More Midwest Finesse

[Champ188]

Just let it be.

Folks who look into it will learn Ned never refers to it as the "Ned Rig", and does not have any commercial interest in it. If we send reports, he edits that name out of them. He was already writing for In Fisherman and other publications before he ever started to open up about this system.

He would give the credit to Chuck Woods, Drew Reese, Dwight Keefer, Guido Hibdon (Ned calls him "Gete", b/c they used to guide together), the Wards, and a few others from the Manhattan to Kansas City to LOZ corridor. One of those guys you probably have not heard of, Chuck Woods, but was really the father of the system. Three of the others fished Bassmaster Classics, largely on the strength of what Ned prefers to call Midwest Finesse, and I believe Bill Ward also qualified back in the day. If you watch the James River Classic video, you will see Guido doing some of the same things just with larger baits (at least as far aw we saw)...especially milking a good area for every possible fish. Methodically, slowly, quietly, fishing every single thing in a small area.

To a lot of us who follow the tenets, it is sort of an honor and a thank you when we call the little rig by that name. Trust me, no one else was going to talk about it.

Well said, Dave. Very well said.

[Hunter53]

That's fine. Nobody said it was a "miracle bait" anywhere in this thread or in any of the articles. There are plenty of pics of nice fish taken on small lures just on this forum alone. Babler has posted he caught his LARGEST FISH ever on Table Rock around 9-10lbs on a tiny float n' fly jig that isn't more than a 1/16oz bait and he has been fishing this lake since the 60's or 70's. There was a post last year of a guy catching a 7ish pounder on a little 4 or 5 inch finesse worm on shakey head in the middle of the afternoon. For someone that doesn't fish the Ned Rig or Alabama rig you certainly have a lot of opinions on it from "experience" with them at your ripe age.

There are definitely a lot of big fish caught on small lures. I have an example of a 7lb+. I saw a big fish suspended in a submerged tree on my in-laws pond. I threw soft jerk baits, worms, craws, square bill, you name it right in front of its nose and nothing; acted like it didn't even care. I had a little doll fly tied on for crappie on a spinning setup and figured I would try for some crappie since that bass 'wasn't hungry'. Well the area I catch crappie close to that tree is about 10 yards away. As soon as that little doll fly hit the water that bass SHOT out of that tree and inhaled that little jig before I knew what was going on! Got it in and it did indeed weigh a little over 7lbs. Wouldn't eat ANYTHING in front of its nose but would swim a long ways for a little fly!

My wife loves a white beetle spin and I am ashamed to admit how many times she has wore me out using that thing!!

[abkeenan]

There are definitely a lot of big fish caught on small lures. I have an example of a 7lb+. I saw a big fish suspended in a submerged tree on my in-laws pond. I threw soft jerk baits, worms, craws, square bill, you name it right in front of its nose and nothing; acted like it didn't even care. I had a little doll fly tied on for crappie on a spinning setup and figured I would try for some crappie since that bass 'wasn't hungry'. Well the area I catch crappie close to that tree is about 10 yards away. As soon as that little doll fly hit the water that bass SHOT out of that tree and inhaled that little jig before I knew what was going on! Got it in and it did indeed weigh a little over 7lbs. Wouldn't eat ANYTHING in front of its nose but would swim a long ways for a little fly!

My wife love a white beetle spin and I am ashamed to admit how many times she has wore me out using that thing!!

Yep. We fish for bluegill, long ear and green ear sunfish that will just hammer little Lindy spinners with a tiny jig head and tiny crappie tube attached. Its fun for kids or people that need immediate bites/action to keep them entertained and heck I even like fishing for the little boogers. You hit the right spots and its a fish per cast. It is basically a beetle spin only smaller and we load the boat with them when we need them for trot lines. Anyways we ALWAYS catch bass on them and last year in late June or early July I was down fishing with my wife WHO NEVER fishes and she caught about an 18" LM on one in the heat of the day which was about 90+ that day. It made my day seeing her catch that. So yes big fish WILL eat small baits. 18" is not a "lunker" but that is bigger than average on any given day.

[Quillback]

I don't mind catching 18" bass all day long. If and when the water warms up, I'm going to play around with some 1/8 or 1/16 oz. zig jigs on UL tackle.

[fishingaddiction]

I don't mind catching 18" bass all day long. If and when the water warms up, I'm going to play around with some 1/8 or 1/16 oz. zig jigs on UL tackle.

Quill: Funny you would mention the zig jig. I have used these on trout for about 3 or 4 years now. They will out catch other trout lures 5 to 1 under most circumstances. There is a learning curve with getting the rod action right, so that the jig is presented properly, but when you do....WOW. I have used them for white bass, but nothing else. What are your thought's?

[Quillback]

I'm thinking of throwing them on schooling surfacing bass, I've got a light jig rod (spinning) that I can throw them with, I bet a white marabou zig jig falling near some bass that are chasing shad on the surface will get eaten. Rumor has it the smallies will eat the brown/orange jigs also. Probably have to go with a bottom presentation on that, either hop it or pop it and let it fall.

[Sore Thumbs]

I guess 18inch bass are nothing on LOZ. Lol.

[Ham]

Pretty good cold water Smallie jig IMO. I throw them when I do an early canoe or yak trip for creek smallies.

[Quillback]

I guess 18inch bass are nothing on LOZ. Lol.

Yeah, to a LOZ basser an 18' bass is a 'dink'.

[Sore Thumbs]

If I could have 5 fish 18 inches long in every tournament I fished. I would be cashing a lot of checks.