November 19, 2018
By Ned Kehde
Mike Poe of Siler City, North Carolina, alerted the Finesse News Network that the winner of the Fishing League Worldwide’s Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita, Arkansas, on Aug. 10, 11, and 12 used a Midwest finesse rig to catch one of the 15 black bass that he took to the tournament’s scales. Poe’s comments stirred some interest among several FNN members.
Ultimately, we discovered that Clent Davis of Montevallo, Alabama, won $300,000 by primarily wielding a Mister Twister’s 12-inch Mag 12 Buzz Worm in the plum-apple hue rigged on a 1/2-ounce swing-head jig with a 5/0 hook. He also used an unnamed hollow-belly swimbait affixed to a 3/4-ounce jig. In his post-tournament interviews with the press, he failed, however, to describe the Midwest finesse rig that he used, which provoked us to examine Mister Twister’s catalog.
As we perused their catalog, we realized that we had failed to keep abreast with the scores of soft-plastic finesse baits that Mister Twister has created since 1972. And many of them are ideal baits for Midwest finesse anglers to affix to a mushroom-style jig to inveigle largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass.
To try to ameliorate that failure, we worked with Joshua Schwartz of Antigo, Wisconsin, who is the communications director of Sheldons’ Inc. of Antigo, which is the parent company of Mister Twister and Mepps.
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Straightaway, Schwartz told us that Mister Twister recently introduced a new soft-plastic worm to the angling world. It is the 6 1/2-inch Tri-Alive Nightcrawler, and he sent us some so we could make detailed descriptions of them.
He called it a traditional straight-tail worm.
According to our measurement, it is 6 3/4-inches long, which is too long for Midwest finesse applications. But Midwest finesse anglers are inveterate customizers of soft-plastic baits, and the Tri-Alive Nightcrawler can easily be shortened with a pair of scissors, converting it into a 4 1/2- inch worm and affixing it onto a small mushroom-style jig with an exposed hook. Then the anterior section can be affixed to a mushroom-style jig and employed as a stick-style bait. Many Midwest finesse anglers are frugal sorts, and this amputation procedure allows them to have two soft-plastic finesse baits for the price of one.
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From the beginning of its clitellum or egg sack to the tip of the Tri-Alive Nightcrawler’s anterior section or its mouth, this dorsal area is graced with 17 segments. This section is 1 7/8 inches long. It is three-eighth of an inch wide at its widest spot with a circumference of about 1 5/16 inches. Its belly or ventral area is flat, and its skin is smooth. (By the way, in the eyes of Midwest finesse anglers, a flat belly is an attribute when these anglers employ a presentation that incorporates a gliding motif.)
Its clitellum is three -eighths of an inch long and five-sixteenth of an inch wide with a circumference of about 1 3/16 inches. The skin of the clitellum is smooth and not segmented.
From the end of its clitellum to the tip of its posterior or anus, it is 4 3/8 inches long. Its dorsal area is convexed and endowed with 55 segments. Its ventral area is flat, and its skin is smooth. Between the first and thirty-seventh segments of this section, its width and circumference become significantly smaller. At the first segment, it is three-eighths of an inch wide with a circumference of about an inch, and at segment number 37, it is three-sixteenths of an inch wide with a circumference of about nine-sixteenths of an inch.
The final part of the posterior section is 1 5/16 inches long. It is somewhat spear shaped and contains 18 segments. It is three-eighths of an inch wide at its widest spot with a circumference of about one inch.
Schwartz said it was designed for wacky rigs, Carolina rigs, Texas rigs, drop-shot rigs, and shaky-head rigs.
They are not impregnated with salt and scent, which are attributes that many Midwest finesse anglers prefer.
It is manufactured in a three-layer-color combination: Ayu, Black Neon/Blue Vein, Black/Red Vein, Chocolate Blue Neon, Copperhead Red/Purple Flake, Grape Mist, Grape Thunder, June‘Treuse Lightning Shad, Lightwatermelon/Purple Vein, Morning Dawn, Oxblood/Red Flake, Pumpkin Red'Treuse, Watermelon Fire, and Watermelon Green Apple.
A package of 10 costs $4.95.
Schwartz also noted that Mister Twister has added a new grub to their repertoire. It is the 3 1/2-inch Generation 2 Platinum Curly Tail, which is part of the Bloodline Series.
Mister Twister's grubs have played a role in the repertoire in Midwest finesse anglers for many decades, stretching back into the 1970s.
Our measurements of their new one reveal that it is 2 1/2 inches long when the tail is curled, and when it is uncurled and fully extended, it is 4 1/8 inches long.
Its torso, which extends from the tip of its head to the junction of the tail, is 1 1/4 inches long. The torso is cylinder shaped and adorned with nine significant segments or ribs. At its fifth and sixth segments, it is five sixteenths of an inch wide with a circumference of about 1 1/16 inches.
From the inside edge to the outside edge of the curled tail, it is seven-sixteenths of an inch wide at its widest spot. The inside edge of the curled tail is 1 13/16 inches long. The outside edge is three inches long. Along each side of the outside edge of the tail, there is a ridge of tiny bubbles. This ridge is 1 3/4 inches long, and at its widest spot, this ridge of bubbles is about three-sixteenths of an inch wide. This ridge of bubbles is designed to create a set of unique vibrations of undulations.
The torso and tail are enhanced with a banana scent. They are not impregnated with salt.
They are manufactured in the following colors: Clear/White Silver Flake Core, Clear/Purple Red Flake Core, Clear/Neon Pink Silver Flake, Clear/Goldfish Core, Clear/Chartreuse Silver Flake Core, Clear Silver Flake/Lime Black, Clear/Green Red Flake Core, and Chartreuse Silver Flake/Black Core.
In addition to the 3 1/2-inch Platinum Curly Tail, there is a 4 1/2-incher.
A package of 12 costs $4.99.
Endnotes Here is a link to Mister Twister's website: https://www.mistertwister.com/ . Here is a link to their online catalog: https://www.mistertwister.com/catalog/ . Here is the link to our gear guide about Mister Twister's Twistermite: http://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/mister-twisterstwistermite/153465 . Besides the Tri-Alive Nightcrawler and Platinum Curly Tail, Mister Twister’s Poc’it Fry, Comida, and Buzz Bug are several of the soft-plastic finesse baits that we will feature in gear guides in the near future.
