Barracuda Baits Tournament Series 3.5" Inch NED Split Tail Soft Plastic Bait
Barracuda Baits
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Barracuda Baits
Barracuda Baits Tournament Series 3.5" Inch NED Split Tail Soft Plastic Bait
How, where, and why it excels
Finesse / Compact Jig Trailer (1/8–1/4 oz)
When & where: Clear water, high pressure, post‑front conditions.
How: Subtle hops and drags; long pauses so the split tail quivers.
Why: Adds life to micro‑jigs without overpowering the skirt; great for smallmouth.
Drop Shot (nose‑ or mid‑hooked)
When & where: Vertical rock edges, docks, deep smallmouth humps.
How: Slack‑line shakes; hold stationary and let the split tail breathe.
Why: The fork creates flash with minimal rod work—highly effective in clear water.
Hover Jig
When & where: Suspended fish on points and over grass.
How: Slow reel with tiny rod twitches; let it pendulum through the zone.
Why: Split tail stabilizes and flashes on the hover—excellent FFS target bait.
Ned Rig (mushroom head 1/16–1/6 oz)
When & where: Everywhere bass live—gravel, rock transitions, dock edges.
How: Drag‑drag‑pause; deadstick on bottom so the fork tail lifts and breathes.
Why: The core use case: neutral action and a natural fall get bites on the toughest days.
Neko Rig
When & where: Clear/stained lakes with scattered rock/wood.
How: Nail weight in nose; o‑ring at mid‑body; slight shakes to make the fork kick.
Why: A more aggressive vertical look than Ned when you need a faster fall and pivot.
Standard (Ball) Jig Head (1/16–1/8 oz)
When & where: Banks and river seams; swim just off bottom or count down to mid‑column.
How: Slow straight retrieve with micro‑pops after deflections.
Why: Simple shad‑like swim with a tight, subtle fork‑tail flick.
Light Texas Rig (1/16–1/8 oz)
When & where: Sparse grass and wood where open hooks hang up.
How: Hop‑and‑glide; skip under docks; shake in place.
Wacky Jig Head
When & where: Clear lakes with suspended or cruising fish.
How: O‑ring mid‑body; 1/32–1/16 oz head; slow count‑down and lift‑drop.
Weightless Rig (flick‑shake)
When & where: Calm pockets, shade lines, and docks.
How: Twitch‑twitch‑fall on slack line; let the fork kick.
Trim & Mods (quick hits)
- Nose trim: Shorten 1/8–1/4″ to compact the profile for ultra‑clear water or smallmouth.
- Hooking: For Ned, keep perfectly straight; for drop shot, try nose‑hook in wind and mid‑hook in calm.
- Scent/lock: Optional gel scent; tiny dot of glue at keeper for micro‑jigs.
Dial it in
- Clear (6–10+ ft): Baby Bass (grass edges/docks), Bluegill (bluegill lakes; around shade), Silver Bullet (wind + bait).
- Stained (2–6 ft): Junebug and Red Bug for contrast; Bluegill over vegetation.
- Muddy / Low light: Black Sapphire for max silhouette; Red Bug when you want a little flare.
Qwik Color recommendations
- Baby Bass: Clear water finesse on gravel/grass; natural forage cue.
- Black Sapphire: Night and mud; strongest silhouette for Ned/hover.
- Bluegill: Docks/grass with sun; matches bluegill guards.
- Junebug: Stained water staple for Ned/weightless around wood.
- Red Bug: Overcast or spawn‑adjacent rock; subtle red flash.
- Silver Bullet: Wind lanes, bait balls; shad‑like flash on drop shot or ball head.
Specs & Build
- Length: 3.5" (88.9 mm)
- Profile: Ned‑style stickbait with forked split‑tail; neutral/tight action
- Material: Plastisol soft plastic
- Species: Bass (LM/SM/Spots), Walleye; trim to ~3" for trout/panfish on 1/32–1/16 oz heads
- Best Pairings: Ned Rig (1/16–1/6), Hover Jig, Drop Shot, Neko, Wacky Jig Head, Light Texas, Standard Ball Head (1/16–1/8), Micro Finesse/Compact Jig trailer
- Availability: Ships in 1–3 days from San Antonio, TX. Some orders may ship from Cedar Falls, IA.
Care & Storage
Store flat in the original bag. Separate darks/lights to avoid dye bleed. Bagged (no clamshell). Compatible with most gel scents.
Plastics Recycling
Don't toss torn baits, recycle or dispose of properly. Learn more here: Soft Plastics Recycling.
Proof & Community
On‑the‑Water Notes
- Cold fronts & pressure: Ned drag‑pause; bites on the deadstick as the fork tail hovers.
- Suspended fish: Hover jig slow‑swim over points/grass; tiny rod shakes.
- Vertical: Drop shot on rock edges; hold in place and watch the graph.
Q&A
Q: Why pick a split‑tail over a paddletail or straight stick?
A: The fork adds flash and subtle kick without drag. It hovers better than a paddletail and looks more alive than a straight‑tail when you barely move it—ideal for finesse and FFS scenarios.
Related Products
- Barracuda 2.5" Ned Finesse — compact option for ultra‑clear days.
- Snoopy’s Reaper Tails (3") — replacement tails for pre‑rigged Medusa Neds.
- Snoopy’s Medusa Ned (Pre‑Rigged) — ready‑to‑fish Ned combo.
- Barracuda 3" Ned Paddle Tail — more thump when you want it.
- Barracuda 3.5" Ned Split‑Tail — this page.
