According to Marc Wisniewski, taking this rig into cover is going to be a bass fishing game changer.

It started as a chunk of broken Senko-type worm on a flattened jig head, and it became a finesse fishing phenomenon. The Midwest finesse jig, the Ned rig, or the goose turd—call it what you want. Day in, day out, it flat-out produces both largemouth and smallmouth bass, no matter the conditions.

It’s one of the first things you use when the ice goes out, and the last things that produce when the lake is freezing back up in late fall or early winter. In between, it works when things get tough on cold front days. It really excels in gin-clear water. That 2 1/2-inch stub of a worm just flat-out looks like something a bass needs to eat, no matter what their mood is.

But it had a problem: It’s an exposed-hook bait that didn’t get along well with weeds or snags. And where do bass live? Yes, weeds and snags. So, unless you were fishing it on a clean bottom or gravel, getting snagged and picking up debris was part of fishing a Midwest Finesse rig. Many times, I remember thinking, “If I could only have a way to fish this rig weedless, the possibilities would be endless.”

Well, my dream just came true! Do-it molds, in conjunction with Victory hooks, has developed what we all have been waiting for: the Weedless Finesse Jig mold! I don’t use this term loosely, but this one is a “game-changer.”

Do-it Molds had the head design mastered with their traditional Midwest Finesse Jig mold. But to take this deadly tactic to the next level and show this bait to a group of fish that we couldn’t reach with an exposed hook, we needed something revolutionary.

I played with many weedless options myself, including using a small, weighted hook. It worked okay, but that Midwest Finesse body just didn’t act the same without the weight at the head.

Do-it pulled it off. They needed a strong hook with the classic offset kink that is used in every worm hook yet still had that 90-degree bend. That’s exactly what Victory hooks developed, the Victory 10777 EWG in a size #1. The size #1 is perfect for 2- to 3-inch Midwest Finesse baits. My Do-it ES Midwest Finesse mold makes a 2.7-inch bait which I occasionally cut down to 2 inches when things get really tough. This hook still works perfectly in baits down to 2 inches. The Victory 10777 EWG is sticky sharp and a great diameter, to both be able to set deep with light line and yet have the Victory strength to hold onto a big fish.

To put the tactic together with the Victory hook, Do-it developed the Weedless Midwest Finesse Jig mold (WMF-6-A). It sports six cavities ranging from 1/16- up to ¼-ounce. Those sizes cover all the weights you could possibly need for this finesse system.

As I mentioned, Do-it Soft Baits also produces an awesome 2.7-inch, eight cavity Midwest Finesse bait mold. The ES Midwest Finesse mold is part of Do-it’s Essential series molds. These molds are sand casts like their jig molds, so they can be produced very economically without using expensive CNC machine time. Because they are not CNC cut, they have a slightly rougher surface on the finished product. That finish is perfect for this type of bait, giving it a more natural-looking surface to the fish. The other great feature of the rougher surface is its ability to retain surface scents.

I rely on this tactic exclusively for bass when the ice goes out, and right before the ice goes back on. During these two periods, the water is in the upper 30s to low 40s. When the water is this cold, I really believe that scent can make a huge difference. The fish will bite in cold water, but when you slow down presentations, you are giving that bass more time to examine the lure. When they get up close and it looks good—and smells right, too—it can mean the difference between them grabbing it or turning their head and moving on.

In cold water, I will literally marinate my Midwest finesse baits in a little scent using old prescription bottles. You don’t need much scent in the bottle. Add a few drops, shake them to get them coated and they are ready for some chilly-water bass. Use your favorite scent or try one of Do-it’s Upper Hand Scents. There are available in ten fish-catching scents at a very affordable price.

Having a weedless version of a Midwest Finesse bait has opened up many new avenues for me this season. Being able to pitch this type of bait under a dock or moored pontoon boat is incredible. Being able to work it through a snag-filled smallmouth river is a very deadly tactic. Farm ponds or city ponds are full of bass, but they are also full of weeds. In these small waters, small baits are the ticket. Now you can fish a Midwest Finesse bait in a weedy farm pond without constantly clearing weeds. Just fishing them along deep weed lines without snagging weeds is a huge breakthrough.

I’ll say it again, this new Do-it Weedless Midwest Finesse jig mold matched with the custom Victory hook is a “game changer” for anyone who fishes this system. It’s no longer just a clean bottom bait or a bait where you constantly have to watch where you throw it. Go ahead, pitch it under that dock, next to those lily pads, or by that old tree that fell into the water. It’s not going to end up being fouled anymore. Get this one ready for spring because there is nothing better than catching a fish on a lure that you made yourself!

Get more great fishing tips from the pros who know in every issue of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.