So I use Ned rigs in shallow water but does anyone use them down to the depths of 15' to 22-23'?  Is anyone using them for smallies and having fish come up for them as they slowly sink?  I'm guessing the ability to fish them is partly determined by wind and waves.  Are you using a 1/10th jig?  Bigger plastic?  I have been using a DS for those depths but I want to give the fish something else to look at.  Any info is appreciated.  

I fish them to 20’ all the time using 1/16 and 3/32 oz heads.

Up to 35 feet for me, most of the time I use 1/15 ounce but if it's windy I'll use 1/10, I use a 7ft Legend Elite Light extra fast with 5 lb straight flourocarbon specifically for deep water ned rigs this setup works unbelievably well.

I fish down to 20' with 3/32 and 1/8oz heads on 8lb braid to 8lb fluoro leaders. I haven't fished much deeper.

I use them to catch lake trout in 100’+ on 3/8 oz jig heads.  

 

Also jig up smallies on 1/4oz in 40-60’.

Just match the weight to depth.  

I'm a 1/5 oz. guy when deeper that 16 feet.  So far so good.

On 10/8/2020 at 12:55 PM, Jig Man said:

I fish them to 20’ all the time using 1/16 and 3/32 oz heads.

What he said. I throw them for spotted bass. In the winter, I will put my boat in about 60 feet of water on steep rocky banks and throw 1/8th oz. heads on 3 lb. test line at the bank at an angle and kinda lift and drop, not much retrieving.

I use a 1/16th oz head from the bank to 10-12 feet if it's calm, bump up to 1/8th if it's breezy. If I'm targeting smallmouth in 15+ feet I go to 3/16oz......Be advised, this is NOT true to Ned's mid-west finesse teachings. It's just what works for me. I fish them like a little shaky head a lot trying to maintain bottom contact and feel, and about the only "no feel" mid-west finesse tactic I employ is the swim-glide-shake.

8 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

I use a 1/16th oz head from the bank to 10-12 feet if it's calm, bump up to 1/8th if it's breezy. If I'm targeting smallmouth in 15+ feet I go to 3/16oz......Be advised, this is NOT true to Ned's mid-west finesse teachings. It's just what works for me. I fish them like a little shaky head a lot trying to maintain bottom contact and feel, and about the only "no feel" mid-west finesse tactic I employ is the swim-glide-shake.

I use 1/15th oz the vast majority of the time with my Neds and going heavier than 1/10th is not a Ned anymore.  I did catch my biggest smallie today on a big TRD and a 1/10th oz jig in 22’ of water.  

I’ve seen smallmouth brought up from 50’ with a 1/5 mushroom head and TRD. But the lead was too heavy to be a “ned rig” so it didn’t count I guess 

I've caught them in 40' of water on a 1/16oz head (basically the only size I use). Just have to be patient since it takes almost a full minute to get to the bottom, but it's not something they see that deep. If you drop it close to them, there's a lot of times it doesn't make it to the bottom anyways it seems like.

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've caught them in 40' of water on a 1/16oz head (basically the only size I use). Just have to be patient since it takes almost a full minute to get to the bottom, but it's not something they see that deep. If you drop it close to them, there's a lot of times it doesn't make it to the bottom anyways it seems like.

The more I think about it, I don't know why I wasn't throwing it.  I always throw it in shallow depths.  I too often get locked into to certain baits in certain situations or get away from things to move onto the newest, greatest technique.   I was 100% dropshot for deeper depths but I need to show something different at times.