Here's a little reality for you. Fish live in a water environment, and nothing changes but the water temperature. External forces such as available light and the barometer affect fish to a degree all year long, but the bottom line is about the only significant change to the fish between winter and summer is how aggressive they are when the eat and how long they feed at a time. In the winter sunfish and crappies will take baits [food] very softly. If a heavy jig is used, they may, and will, reject the bait simply because it doesn't come into their mouths as easily or as natural as natural foods do.
Ethically fish deeper than about 15 feet should be avoided due to barotrauma from coming out of the deep water. I understand the weight thing as far as getting back into the fish as quickly as possible but at ethical depths, lead will do the same as tungsten except its less likely to be rejected due to its weight. With today's braids so popular with the tungsten stuff, I'd suggest finding a braid that's smaller diameter and soften rather than jumping up in head size. By far and away the best line for panfish in the winter is 2-pound mono, something along the line of Trilene's xl. Forget ice specific line as its formulation does little to make it limper and like all ice tackle the line is nothing more than a market extension and meant to get you to buy something that has little to do with the fish or their hitting. If a profile is needed to get hit, try a 1/32 Bat Head with the collar nipped off on a #8 or even a #10 plain jig hook. Just do a quick tap with the hook in the mold to form fit it to the cavity. The Minnow Head in the 1/48 size is yet another candidate to use a size 8 or ten hook without any need to make a modification. Even if you do the mod to the Bat head you aren't going to affect using the mold as it was made to be used.
The internet is full of options for ice heads including the tungsten, but from my own personal experience I have never found the need to get all fluffed up over the latest and the greatest ice tackle because the fish can't tell the difference between sumer and winter. Only the anglers get all frustrated. The fish keep on being fish no matter the time of year.
Not a bad post agree wjth 90% of it. The issue is nobody has really made any led molds for small panfish jigs\baits It's not about open water or ice. Its about the water temperatures and panfish really wanting small stuff during a lot of the winter.
I really hate to say it. Do-It has totally dropped the ball on what the market wants. They have gotten better at Ice plastics....but really have ignored the lead molds for Ice.It's sad when a company from Ukraine is more innovative and listens to U.S. consumers and delivers molds for products that the market as been asking for.
I mean......lets looks at just a few mold potentials.
1. Spoons.....Currently the spoon molds are to large/heavy for a lot of ice fishing.....I mean the casting, diamond, and flutter spoon in a 1\4 ......which is about the heaviest most people go/need.
Why would they not make a 1\16, 1\8, 1\4 sizes/weight in a spoon mold?
Why would they not make a spoon mold with a belly pocket in it for a rattle spot to make a rattle spoon. Or a pin slot that u could put a rattle or glow stick in?
2. Ice jigs for panfish........why would you not have a Mooska, ant, maggot, majmun jig mold? How many people are shooting pan fish plastics......yet have few jig options to put the plastics on. Heck....one of the best combos has been a Mooska with a 1in ice pick or ice tickler. When the fish are neutral. Just blows me away a led mold company sees the potential in plastics for panfish.....but can't see the ked jig mold potential. I mean drive to the biggest lakes in Iowa during winter......they are all panfishing.......all day.
3. Small jigging rap or jigging rap molds. 3 d printed fins or files to print the fins would be Smart.