February 15, 2016
By Ned Kehde
It was designed to be affixed to a jig, such as B FISH N Tackle's Draggin' Jig or H20Precision Jig. (Both of these jigs have a bait keeper that parallels the shank of the hook and behind the head of the jig. According to Gillispie, B FISH N Tackle was the first jig maker to have a bait keeper, and now it has become a fashionable feature in the jig-making world.) The 1/16-ounce Draggin' Jig possess a 1/0 hook, while the 1/16- and 3/32-ounce H20 Precision Jig are poured around a No. 1 hook.
In the eyes of several veteran Midwest finesse anglers, the three- and four-inch Moxie looks as if it will catch the fancy of their primary quarries, which are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass. These anglers will affixed it to a 1/32-, 1/16-, or 3/32-ounce mushroom-style jig, which have smaller hooks than the ones that embellish the Draggin' Jig and H20 Precision Jig. Midwest finesse anglers have found that small hooks are more effective than big ones, and they suspect the reason why small hook are more effective is because they allow a soft-plastic bait to undulate and quiver more than it can when it is affixed to a jig with a big hook. What's more, small hooks do less damage to the thousands of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass that Midwest finesse anglers tangle throughout the calendar year.
In a telephone conversation on Jan. 21, Gillispie noted that smallmouth bass anglers in Minnesota and Wisconsin have discovered the effectiveness of the Moxie — especially the Great White hued one.
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It is head is cylinder shaped. The tip or nose of its head is hemisphere shaped.
Its torso is encompassed with 22 prominent ribs. The back of the torso if relatively flat, and it possesses hook pocket, which facilitates rigging the Moxie onto a jig. The torso's belly is convex, and it is somewhat similar to the shape of the belly of a typical shad-shaped worm. The folks at B FISH N Tackle describe it as possessing a "super-thin profile [and] beefy belly." The ribs create and excrete bubbles during early portions of a retrieve — especially during the initial fall, as it plummets from the water's surface towards the bottom.
When it is curled tail is stretched out, it is the same length as the head and torso section. The curled portion of the tail is flat. The tip of the tail is adorned with a paddle or boot, which provoked the Moxie to vibrate and gyrate when a Midwest finesse anglers employ their six basic retrieves. (See endnote No. 5 for insights about those six retrieves.)
Gillispie said the features of the head, torso, and tails of the three-inch Moxie and four-inch Moxie are identical. Their lengths are measured from the tip of their noses to the bend or curve of their tails.
It is available in the following colors: Chartreuse/Green Core, Chartreuse/Orange Core, Chartreuse Pepper, Chartreuse Silver Flake/White, Dark Knight, Firecracker, Firecracker/Chartreuse Tail, Gold Cracker/Chartreuse, Great White, Honey Oil Glitter/Chartreuse Tail, Oystershell, PB&J, Pink/White, Purple/Chartreuse Tail, Purple Cracker/Chartreuse Tail, Purple Glitter/White, Sassafras, and Stewarts Pro Blue.
Anglers can purchase a package of eight for $3.69.
Endnotes
(1) Here is a link to a report about field testing the Moxie on the Rainy River in Minnesota: https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/fishing/reports/891932/ .
(2) Here is a link to a field-testing report on Devils Lake, North Dakota: https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/fishing/reports/906146/ .
(3) Gillispie noted that nowadays they sell more Moxies than the classic four-inch Ringworm. Here is a link to a description of the Ringworm: http://customjigs.com/products/4-ringworm-precision-plastic-series.html .
(4) In the near future, we will publish a gear guide about B FISH N Tackle's Pulse-R Paddletail.
(5) The link to the column about the six Midwest finesse retrieves: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/six-midwest-finesse-retrieves/.
