True to Tungsten

Category: article

Sep 30th, 2022 by Keith Worrall

Modified Sep 30th, 2022 at 10:58 AM

New baits from Northland Fishing Tackle match the morsels ‘gills, crappies and perch crave.

BEMIDJI, Minn. (September 29, 2022) – Anglers looking to get a jump on the hardwater panfish season are absolutely going to love Northland’s new Tungsten Rigged Jigs. With dense heads, a trio of enticing shapes and two sizes, bluegills, crappies, yellow perch and other popular panfish can’t resist, these offerings touch all the bases.

Heavy-for-their size tungsten jigs are all the rage in ice-fishing circles these days, Northland leads the way with several versatile shapes and sizes. The addition of Rigged Tungsten Jigs strengthens their lineup even further with new Rigged Tungsten Bloodworm, Rigged Tungsten Mini Smelt and Rigged Tungsten Mayfly options. Each features a Tungsten Mud Bug jighead and soft, ultra-realistic body. All variations are available in five proven color combinations and come with two rigged jigs and three extra tails per pack.

Rigged Tungsten Bloodworm (GOLD)

GLO WHITE

FRUIT FLY

TIGER BEETLE

WOODTICK

The obvious advantage of rigged jigs is that they are always ready-to-go, and Northland has selected colors and shapes that are sure to draw attention beneath the ice. “I love the idea of rigged baits,” says Joel Nelson, a Minnesota panfish expert and Northland pro team member. Not only are they ready to go, but for those who fish a lot of tungsten and plastic, these choices solve tackle box space issues since separate bags of soft plastics don’t always fit where you keep your jig heads. If you know what you like, as so many panfish anglers do, these rigged jigs will save both time and tackle storage space – and you don’t have to rig them with freezing hands in sub-zero weather.”

Of course, it helps that these lures also produce, and Nelson couldn’t be more pleased with the new options. “I like that each comes in five pre-selected colors, and both the 1/28- and 1/16-ounce sizes are a great fit for panfish. Essentially, these are curated versions of panfishing’s greatest hits. They offer your best chance for consistent catches daily. You really can’t go wrong with any of them.”

Rigged Tungsten Mayfly (GOLD)

GLO WHITE

FRUIT FLY

TIGER BEETLE

WOODTICK

The advantage of tungsten is that it’s extremely dense,” continues Nelson. “Its size-to-weight ratio allows use of smaller jig heads that quickly get down to whatever depth panfish are holding. The Northland Mud Bug style head is a proven panfish slayer that fishes fast while providing maximum wag to the soft-plastic tail. Work it with a short, quick jigging motion and you can see the tail rising and lowering with each flick of your wrist. That action drives panfish insane.”

Nelson uses the Rigged Tungsten Bloodworm to work basins and mudflats, since these are areas where bloodworms (larval midge fly) thrive. Specifically, he’s looking for big ‘gills with this bait, but he’ll shorten the soft-plastic tail just a bit if he finds the fish particularly shy or wants to target a variety of sizes. His top color choices for bluegills and pumpkinseeds are Red and Woodtick, but he’ll switch to Glow White if crappies invade the spread.

When focused on crappies, Nelson opts for the Rigged Tungsten Mini Smelt, noting it features a minnow-shaped tail as a nod to the propensity of specks to favor a diet of small baitfish. “This lure is great for fishing sunken cribs, brush and standing vegetation,” notes Nelson “It’s a fantastic crappie offering because crappies often target small baitfish. It mimics baitfish like smelt fry so you can match the hatch. Traditional crappie color schemes work well, so start off with Glow White, Fruit Fly or Tiger Beetle.”

Northland’s Rigged Tungsten Mayfly is Nelson’s choice for tempting jumbo perch. With a true invertebrate shape, it imitates mayfly larvae hatching out of substrate. By bouncing its heavy tungsten Mud Bug head on the bottom, Nelson says anglers can kick up a little puff of sand or mud and draw instant strikes from the biggest humpbacked yellows. “Select natural colors for this option,” suggests Nelson. “I like Gold, Red and Woodtick if fishing tight to the bottom. In murky water, however, I’ll go with Glow White or Fruit Fly for increased visibility.”

All three of Northland’s new Rigged Tungsten Jigs are packaged five per card with three pre-rigged jigs and two additional soft-plastic tails. Available in five colors and 1/28- or 1/16-ounce sizes, they retail for $8.59.