Buying tungsten jigs

[fowldreams]

Where or what brand is the best deal on these? Just seems the price on these is so high.

[gunner55]

I'm just started getting back into icefishing the last couple years & bought some last season from "your bobbers down". 

[dfv87]

as with anything I look for specials and deals. You can do the best on-line IMO

[Bobb-o]

Sportsmens Direct has some pretty good prices on tungsten!

[Scott O.]

I buy from Clam and Custom Jigs and Spins.  The price is reasonable and the jigs are good quality.  Sales are always best.  Be sure to look at Sportsmens Direct.

[monstermoose78]

I like jigs and spins, skandia jigs, clam jigs, lindy, and kender outdoors. I like little bait shops as well where you can get custom color combos painted. Tungsten jigs are nice but I still like some of the lead ones as well.

[Vitreus]

I think the key is not to get sucked into the "pre-ice fever". This is easier said than done, but I've found that shopping online or waiting until spring when they are clearing out the ice gear is usually the way to save money. YMMV.

[monstermoose78]

I think the key is not to get sucked into the "pre-ice fever". This is easier said than done, but I've found that shopping online or waiting until spring when they are clearing out the ice gear is usually the way to save money. YMMV.

Yes you can save money, but you may not be able to get what you want if you wait until spring.  For example the 1 inch white maki mino's last winter they were sold out every where. So this year I order a big supply, so I do not run out again. The same happened with one jig that I was using no one had any in stock when I ran out. I could not even order them on line. I also stocked up on those jigs and have enough for 3 or 4 season worth unless the northern pike bite me off 30 or more times. 

I agree if you are looking to stock up hit the after season deals, but if you want a certain jig or item the time to buys is when you seem it. 

[tinker]

Fish USA has VMC tungsten jigs on sale .

Tinker

[Hawg]

Jigs sink- bobbers float. Don't get sucked into all the hype. Choose the style with the eye placement you prefer and buy the cheapest deal you can find. Tungsten is expensive because it melts very hot and not every basement/garage guy can make them. 

[th64]

A critic hated a band so much he said they would fall like a lead zeplin-a band name was born (Led)

anyway ditto what the last guy said, lead sinks.

 

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Cheapest I found is Beaver Dam tungsten jigs being sold at Walmart. They run $1.50 in season then at the end of the year they clearance them out for $0.97.

[DLD24]

A critic hated a band so much he said they would fall like a lead zeplin-a band name was born (Led)

anyway ditto what the last guy said, lead sinks.

 

Lead sinks, but not nearly as fast as tungsten. Since I've started using tungsten I can't stand using most lead jigs, unless I'm in my house... nothing more frustrating than trying to get a small jig through the slush when your screen is lit up with slabs....I can't wait to try them new VMC tungsten flies I feel like those will work awesome

[Hawg]

OK to rephrase-Tungsten sinks, bobbers float.

[walleye44]

Where or what brand is the best deal on these? Just seems the price on these is so high. 

 

  Fish USA.  I use the Nils USA Banana Jigs & Nils USA Tear Drop Jigs. They are great to catch pan fish & perch. Tungsten is the way to go. Way better for weight for small pan fish jigs. You do not have to open the eye holes either & hence more paint on the new jig.

[aquafang]

Jigs sink- bobbers float. Don't get sucked into all the hype. Choose the style with the eye placement you prefer and buy the cheapest deal you can find. Tungsten is expensive because it melts very hot and not every basement/garage guy can make them. 

ditto!

lead is heavy enough.  Its a scam.  The only real place i can see an advantage is if you are fishing with VERY small jigs in deep water and NEED to get back down FAST .  Then u may notice a SLIGHT difference in speed getting it down.  THINK ABOUT IT!  The presentation is the same.

[JuanArellano]

I like Kodiaksg, clam, fiska wolfram's.

I use the kodiak more than anything else.

[wiangler88]

Kenders has great deals on jig kits and their quality and detail on some of the best in the industry imo!

My all time favorite color is there raindbow metallic. I have caught so many crappies on the 5mm its unreal!

https://www.kendersoutdoors.com/collections/tungsten-jigs/products/bright-orange-glow-tungsten-jig

[Moon Lake Refuge]

How long have you worked there?

[Zenit]

A LOT of jig manufacturers use lousy hooks with their tungsten jigs, and a majority of them use a lesser grade of tungsten (in other words, not 100% pure tungsten) from China that is of inferior quality than tungsten made here in the USA (Pennsylvania) and in Russia.

IMHO the very best available here now are Fiskas Wolfram (available online and in a lot of well known ice fishing retailers), Bentley USA (online only), and Jeff's Jigs in Two Harbors, MN. Bentleys are expensive but well made; look for their online sales. Fiskas are probably well known to most, and offer a combination of quality and value. Jeff's Jig's started out on ice flies, but he makes some great tungsten jigs - his UV Green Assassin in one of my all time favorites. And Jeff prices his custom made jigs and ice flies extremely well.

In addition, there is a large European manufacturer (Lucky John) that will be offering their tungsten jigs thru Ice Belt Retailers this fall, debuting at a small but well known ice show at the end of September. Like Bentley, they use 100% Russian tungsten, but also use high quality Japanese hooks in all their jigs, spoons, and jigging minnows. This should increase competition and drive prices down a bit.

My personal preference is that I would rather pay a bit more for a well made 100% tungsten jig than have one powder when using a plastic hook remover, pull the hook out of the jig, straighten the hook out, or have the hook snap in half when removing it from a barely average perch (all of which happened to me last season). You get what you pay for. Thankfully, between pre-season and end of season sales, an excess of distributor stock from last year's horribly short season, and increased availability and increased competition, the prices on even the top notch tungsten jigs will likely continue to decrease this season.

[Hawg]

All tungsten jigs are glued on China junk. Tungsten melts too high to pour or roto-mold like normal jigs, it would destroy the temper of the hooks and make them break very easily.

[walleye44]

On ‎11‎/‎19‎/‎2015 at 6:42 AM, fowldreams said:

Where or what brand is the best deal on these? Just seems the price on these is so high.

I like using the Nils USA Tear Drop & Banana tungsten jigs. They would great. I like the fact too that you do not have to break paint away for the eye loop holes as well.   http://www.FishUSA.com/product/Nils-USA-Banana-Jigs

Edited July 25, 2016 by walleye44