A Green Pumpkin Ned Fry.
October 25, 2019
By Ned Kehde
There is a minor French fry renaissance taking place in the angling world. And 6thSense Fishing Products’ Ned Fry is a significant contribution to this rebirth.
Back in its prime, which stretches back four decades, a soft-plastic French fry affixed to a split-shot rig was one of the primary finesse tools that black bass anglers in the Ozarks used during the spring. And it still is an effective finesse rig for inveigling largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass.
Like the late Chuck Woods’ Beetle, the French fry was the precursor to the modern-day stick-style bait, which Gary Yamamoto created around the turn of the 21stcentury.
Nowadays, growing numbers of Midwest finesse anglers have become captivated by the effectiveness of a soft-plastic French fry when it is affixed to a mushroom-style jig. And the folks at 6th Sense are aware of this piscatorial phenomenon. And in one of their press releases, they proclaimed that their Ned Fry excels when it is affixed to a mushroom-style jig.
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They sent us some samples of it for us to work with and thoroughly examine.
Here is what we discovered about the Ned Fry:
6th Sense Fishing Products notes that it is 4.6 inches long, and our measurement indicates that it is 4 15/16 inches long.
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Its entire ventral area is flat and graced with a smooth epidermis.
Its dorsal area is slightly convex and adorned with 73 ribs.
Both of its sides are flat and adorned with 73 ribs.
Its head is flat with a width of a quarter of an inch, a height of three-eighths of an inch, and a circumference of about 1 1/4 inches.
The circumference of the torso gradually diminishes in size as it approaches its tail and head.
One inch from its head, the torso of the Ned Fry is three-eighths of an inch wide with a circumference of about 1 3/8 inches. Two inches from its head, it is three-eighths of an inch wide with a circumference of about 1 5/16 of an inch. Three inches from its head, the torso is three-eighths of an inch wide with a circumference of 1 1/4 inches. Four inches from its head, it is five-sixteenths of an inch wide with a circumference of 1 3/16 inches. Near the tip of the tail, the torso is one-eighth of an inch wide with a circumference of eleven-sixteenths of an inch.
The tip of the tail is flat. It is one-sixteenth of an inch wide with a height of three-sixteenths of an inch.
It is available in the following hues: Green Pumpkin, Melon Dawn, Melon Dust, Nirvana, and Watermelon.
The Ned Fry is not impregnated with salt and scent, which many Midwest finesse anglers applaud.
It is exceptionally buoyant and flexible. And when Midwest finesse anglers affix it to a mushroom-style jig, it will constantly exhibit undulations, gyrations, and twitches when these anglers employ the six standard Midwest finesse retrieves. During these retrieves, the Ned Fry’s buoyancy and flat ventral will accentuate the gliding motif, which is a feature that Midwest finesse anglers relish when they are presenting it to their black bass quarries.
A package of 10 costs $3.99.
Endnotes
6th Sense is located at 11959 Old Montgomery Road, Willis, TX 77318. Their telephone number is (936) 228-7454. Here is a link to their website: https://6thsensefishing.com/ . At this website, the folks at 6th Sense noted that besides excelling as a Ned Rig, it is very effective when it is affixed to a shaky-head jig, Carolina rig, and Texas rig. For decades, Midwest finesse anglers have been inveterate customizers of soft-plastic baits. And a goodly number of them will shorten the Ned Fry before they affix it to a small mushroom-style jig. And the frugal ones might cut it in half and create two Ned Fries out of one. And when one end becomes too tattered and torn to stay affixed to a jig, these anglers will affix the jig to the other end of the Ned Fry. These are four customized Ned Fries. The one at the top is about three inches long, and it is affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. The second one is about 2 3/4 inches long, and a chartreuse 1/32-ounce mushroom-style jig is affixed to the Ned Fry's tail. The two bottom ones are about 2 1/2 inches long. One is the anterior section, and the other is the posterior section. The anterior is affixed to a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. The posterior is affixed to a blue 1/32-ounce mushroom-style jig. Here is the link to the Midwest finesse column that explains how Midwest finesse anglers will rig the Ned Fry and retrieve it: https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/six-midwest-finesse-retrieves/153946 .