitable to use in areas where regulations prohibit the use of lead fishing tackle. This checks the box with respect to compliance, but also maximizes access to fishable waters.

Lead jigs are far from obsolete, and remain essential for certain situations for a variety of reasons. This said, tungsten jigs offer many advantages, each with the potential to significantly improve an angler’s success on the water in a range of different, multi-species scenarios. If you’re not already using these heavy-metal jigs, get started this season and experience for yourself how VMC’s tungsten jigs catch more fish.