French Fries and Centipedes
My largest Virginia bass – a scale-certified 8-pound citation largemouth – came on a tournament practice day (of course) nearly twenty years ago when I skipped my Zoom Centipede far under a Lake Gaston dock and felt it get heavy long before I expected it to hit the bottom. While it may have been larger than average, overall it wasn’t a rare occurrence. Back in those days, I fished the hell out of a little Charlie Brewer Slider Head, first with a finesse worm, and later primarily with the ‘pede.
I think it was my friend Duncan Maccubbin who first showed me the Centipede in that context. Fishing primarily out of the back of the boat, he won more than his share of club derbies and typically caught many more fish than his partners, flinging that stubby, goofy critter around to all manners of shallow cover. Sometimes he fished it deep, too, letting it fall endlessly on a 1/16 ounce head. He’d look at the sky, check out the birds, eat a sandwich, and eventually he’d pick up to feel a bass moving off with his lure.
Up until then, I’d thought of the Centipede mainly as a Carolina Rig staple. In the late 80s and early 90s, David Fritts used it a lot on Virginia/Carolina lakes like Gaston and Buggs Island to mop up where his crankbaits left off. When the baits were still comparatively unknown, my good friend Bill Roberts once fished as an amateur in a BASS event at Buggs and proceeded to wax his partner, the famously-named Dusty Pine. Tired of it, Pine finally turned around and asked him, in total seriousness, “How much do I have to pay you to get one of those worms?”
In the late 90s, I fished with Randy Dearman at Rayburn, and he outfished me three to one with a similar-looking Bass Pro Shops Caterpillar Stud Fry versus my lizards. When he finally gave me a Fry I started to catch up. A few years later I showed it to a friend when the scenario reversed, and he paid to overnight a bunch of them to the Open he was fishing.
I still fish these “French fries” and centipedes, but probably not as much as I should. As I learned repeatedly in those early days, something about them makes them limit getters but doesn’t rule out big fish. Here are six versions you can purchase today to get started:
As far as I know, the OG. I still have tons, mostly watermelon but also a few secret squirrel colors.
Rounded, as compared to the Centipede’s flat bottom, which provides different movement.
Similar to the original, but a quarter-inch longer and infused with garlic.
The closest thing I’ve found to the old BPS Caterpillar Stud Fry. Don’t sleep on Chartreuse Pepper.
A ringed version with some newer colors like Candy Craw and Morning Dawn.
The Texans really like this style of bait – there must be a reason. Comes in two sizes, in standard colors plus oddballs like Merthiolate and Fork Secret.
French Fry Nation Notes and Thoughts
Not only are many of these lures economical to start with, but once one end is torn up you can reverse them and continue to use the same soft plastic.
Obviously, you can and should Carolina Rig these “do nothing” style worms when bass are either lethargic or feeding on smaller, darting prey.
I’ve yet to Neko Rig one, but they seem tailor-made for that as well – get some O-Rings, a wacky tool and some nail weights and try that out.
Historically, my most productive way to use these, especially on tough fisheries or when I needed extra skipping distance, was to rig one on a Charlie Brewer Slider Head, either the Original or the Spider Pro Darter.
