Hey, what is your guy's setup for ned rigging. Idk if I need a long rod or short and the type of action. I like to hear what you guys have. 

I do all my finesse work - Ned, dropshot, etc - with the Avocet rig. 2000 size reel, 6'6" Medium-Light/Fast rod, 8# mono.

Casting 7'6" medium light moderate fast

Spinning 8' medium light moderate

Rod length doesn't matter a lot but I think you'd be best suited with something in the 6-7.5 foot range in a ML/F or XF.

 

Personally, I use a ML/XF 6' 10" LTB with a 30 size Supreme XT, 10lb KastKing Kastpro braid to 8lb leader (if I'm using one). 

I use a 7ft falcon bucoo ml fast rod with a kastking 2000 sharky 3 reel.

Line is 10lb kastpro braid with an 8lb copoly leader.

Ned rig started off as a finesse spinning presentation with mushroom head jigs between 1/16 oz to 1/6 oz using light line. I will admit I didn't see this becoming as popular as it did. Today Ned rig is getting harder to define with stick worms from 3" to 5" and hooks to 3/0 and jigs to 1/4 oz. larger hooks with larger soft plastics require heavier rods and line for good hook sets.

So what  "Ned" jigs and plastics are you using?

Tom

I got a Dobyns Fury 702SF with a KastKing Sharkylll 2000. This is what fit into my budget.

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Ned rig started off as a finesse spinning presentation with mushroom head jigs between 1/16 oz to 1/6 oz using light line. I will admit I didn't see this becoming as popular as it did. Today Ned right is getting harder to define with stick worms from 3" to 5" and hooks to 3/0 and jigs to 1/4 oz. larger hooks with larger soft plastics require heavier rods and line tomgetva good hook set.

So what  "Ned" jigs and plastics are you using?

Tom

How true.  It seems that all finesse presentations (especially those started out West) once they get more mainstream get "bubba'd" up to heavier and heavier lines, weights and baits as the technique spreads.  I attribute it to those who just can't leave a technique alone and have to tinker or change it to make it feel more like it's their own.  It's ok with me though because I am a hardcore finesse fisherman and I tend to downsize more than upsize.  I throw my Ned offerings on a 7ft medium (or M-F depending on the rod manufacturer) spinning with 6lb mono, either a CastAway Skeleton or Quantum Smoke.  

Use a 6’8” med/fast Zodias spinning paired with a Smoke3 (25 size) spooled with 8lb Yo-Zuri. ?

Seven foot "Drop Shot Special" from Dixie Rods....2500 StellaFA and 8# suffix yellow with 6 or 8 lb leader.

Dobyns champ 702sf with a pflueger supreme 30, yellow 15# pp8 optional flouro leader. 

Up until recently I had been using a 7ft. Powell Inferno M/XF spinning rod.  I love how much sensitivity it has for feeling the bottom, even with 6lb mono on it, but it was a bear to cast and I sometimes lost fish because it was so stiff.  I recently picked up a Falcon Jason Christie Finesse spinning rod (7ft M/Mod Fast) and I've fished it once.  The casting difference was huge and, although I didn't have quite the bottom feel, I had much better control over the fish once it was on.  I'm sticking with the Falcon for ned rigs.  

Go read Ned Kehde's articles.  He just uses cheap fishing gear.  One of the points of Midwest Finesse is it is frugal.  I think, as best I remember, he uses an old cardinal reel with the bail removed and a Shakespeare med rod.  Light braid to leader.  Nothing over 1/16 oz mushroom jig.

10 minutes ago, thinkingredneck said:

Go read Ned Kehde's articles.  He just uses cheap fishing gear.  One of the points of Midwest Finesse is it is frugal.  I think, as best I remember, he uses an old cardinal reel with the bail removed and a Shakespeare med rod.  Light braid to leader.  Nothing over 1/16 oz mushroom jig.

Funny because I use a GLX 852s and a ballistic LT for my ned duties. Sorry Mr. Kehde. 

