Midwest finesse

[Thinkingredneck]

I may be poking a bear, but much of what y'all are describing looks like the Ned rig. I have used it with fair results. Elastic is amazing stuff.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Altho I can't use that tekneek in snaggy rock bottom, as I understand it the MWF jig head design is preferred for Ned rigging. The original shroom head design was the Do-it Worm Nose.


Z-man recommends their own design collar tweak for mounting Elaztech

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

Over 6 years ago I decided that stick lures like the Senko could also be downsized and used wacky rigged. They worked great! I didn't even know what a Ned rig was when I figured they could be rigged on a light jig from the front and they worked great. Note: There is no difference between using a ball head vs a mushroom jig.
This year I figured that various no-action-tail shapes might work and came up with shapes that were not stick-like per se. They all have the same or similar action as the Ned-rigged stick: darting, hopping, but do nothing when at rest. Here are some shapes that did really well this year and in previous years:
grub minus the curl tail:

cone shape tail or taper tail:

even a clear plastic version caught fish
.
Bulb shape:

There are more, but it always comes down to the question: what action profiles catch fish consistently as well as variations?

 

[Hawnjigs]

I used to subscribe to In-Fisherman long ago and was intrigued by the experiences of Kansas bass anglers represented by contributing author Ned Kehde. So I got the Midwest Finesse jig head mold when it became available to test out the method. While its true that the heavier chunky heads action was similar to a same size ball head the lighter weight heads resembling a button did indeed have a unique action. Altho there are no productive weed free flat soft bottom bass ponds/lakes I have access to tested 3/32 & 1/8 size MWF head jigs cast & retrieved over a shallow (no fish) sand bar which on a slack line would drop head down vertically and bottom allowing would sit tail upright. Apparently this unique drop & sit action enabled Ned rig practitioners to outfish all other tekneeks in their chosen spots that offered the above described habitat. The very few productive bass ponds in my area bottoms are too weedy or debris choked to use this tekneek, best accessed with weightless T-rig plastics retrieved above the snags.

I would guess the best plastics for Ned rigging would be floaters.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

unique drop & sit action

We are on the same page: action profile /function.
I've noticed that anglers who use lures equate them to using live bait. I guess we all have a narrative as to why specific lures catch fish and therefore predictive of what to use and when in the future. Fish tales and generalizations are like politics - we believe what we want to based either on misinformation or disinformation supported by angler media that abounds with those two to sell lures or to appear authoritative.

That the fish were hungry or that shad were the chosen forage and therefore shad imitations were crucial or that a certain fly pattern was required, etc., etc., are titles given to the angler narrative but of little substance. Based on underwater observations, like what you observed in real-time, confirm a lure's action/ profile and presentation which matter most.

I start my narrative with the simple fact that no lure resembles anything in nature and proceed from there. It gives me - and I'm sure you HJ - the freedom to try anything that strikes our fancy hoping it will strike the fish's and I'm confident will a great majority of the time once fish are found.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Regarding action, I honor the creator of both the twister and boot paddle tails - the late Mr. Twister. founder Robert Glynn Carver. Not sure but long before Gary Yamamoto introduced his Senko bait Lunker City's Sluggo may have been the original straight stick bait. I was hesitant to try the Sluggo due to its stiff do nothing appearance but man did it produce with a unique twitch-dart action compared to swimming flap tails.

Altho they likely still work, I no longer use twisters alternating boot tail and stick baits. My target species will not bite a lure they already hit and missed, so having a very different appearance/action follow up often overcomes that reluctance.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

Ditto about the Lunkerville Slug-O. The action you describe was way before its time and did great. Still have some lying around somewhere, but my hand-poured version does better because I use a softer plastisol that gives the lure more wiggle and darting action.

 

[Thinkingredneck]

Do you ever use elastic baits (Z-man)?

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

Do you ever use elastic baits (Z-man)?

I don't think so. Is there an advantage using elaZtech lures?

 

[Hawnjigs]

Thought about it SM, & for your target species, sizes, & tinkering probably not worth the expense to switch to Elaz-tech. Haven't tried Z-mans for bass fishing doing OK with Gulp, but from experience with opening night color 2-1/2" Slim Swimz targeting smaller walleye I would recommend them for that application, tho not exclusively in that size or color.

 

[hookup]

Do you ever use elastic baits (Z-man)?

Elastec?

2023 I gave it a good try. Caught fish. Baits pretty much indestructible unless you impale the hook into wood or under a rock and break off.

Only thing I didn't like is I use allot of hitchhikers on SWM jigs and they don't go on the elastec to well.

It has it's place in my tackle box now