Phil Piscitello’s suggests having a selection of both tungsten and lead jigs is how you can maximize your catches through the ice this winter.

For several years now tungsten has made a major impact in the ice fishing world. Most major manufacturers of ice jigs have a tungsten jig in their lineup, and for good reason. Tungsten has several unique qualities that will help anglers ice more fish under certain conditions.

Tungsten is a much denser material then lead. The same weight tungsten jig will be physically smaller than the same weight lead jig. The tungsten jig will sink faster than the lead jig. This would be a great jig to use on a hot bite in deep water. When you catch and unhook a fish, you can re-bait and get the jig back down into deeper water within seconds. This is critical on a hot bite to keep the school of feeding fish active, which will ultimately put more fish on the ice.

With the quick drop speed, a tungsten jig is great to use in a hole-hopping situation when you’re moving quickly from hole to hole, looking for a few biting fish.

Because of the dense material, a tungsten jig provides a much better sense of feel when you’re pounding bottom, and even jigging off bottom. The jig has a faster, more aggressive action, and is great for triggering strikes and quickly catching active fish.

Tungsten jigs are now being made in all the popular shapes that lead jigs are made. A lot of manufacturers have both a lead and a tungsten version of most of their more popular jigs.

Jigging spoons are also available in tungsten models. And, just like the jig, they have a faster drop speed and a more erratic action. This combination can really attract fish from a greater distance and trigger aggressive strikes.

Fishing for deep-water species through the ice is also now more productive with tungsten jigs and spoons. Lake trout, whitefish, salmon and deep-water perch are great adversaries, and tungsten will put them on the ice. Your feel in deep water is superior compared to using lead jigs and spoons. The addition of a superline, specially designed for ice fishing, will up your sense of feel even more.

So, with all these tungsten baits on the market, you would think lead-based baits would fade away. Not true. Lead baits have and always will be extremely deadly for all species of fish, in all kinds of conditions. Lead has a little slower drop speed. Sometimes when fish are on the neutral side, not actively feeding, a slow-dropping lead jig could outproduce a faster-dropping tungsten bait. Being a little on the larger side, a lead jig or spoon could attract larger fish as well. A lot of times, bigger fish prefer a larger, slower-falling bait.

Sometimes, a one-two punch will put more fish on the ice. Start using a faster dropping tungsten jig. Catch as many fish as you can. When the bite slows, experiment with different colors, sizes, and shapes of tungsten jigs. When the bite slows again, switch over to lead jigs and start the process over again. You will probably catch even more fish out of that one hole. After fishing a couple of holes, you will know what sizes, colors and shapes are best on the given day. This will up your odds and put the maximum amount of fish on the ice for you.

Learn how to get the most out of your fishing tackle by reading the December issue of MidWest Outdoors, available the first full week of December at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.