 

There's a new Zodias 7'3" ML rod that came out recently that seems like it would be the perfect Ned rod. I keep playing with it in my local tackle shop. 

Majorcraft Don Iovino 6-10 MXF casting rod, with Tatula SV so I can skip when necessary..

Just about any dropshot rod will work well for ned rigs. Personally I use a Shimano Cirado 6'10 ml paired with a Tatula lt 2500.

My Lew's Mach Crush Speed Spin combo has become my Ned Rig setup of choice lately. It is 7' Medium Rod and size 300 reel I have spooled with 8# line (mono or fluorocarbon)

 

I used to use a size 100 or 200 reel on a medium light rod. Last year I caught some big Channel Cats on the Ned Rig that made me want to switch to a beefier setup.

My current Ned Rig is a 5'4" Fenwick HMG spinning rod. Med - extra fast tip, and a 1000 size Shimano Spirex rear drag.

The rear drag Spirex is an older reel, a little heavier than the front drag, but it works and currently it is a low priority to replace.  Mostly I throw Berkley Nanofil. 12 or 17, I don't know exactly what pound test.  I haven't noticed the white nanofil line affecting bites one way or the other.  This rig will throw a 1/16 oz jig head with a half sinker z or finesse TRD as far as I've ever needed to throw one.

The best “small open hook jighead with small plastic trailer” rods I have used have been the Loomis MagLight/XFast spinning rods.  The power and taper are just perfect for this applacation.  Used IMX versions come up on ebay from time to time and they still make them in E6X and GLX

10 hours ago, WRB said:

Ned rig started off as a finesse spinning presentation with mushroom head jigs between 1/16 oz to 1/6 oz using light line. I will admit I didn't see this becoming as popular as it did. Today Ned rig is getting harder to define with stick worms from 3" to 5" and hooks to 3/0 and jigs to 1/4 oz. larger hooks with larger soft plastics require heavier rods and line for good hook sets.

So what  "Ned" jigs and plastics are you using?

Tom

I'm more into z-man line of ned. The trd small stick bait, trd hawg, hula stick and now trd craw. I have it setup on a Lew's rod and reel combo I bought at Walmart. 

10 hours ago, WRB said:

Ned rig started off as a finesse spinning presentation with mushroom head jigs between 1/16 oz to 1/6 oz using light line. I will admit I didn't see this becoming as popular as it did. Today Ned rig is getting harder to define with stick worms from 3" to 5" and hooks to 3/0 and jigs to 1/4 oz. larger hooks with larger soft plastics require heavier rods and line for good hook sets.

So what  "Ned" jigs and plastics are you using?

Tom

 

You are using the original Ned rig products 2 1/2 to 4" with light or medium wire hooks. 

I would up grade the rod to either Iovino Major Craft finesse spinning ot Dobyns Fury FR 702 SF.  I prefer the handle design and 6'8" rod of the Major Craft rod. Line, 7 lb Sniper FC or 5 lb Max Ultra Green coploy. I prefer Copoly line foe slow sinking jigs because it tends to stay on the surface so I can see the V the line cuts in the water for a strike indicator, very hard to see FC line as it sinks quickly.

Tom

St Croix Avid X 6’9” ML Extra Fast with a Daiwa LT2000...8#suffix nanobraid with a 10# Invizix leader

20 minutes ago, BaitFinesse said:

Majorcaft Volkey BFS 68L.  Daiwa Pixy Silver Mica with an Airy Red spool.  20 pound Suffix performance braid high vis orange. 8 pound Big Game leader. 

How much 20lb Suffix are you getting on that spool?  I have an Airy Red that I am going to use a ton this year for Ned rigs and other small plast presentations and am still mulling over my line options. 

I've got a new setup I'm going to try this season for ned rigging.

 

Dobyns Sierra 702s and a Stradic Ci4+ with 6lb Yo zuri hybrid.

So what is your guy's go to color? I fish bull shoals and norfork where the water is mostly clear. So I'm sticking with more natural color for the most part. Bass do love pb&j here though. I'm looking to expand my colors and try to find one that best works for me