Every angler has been there. You grab box of jig heads and see two prices. One is dirt cheap.
The other costs three times more. That’s lead, right? It sinks…that’s all it can do.
Then you drop pricey one in the water and it thuds heavily and definitively to the bottom. Drop the cheap one in and it flutters along. You feel the difference.
Is it real or are you only getting smooth paint and a nice looking brand logo? Anyone who has fished jig ever has thrown a dollar lead and not caught anything. And we’ve all thrown a pennyweight of lead and caught bass.
It’s a bit of a mess when it comes to correlation. When you gets beyond the marketing hype of tungsten jig heads from companies such as Owner and Bobby Garland, what do you talk about? How about the cost per hour of fishing and how about sensitivity and density?
Why Tungsten Jig Heads Cost More
Density and Smaller Profile
Size Tungsten is denser than lead. That’s why a one-eighth ounce tungsten jighead is considerably smaller then an equivalent one-eighth ounce lead head. So if you want to sink with the same weight as lead, you’ll be able to use smaller hooks and line.
This also give it a smaller profile which isn’t seen as well by fish in clear water. The small profile can make difference between reaching the bottom or getting stuck in heavy cover or deep water. When the fish are suspicious, size does matter.
Sensitivity and Vibration Transmission
The second biggie is sensitivity. Since tungsten is dense, it picks up vibrations better. There’s more transmission from bottom to the rod tip and you can feel bottom a bit clearer.
When a fish bumps your bait, you feel those little taps as he investigates. Lead is softer and will absorbs some of that vibration. Here’s where brittle hardness of tungsten comes into play.
It sounds like a bad thing but it really isn’t. The clarity helps you make micro-adjustments in your retrieval based off the crisp feedback. You’ll know if you’re hitting a log, a rock, or if fish has your jig.
Cost and Efficiency Investment
That clarity impacts your fishing. Now let’s discuss the wallet. One of these tungsten jig heads is going to be three to four bucks.
A lead head will run you half a dollar. And you’re gonna lose ’em. Which means math sucks.
Ten tungsten heads cost forty bucks. Ten lead heads cost five bucks. Economics alone make good case against tungsten.
Casual fishermen won’t drop that many bucks on lost lures unless they’re tournament fishing or specifically targeting few fish in a large area. You’ll pay dearly for each head you knock off. But what about dollars-per-hour-of-success?
Will that tungsten head catch three more fish an hour due to increased feel and a smaller profile? Is that worth the extra bucks? Most of us agree, absolutely.
That’s why people pays more for them. They perform better. And you end up keeping fewer heads while catching more fish with each one.
It is not so much a way to save money as it is an efficiency investment.
Durability and Brittleness
The durability thing is legit. They break.
I’m not talking about snapping them off at the end of a long cast. I’m talking about cracking one when it hits a submerged concrete bridge abutment or a tire on a bridge. It’s like brittle glass that shatters under pressure.
Tungsten shatters while lead bend. So you can’t just go crazy blasting through heavy cover without thinking twice about your gear. That means you has to fish differently.
You have to think more. Deliberate. Maybe lead is still your friend if you’re a careless caster.
Choosing the Right Jig Head
But worth it? Depends. For those that target wary fish, fish in deep water, or fish in very clear conditions, there is no denying the sensitivity and density advantage.
You’re going to put more fish in boat because of the better feedback and smaller profile. If you’re making basic casts, burning lures in muddy rivers, etc, then don’t waste your money and go with a lead jig. Know why you want one and know what you’re getting.
A good tool for the job is actualy worth the cost.
