A ‘Pinful’ Experience

Northland Fishing Tackle’s new Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry mimics the teensy baitfish perch and panfish crave.

BEMIDJI, MN It’s common knowledge that fish metabolism is reduced (called “torpor”) in the winter months. They move less in the cold water and subsequently burn fewer calories. As a result, they eat less, too, but when they do forage, they tend to take smaller bites and focus on food that is easier to catch.

Smaller bites? Hmmm… Wouldn’t that signal an angler to fish smaller? Yep. And teensy baitfish are one of those smaller foodstuffs that attract cold water perch and panfish. Enter Northland’s new Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry.

The pristinely paired jig and soft plastic body replicates the profile of a miniscule minnow – the edible silhouette carnivorous fish are born to recognize…and eat.

BEGINS WITH THE TUNGSTEN FLAT FRY JIG

On the heavy-lifting end of the Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry is Northland’s wondrous Tungsten Flat Fry Jig.

The pintsized powerhouse Tungsten Flat Fry Jig has a thin profile and falls faster than rounded tungsten panfish jigs, so it gets down to business fast. It also features a flat head, which when combined with the hardness of tungsten, returns sonar signals with authority.

The hook is specialized as well. Its 90-degree bend causes the jig to rest horizontally, mimicking an aquatic insect in repose. Additionally, the hook is long to accommodate the full torso of the soft plastic body, putting the hook point perfectly in place for strikes.

WHY PRE-RIGGED?

For this, we go to Northland pro and ice fishing savant, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl. “The best part of buying a pre-rigged bait is the soft plastic body is perfectly aligned with the jig head to make it perform the way it should,” said Bro. “Trying to rig a small finesse plastic on a micro head out on the ice isn’t easy, especially with cold hands. And if it’s not rigged arrow straight, you won’t get that nice gliding action and it just doesn’t look real to the fish.”

THE BODY

Look at it closely – the panfish do. There’s a reason micro plastics are so nuanced and detailed. Perch, crappies, and bluegills are visual feeders, especially in the winter when the water is at its clearest and fish approach slower, leveraging their optical advantage.

The Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry presents an authentic baitfish silhouette. When a fish approaches from beneath, which is common, profile is everything. In fact, sometimes color isn’t a factor at all, the jig casting only a shadow from above.

The business end of the Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry features a segmented tail. So, when you stop and just quiver the bait, the tail pumps ever so slightly. The Red Bull shakes alone will give it life.

WHERE DO YOU FISH IT?

The Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry is a favorite of Bro’s at first ice. “As soon as I can get on the ice, I’m looking for green vegetation,” said Bro. “Weeds that made it through fall will still be alive, and stay that way until snowfall snuffs out the sunlight.”

Shallow weeds – like coontail, milfoil, and broad-leaf pondweeds – are favorite wintertime haunts for perch, bluegills, and sometimes crappies. Downsized baitfish like fatheads, dace, common shiners, and darters also inhabit shallow weeds during the winter months. Additionally, young-of-the-year panfish and perch are available for cannibalistic dining.

Beyond the weeds, over the basin, Bro likes the Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry for suspended crappies. “I’ll work it a couple feet above the school and get them to rise and smack it.”

HOW TO FISH IT

For perch in shallow vegetation, Bro sends it to the bottom and then lifts a few inches and twitches it, causing the tail to kick. He continues twitching and elevating and watching for thick red marks on his Humminbird. Note, too, that fish can instantly appear in the shallows, seemingly out of thin air. For one, they’re sometimes masked by the weeds and not fully tracked by sonar. Secondly, the sonar’s smaller cone angle might not capture fish on the fringe. Point being…keep your finger on the trigger.

For crappies suspended beyond the weeds, Bro drops down and pauses a couple feet above the fish, letting them gather and rise, as surveyed on his electronics. Crappies are well known to elevate to eat.

BRO’S THOUGHTS ON COLOR COMBOS

Northland’s color combos aren’t random. They’re based off years of time on the water with input from pro staff and customers. Here’s how Bro sees things:

GOLD: This is one of the more natural arrangements with its gold head and brownish body. Its subdued looks blend well with natural forage and appeal to slow grazing panfish and ones turned off by showy patterns.

GLO WHITE: It’s all about visibility. The phosphorescent treatment beams in darkness and pops by daytime. A particularly effective color for crappies.

FRUIT FLY: The pinkish-white body and bright pink/chartreuse head don’t represent anything native, but my-oh-my do panfish and perch go for it. Maybe it just pisses them off?

TIGER BEETLE: The chartreuse and fluorescent blend is a favorite of bluegills. Always has been, always will be.

WOODTICK: Another variation on the realistic looks theme. The two-tone brown and off-white body morph with a similarly patterned head. A great pick for choosy fish and ones in the weeds or wallowing over a deep basin.

Rigged Tungsten Pin Fry FEATURES:

• Perfectly matched color combinations
• Made from premium tungsten that is 70% more dense than lead
• Fast falling tungsten jig head
• Sensitive tungsten jig head
• Flat head for exceptional sonar returns
• Environmentally-friendly tungsten
• 90-degree hook bend
• Rests horizontally in the water like a micro minnow
• Sensitive segmented tail that pulses

COLORS: Gold, Glo White, Fruit Fly, Tiger Beetle, and Woodtick

SIZES: 1/28-ounce (#12 hook) and 1/16-ounce (#10 hook) sizes

MSRP $8.49 (2 rigged and 3 extra bodies)

ABOUT Northland® Fishing Tackle

In 1975, a young Northwoods fishing guide named John Peterson started pouring jigs and tying tackle for his clients in a small remote cabin in northern Minnesota. The lures were innovative, made with high quality components, and most importantly, were catching fish when no other baits were working! Word spread like wildfire, the phone started ringing… and the Northland Fishing Tackle® brand was in hot demand! For 40 years now, John and the Northland® team have been designing, testing and perfecting an exclusive line of products that catch fish like no other brand on the market today. Manufactured in the heart of Minnesota's finest fishing waters, Northland® is one of the country's leading producers of premium quality jigs, live bait rigs, spinnerbaits and spoons for crappies, bluegills, perch, walleyes, bass, trout, northern pike and muskies.

ABOUT Bagley Bait Company

The personality of any company comes from its founder. Jim Bagley was an inventive, fun-loving, passionate fisherman who became one the most respected legends in the fishing tackle industry. In late 2010, Jarmo Rapala and a group of investors bought Bagley Bait Company. As an admirer of Jim Bagley for his attention to quality and of his product ingenuity and innovation, Jarmo initiated significant changes in operations, enhanced production processes and quality control. Now in 2020, Northland® Fishing Tackle, along with Jarmo as its Chief Lure Designer, maintain the legacy of creating premium balsa crankbaits and topwater lures, as well as jigs and spoons for both freshwater and saltwater anglers.