Ned rig: mushroom jig head, bait and retrieve

pescaday

When the Ned rig fits

• On tough days The rig is built for lots of bites, not for one trophy. It still catches after a cold front in clear, shallow water, when bigger baits get ignored.
• In spring on the first drop-off Before and after the spawn, bass often stage on the first drop-off in about 8 to 12 feet of water. That is exactly where you drag a Ned rig along the bottom.
• Rocks, points and ledges Hard bottom structure where fish hunt. The light head feels the bottom while the plastic stands above it.
• Almost all year It works practically any time of year. Besides largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass you also catch panfish, walleye, pike and muskie.

How to build it

1. Set up the line: light spinning rod with thin braid, for example 10 lb, and a fluorocarbon leader of about 8 lb.
2. Pick a mushroom jig head: mostly 1/8 to 1/4 oz. Lighter when fish like a slow fall, heavier for more depth.
3. Thread a short stick bait of about 3 inches straight onto the hook. Ned baits float slightly, so the tail stands up when the head touches bottom.
4. Tie the head to the leader with a palomar knot.
5. Cast long and let the bait sink to the bottom on a slack line.
6. Drag it slowly or hop it softly with the rod tip, with plenty of pauses. Use a light drag and be patient: the bite is often a tiny tick, or the line just starts moving.

Variants

• Lighter for a slow fall With a lighter head the bait glides over the bottom and falls slower. Good when fish hesitate.
• Heavier for depth In deeper water use the heavier head so you keep feeling the bottom.
• Faster with little bottom contact Now and then reel it in quicker, barely touching bottom. That shows the fish a different look.
• Neko rig Weight in the nose of the plastic instead of a jig head: the bait stands upright and wags, good for even more depth.

Quick questions

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Rules of thumb from practice, strengths as guide values, no products.