Sakura Tungsten Swim Jig Rubber Jig

The Rodhouse take

The Tungsten Swim Jig ticks the boxes of a serious rubber jig: a tungsten head that telegraphs every obstacle, a weed guard that folds away on the hookset, and a hand-tied silicone skirt for a lively action. Lead-free and armed with a forged black nickel hook, it is a safe bet for working the heavy cover black bass call home. Add a trailer to fine-tune bulk and fall rate.

What you need to know

• Type: tungsten-head rubber jig, lead-free
• Weights: 1/4 oz (7 g), 3/8 oz (10.6 g), 1/2 oz (14 g)
• Behaviour: sinking, all depths
• Head: nylon weed guard that folds down on the hookset
• Hook: forged black nickel, ultra-sharp
• Skirt: hand-tied silicone strands
• Trailer: takes a craw, shad or grub
• Species: black bass, perch, zander, pike

On the water with the Tungsten Swim Jig

Tungsten to feel the bottom

Choosing tungsten is not just a trend. Denser and harder than lead, it packs the weight into a more compact head and transmits the vibrations of the bottom and the structure far better up to the rod. You feel the nature of the substrate, the wood and the rocks, which helps you keep contact and detect subtle bites. The nylon weed guard completes the package by deflecting branches and vegetation, then folds down on the bite to free the hook point on the hookset.

A heavy-cover lure, best paired with a trailer

The swim jig is made to reach fish where other lures snag. Pitched or cast accurately under vegetation and structure, it slips through without hanging up and triggers strikes along the edges. The number one target is black bass, but the rubber jig also does serious damage on perch, zander and pike holding in the timber. To get the most out of it, slide a trailer onto the shank (craw, shad or grub): it adds bulk, slows the fall and rounds out the imitation.

It has a clear place in a box of lures for black bass. On waters with active perch, it also rounds out a selection of lures for perch.