Ever since its introduction more than 15 years ago, freshwater anglers have relied on the Ned rig as a go-to solution when bass, walleye, and other finned adversaries are heavily pressured or unwilling to chase more aggressive presentations. Its compact profile and buoyant posture allow it to mimic natural prey and consistently generate bites when other options fail. However, despite the Ned rig's effectiveness, anglers routinely encounter limitations that reduce their efficiency and confidence on the water.
"Anglers trust the Ned rig because it produces bites—but they also recognize its shortcomings," said Chuck Marshall, Managing Member and Chief Engineer for Light Tackle Anglers, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of innovative soft lures. "Uncle Ted was designed to eliminate those weaknesses without sacrificing the distinct finesse advantage."
Traditional Ned rigs incorporating buoyant finesse plastics can be hard to rig properly on jigs, and notoriously slip down the hook shank. Plastisol-based lures are easier to rig, but flop over on the bottom and rip easily when attacked by aggressive fish or those armed with teeth. As a result, anglers spend more time rigging and less time casting and catching. Uncle Ted addresses these shortcomings by redesigning the jighead with a patent-pending design that inverts the hook into the "catch" position to improve hooking efficiency. The conical end of the jig head is cast into the hook, providing a secure locking mechanism. The hook eye protrudes from the insert-molded soft plastic body to maintain a clean jigging presentation, with a mid-body pull point that creates a subtle quivering action on the lift. This makes every pre-rigged Uncle Ted uniquely effective, right out of the package. If you can tie a knot, you can catch fish – bass, walleye, and more – with Uncle Ted.
At the heart of every Uncle Ted is a proprietary soft plastic formulation developed specifically for real-world fishing conditions. Every lure is insert-molded from a super-elastic, cut-proof and slick polymer, so that they slice through the water and act like a fleeing baitfish. Unlike conventional soft plastic lures which can tear easily or create excess drag, Uncle Ted is engineered to move efficiently through the water while maintaining its integrity and effectiveness. This combination of durability and action is critical in finesse fishing where subtle presentation must be paired with real-world toughness.
Uncle Ted offers a ready-to-fish solution that combines finesse effectiveness with modern performance design. "Anglers shouldn't have to choose between finesse and fishability," noted Ted Putnam, Managing Member of Light Tackle Anglers and Uncle Ted's namesake. "With Uncle Ted, you can take that subtle presentation and fish it anywhere in North America for giant bass, trophy-caliber walleye, and more. With its unique jighead and an innovative soft body, every pre-rigged Uncle Ted remains true to the principles that define successful finesse fishing, while making this ultra-effective technique accessible to every angler."
Debuting in the New Product Showcase at ICAST 2026, Uncle Ted is precision-crafted for simplicity, durability, and effectiveness.
Uncle Ted (MSRP $8.50 per pack of 2 pre-rigged lures) measures 3 inches, weighs 1/8 ounce, and is available in 8 color patterns:
- Brown Ale
- Brown Ale Spawn
- Stout
- Stout Spawn
- Purple Haze
- Purple Haze Spawn
- PB&J
- PB&J Spawn
Learn more about Uncle Ted and other innovative soft lures from Light Tackle Anglers at Booth 4617 at ICAST 2026, and by visiting lighttackleanglers.com.