AA Worms' Baby Pus

AA Worms' Baby Pus recently caught the eye of a Midwest finesse angler. Even though it is a saltwater bait, this angler thought it might fit into the repertoire of some Midwest finesse devotees. Therefore, he suggested that we publish a gear guide about its two- and three-inch versions.

The Baby Pus' torso has a flat back. Its belly is arch-shaped, and it consists of five segments, which some anglers describe as ribs.  The top of its head is flat, and the rest of it is somewhat arch-shaped.  A long tentacle radiates from each side of its head, and two short tentacles extend from the tip of its head.

In the eyes of some saltwater anglers, the Baby Pus abstractly resembles the features of crustaceans, such as a crab or a shrimp. The eyes of Midwest finesse anglers see it as a crayfish or some other freshwater invertebrate.

According to the folks at AA Worms, it was designed for anglers to use when they are probing bluffs, jetties, rock piles, and retaining walls.

Midwest finesse anglers will affix it to a small mushroom-style jig, such as a 1/32-, 1/16-, or 3/32-ounce Gopher Tackle's Mushroom Head jig, which are manufactured with a small hook.  They will rig it to the jig with the hook exposed. The small hook allows the segmented torso to move and undulate more than can be achieved with a Texas-style rigging on a jig with a big hook. When it is rigged Texas-style, the four tentacles are the only parts of the Baby Pus that move and undulate. The Texas-style rigging makes it segmented torso rigid. (It is interesting to note that AA Worms recommends that anglers use from a 1/4-ounce to a 1/2-ounce jig for the two-inch Baby Pus and a 3/8-ounce to a 3/4-ounce jig for the three-incher.  And the hooks on these jigs are big, which will constrain the movement and gyrations of the Baby Pus. )

The staff at AA Worms says that a deadstick presentation is a very effective way to employ it. Of course, the disposition and location of a Midwest finesse angler's quarry will determine how he will retrieve it. There are six standard Midwest finesse retrieves, and one of them is the drag-and-deadstick presentation.

To accentuate the gliding portion of the Midwest finesse's swim-glide-and-shake retrieve, some Midwest finesse anglers will rig the Baby Pus so that its flat side or back is down and its belly or arched side is up.

Anglers can also use it as a trailer on a skirted jig.

The two- and three-inch Baby Pus are available in Black Gold, Chartreuse and Gold, Clear Red, Motor Oil Red, Pearl White, Scuplin, and Tomato Pepper.

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A package of five two-inchers can be purchased for $2.60, and a package of five three-inchers can be purchased for $3.25.

Endnotes:

(1) For more information about the Baby Pus, go to this link:  http://aaworms.com/2010/01/baby-%E2%80%99pus-series/.