COLUMN : BALOG ON BASS FISHING
the father of finesse
There ’ s no question about it : Bass fishing wouldn ’ t be the same without Ned Kehde
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 20 years , Joe Balog has made his living in the fishing industry on and off the water . A successful tournament angler from the Great Lakes region , Balog now lives in Florida , where he continues to work in product design , marketing and outdoor media when he ' s not chasing trophy largemouth .
F inesse fishing is nothing new , nor is it an adaptation to more common bass fishing tactics . It ’ s not the result of fishing pressure , didn ’ t originate out West , and certainly wasn ’ t sent to us from Japan . In fact , finesse fishing is as old as organized bass fishing itself .
These statements may seem bold . However , they ’ re not the product of my audacious opinion , but the result of an interview with the man himself . The man who was there in the beginning , has ridden the finesse wave longer than anyone , and possibly changed the most recent chapter in bass fishing more than any figure . That man is Ned Kehde . The story of Ned reads like one out of a vintage Sports Afield . Born on the heels of the Great Depression , Kehde still remembers his first outings to Cold Camp Creek in the Ozarks in 1948 , catching the feisty largemouth and spotted bass that lived there .
He remembers the bass he caught while working at Minnesota ’ s Pothoff Lodge in the 1950s , those caught with Guido Hibdon in the ‘ 60s and many of the thousands he caught afterward all throughout the Midwest and near his home in Kansas .
Kehde is a historian of many things bass , proven both by training and practice . With a master ’ s degree in history , Kehde worked as a collegiate librarian and archivist during his career . To the best of my knowledge , his attention to detail and documentation is unparalleled in our sport .
Such dedication to preserving history gives Kehde the unique qualification of reporting on the story of bass fishing , specifically those aspects centered on light-line angling .
22 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2022