April 13, 2017
By Ned Kehde
Since 2014, several Midwest finesse anglers have discovered that the combination of a soft-plastic leech and a jig can be a very effective tool for inveigling vast numbers of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass.
In December of 2016, one of the longtime members of the Finesse News Network reported that Keitech USA introduced their rendition of a soft-plastic leech during the summer of 2016, and this FNN member chided us a touch for failing to publish a gear guide about Keitech USA's Custom Leech. We apologized for this blunder, and we said that we would rectify it. Here is our rectification:
The Custom Leech is three inches long. It has an elliptical-shaped head, and compared to the rest of its body, its head is rather bulbous.
It has a spear-shaped torso, which is segmented with 17 pronounced ribs. Its tail is minute, narrow, and pointed.
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It was designed to be employed on a drop-shot rig, which is a tactic that Midwest finesse anglers shun. Instead, they will affix it to either a 1/32- or 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig, and they will present it to their black bass quarries by employing all six of the standard Midwest finesse retrieves.
It is impregnated with a poignant squid scent.
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It is available in the following colors: Blue Flash Cinnamon, Bluegill, Cinnamon PP/Blue Neon, Electric Shad, Electric Baby Bass, Green Pumpkin PP, Ice Fish, Lime Chartreuse, Morning Dawn, Pro Blue Shiner, Sexy Shad, and Watermelon PP. According to the folks at Keitech, its two-tone injection process allows them to create some state-of-the-art colors.
A package of 10 Custom Leeches cost $4.99.
Endnotes
(1) Here is a link to Keitech USA'swebsite: https://www.keitechusa.com/catalog/soft-baits-keitech-custom-leech.html .
(2) To read about how Midwest finesse anglers will employ the Custom Leech on a mushroom-style jig, please see the Midwest finesse column at this link: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/six-midwest-finesse-retrieves/ .
(3) We are eager to read reports about the effectiveness of Keitech USA's Custom Leech. When Midwest finesse anglers use it, we would appreciate receiving reports about how, when, and where it was used, and how many black bass it inveigled per hour. These reports can be posted in the comment section below this gear guide.
