Alternative Ned Kehde and His Rigs Elevate Your Finesse

November 9-16, 2018 The Mid-South Tribune Page 3 Sports www.blackinformationhighway.com Alternative Ned Kehde and his rigs elevate your finesse By Ted Pilgrim about every new rigging refine - alized this head would really feet, absolutely crushing it on an “But I’m also just discovering Put it in the water and its buoy - from ment you can think of.” notes shine for ‘video-game’ fishing— intercept course. Other times, how well the little jig skips under ant little claws flap and wave, The Fishing Wire.com Kehde. “In the shallow im - working individual bass on you have to entice them a little, docks,” he adds. “Regardless of virtually taunting bass to bite— poundments we fish, none have sonar, vertically, playing cat- using the bait’s super-soft, high- the cover— rocks, brush, grass, and they do,” Clausen laughs. The legendary Ned Kehde isn’t been so fruitful as an exposed- and-mouse. It’s versatile enough action tail to close the deal. Al - manmade structures, etc.—this is Ned-Neko? likely to utter the phrase that’s hook, mushroom-style jig that you can cast the bait to sus - most like a dropshot, but even one incredible jig-bait combo for Blurring boundaries between made him famous; the term for dressed with half a ZinkerZ or pended fish, too, just letting it more dead-on.” finessing big bass in places you Ned-style and other finesse pre - the rig that’s forever transformed other finesse worm. Day after glide and pendulum as you work couldn’t previously throw a Ned sentations, creative anglers have the bass fishing landscape. Actu - day, season after season, it invei - it back to the boat.” All-Terrain Ned Rig. concocted what we’ll call the ally, the chances of Kehde going gles dozens and dozens and A 1/10- or 1/6-ounce NedlockZ “I like to rig a 1/10-ouncer with Ned-Neko Rig. Coupling a Fi - third-person like some Prima dozens of bass.” HD, says Nania, melds perfectly Going where no Ned Rig has a TRD MinnowZ—Smelt and nesse TRD, Hula StickZ or other donna wide receiver are roughly with a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75, a gone before, Nania is ecstatic Hot Snakes are two of my fa - buoyant finesse bait with a Neko the same as his odds of playing The Ned-Miki bait he calls “one of the best when he mentions another new vorite patterns—and skip it hook and Neko weight yields as - in the NFL. That’s just Ned Interestingly, the same simple small shad imitations ever. And finesse device. “What can I say under docks. Rigging the same tonishing action, and an intrigu - being Ned: the fact the humble motivation to catch more bass because it’s made from about the Finesse BulletZ, man? bait on a 1/6-ounce Finesse Bul - ing underwater posture. Hall of Fame angler would rather has inspired anglers across ElaZtech, the bait’s super buoy - This jighead is off-the-charts letZ jig also shines for casting credit those other fathers of fi - America to create unique and in - ant. When you pause and let the cool. Rig one with a Finesse into deeper schools of bass.” Hooking configurations depend nesse—Chuck Woods, Guido dividualized versions of the Ned Ned-Miki soak, the bait main - TRD, MinnowZ or TRD CrawZ Nania notes how the jig’s keel on cover and bass activity level. Hibdon, Harold Ensley, etc.— Rig framework—both in retrieve tains a natural horizontal posture. and fish simply can’t tear it off. weight makes the bait glide and The simplest is to Texas-rig your than acknowledge his own mo - and the way they fasten a finesse Similar fluke-style baits aren’t I’ve had the same bait on the slide horizontally, rather than chosen finesse bait onto a #1 to mentous role in bass fishing’s bait to a hook. buoyant, making them ride tail- same jighead for the past week, nose-down. “It’s like some radi - 2/0 Neko style hook. Finish the backstory. Longtime Ned Rig fan Joey down, rather than hovering hori - and dozens of bass later, it’s still cal, improved version of the Neko-Ned Rig by inserting a uch modesty can be misinter - Nania, professional angler and zontal like a live shad.” going strong.” slider head, except this jig per - 1/32- to 1/8-ounce Neko weight preted, but in Kehde’s case sim - Alabama based fishing guide, Northern anglers fish a similar Made to snake Ned Rig style fectly matches 2- to 4-inch fi - into the bait’s tail-end, resulting ply underscores the exceptional has devised a couple key mods to method, keying on suspended or ElaZtech baits through the thick - nesse-style baits. And you can in a compelling pogo-stick-ac - skill with which he practices the the presentation. Recently, he’s rock-hugging smallmouth bass. est cover, the Finesse BulletZ pull it right through the thickest tion along bottom. Also effective method known more broadly as guided clients to loads of spot - The Ned-Miki has even evolved sports a subtle bullet-shaped brush piles with no problem at is a drag-and-deadstick retrieve, ‘Midwest Finesse.’ Friend and ted, largemouth and striped bass, into a superlative substitute for a head and a slender keel weight all.” particularly in small, high-per - former NASCAR driver Terry wielding a concoction he calls dropshot rig, which isn’t quite so molded precisely onto a custom, From southern impoundments to centage zones. Bevins says, “Ned’s one of the the Ned-Miki Rig. “As bass fans precise for big sluggish small - heavy-duty size 1 VMC EWG northern lakes and rivers, the Fi - Or, you can get extra wacky (pun best finesse anglers in the coun - know, the Damiki Rig has been mouths hunkered down between hook. “People look at this jig and nesse BulletZ jig may be at its intended), and hook the worm try. Put him in the back of the a money presentation for entic - boulders. wonder how the heck you rig a best when rigged with Z-Man’s right through the middle, leaving boat with one of his finesse jigs, ing shad-focused bass suspended “Watch the bait drop on the bait without tearing it. It’s funny authentic mini-crayfish bait, the the Neko weight in the tail. The and he’s likely to whoop your in 15 to 30 feet,” says Nania. sonar screen until it’s about 1 because it’s actually a non-issue 2.5-inch TRD CrawZ. “The TRD toughness of ElaZtech even butt.” “But you need a really well-bal - foot above the fish’s head,” with ElaZtech, which is pretty CrawZ is a subtle, unassuming eliminates the need for an O- To hear Kehde tell it, the bass- anced, 90-degree jighead and a Nania explains. “Hold the bait much tear-proof. And once the little critter,” says professional ring; just a 1/0 Gamakatsu Fi - catching power of his “little jig” compact shad-shaped bait to pull still. When a bass begins to rise bait’s in place, it’s there until you angler Luke Clausen. “But nesse Wide Gap hook, your is so great there’s simply no rea - it off. Having fished the Z-Man and chase, lift the bait to take it take it off. rigged with the Finesse BulletZ favorite TRD and another allur - son to change it. “In years past, NedlockZ HD jighead for a lot of away. Sometimes, a bass will “Goes without saying that the jig, the bait rides in this freak - ing look bass can’t say no to. we’ve experimented with just my regular Ned Rig fishing, I re - chase the Ned-Miki up 15 or 20 bait’s weedless,” says Nania. ishly lifelike, claws-up posture. Ned inspired. Ned approved. 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