River guys - do you use strictly moving baits in the fall or do you mix Ned in occasionally?

[Ohioguy25]

I’m having a tough time with the fall bite.  It started strong but this erratic yo-yo weather, with overnight lows suddenly plummeting into the 30s creating temperature shock and going on a month drought has the water extremely low, slow and ultra clear. Add to that the days have been clear, bright bluebird skies and so the high pressure combined with the visibility has made it very tricky.  Water is now around 55, but it is going to heat up over the next couple days with highs in upper the 70s.
 

When this happens, especially the extreme clarity + bright sun, do you think the fish move deep? It would make sense as you rarely see bass under any conditions being ambush predators.  Prior to this, when it was overcast I was finding them in 3-6 ft below riffles, moderate current. Now they are ghost. I’m wondering if Ned rigging deep holes could be an option worth exploring or if they only hit moving stuff this time of year as people keep saying?

[PaulVE64]

If were talking river fishing for smallies I would definately recommend dropping something slow and natural into those pools.

When I lose the smallies I try new presentations in new locations. Whether it means going deep or shallow. Try it.

Oh and throw something fast too.

Those bass are probably starting to stack up somewhere

[Jar11591]

Dragging a ned rig on bottom in deep pools should never be overlooked IMO. Any time of year. Just because moving baits work well this time of year doesn’t mean slower baits won’t. I catch lots of bass this time of year with jigs, T rigs, ned rigs and other soft plastic offerings. 

[jitterbug127]

I start my day off with a moving bait trying to match what I think the fish are eating. Ill crank about 20-30 minutes and if I don't get a bite I'm moving to the Ned or a tube. I spend 80% of my time on the river dragging the bottom. My single complaint with the NED is how often it gets caught up. I know they've made some weedless hooks for the ned over the last few years, but i am still sticking with my mushroom heads. I have confidence in them, and I'm not ready to change. 

[galyonj]

@Ohioguy25, do you ever just…try stuff to see what'll happen?

[Blue Raider Bob]

I have also experienced situations you have described. Fishing has been slower for me as well but I still catch a few each trip on the rivers. I usually slow fish a Ned or a craw. Lately I upsized a bit to a big TRD and I have caught some on that. Crank baits haven't produced for me in this time of low clear water but bottom presentations have. Just slow it down and start shallow to deep and try to find their comfort level. Sunday it was 5 to 10 feet of water. Sunday before last it was tight to stumps in under 5.

[Spankey]

Try to throw as many presentation’s as possible. Everyone’s water is different even if it is a river. I don’t fish fall much differently summer. I slightly increase the size of some of my crankbaits but nothing drastic. 
 

It might just be a mental thing with me but I fish some Crankbaits that have a blue color to them that i normally would not throw during the summer. Water is clearer and that blue has proven itself to catch fall smallies. But I’m sure this is just a mental hang up. 
 

I do not fish a true NED rig. Soft plastics like Finesse worms, tubes, grubs, craws and lizards will produce for me on the river. I would not hesitate to throw any of these now. I like fishing single tail and double tail grubs. At any time. 
 

It’s not like I never fish and open type hook (jig head) but I’m more into throwing a weedless presentation with say a slider type or shakey head. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

2 hours ago, jitterbug127 said:

I start my day off with a moving bait trying to match what I think the fish are eating. Ill crank about 20-30 minutes and if I don't get a bite I'm moving to the Ned or a tube. I spend 80% of my time on the river dragging the bottom. My single complaint with the NED is how often it gets caught up. I know they've made some weedless hooks for the ned over the last few years, but i am still sticking with my mushroom heads. I have confidence in them, and I'm not ready to change. 

Recently I changed my Ned rig line to a straight 20 lb braid. This has enabled me to straighten out the hooks when snagged. Also I have had much better hook ups. It has really helped me. Just a thought.

[bowhunter63]

Still throwing a Wacky Worm and a t rigged craw .

[Blue Raider Bob]

3 minutes ago, Spankey said:

Try to throw as many presentation’s as possible. Everyone’s water is different even if it is a river. I don’t fish fall much differently summer. I slightly increase the size of some of my crankbaits but nothing drastic. 
 

It might just be a mental thing with me but I fish some Crankbaits that have a blue color to them that i normally would not throw during the summer. Water is clearer and that blue has proven itself to catch fall smallies. But I’m sure this is just a mental hang up. 
 

I do not fish a true NED rig. Soft plastics like Finesse worms, tubes, grubs, craws and lizards will produce for me on the river. I would not hesitate to throw any of these now. I like fishing single tail and double tail grubs. At any time. 
 

It’s not like I never fish and open type hook (jig head) but I’m more into throwing a weedless presentation with say a slider type or shakey head. 

What color single tail grubs have been working for you? That's something I used to do but got away from them. Do you fish them like a swimbait or more like a bottom bouncing presentation? I have some 4" Chartreuse Mister Twisters that I've never used.

[jitterbug127]

5 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Recently I changed my Ned rig line to a straight 20 lb braid. This has enabled me to straighten out the hooks when snagged. Also I have had much better hook ups. It has really helped me. Just a thought.

YES! This is the same thing I do (except 10 lb). Straight braid is fantastic and you're exactly right braid does straighten hooks out often. I can get most of them out of logs, but the ones that get stuck get stuck good! Ned is lure #1 for me on the river these days, so I will continue to go dig my rig out of the logs since it keeps catching fish. 

 

I don't think I've ever used a leader except on a Carolina rig catfishing. 

[Spankey]

Just now, Blue Raider Bob said:

What color single tail grubs have been working for you? That's something I used to do but got away from them. Do you fish them like a swimbait or more like a bottom bouncing presentation? I have some 4" Chartreuse Mister Twisters that I've never used.

I like dragging them around, bouncing them, and they are a preferred bait of mine fished like a swim bait around docks. I don’t fish a true soft swim bait real often. 
 

Colors are endless. I could only fish black, pumpkinseed, and green pumpkin and be fine with that. But put a chartreuse tail on them also. Firetiger is a good one. John Deere green is another. I don’t want to leave out smoke or white either. Or brown with an orange tail. All chartreuse is another decent color. 
 

Tubes are another good smallie bait. Fishing the same basic colors. 
 

 

[Ohioguy25]

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

Try to throw as many presentation’s as possible. Everyone’s water is different even if it is a river. I don’t fish fall much differently summer. I slightly increase the size of some of my crankbaits but nothing drastic. 
 

It might just be a mental thing with me but I fish some Crankbaits that have a blue color to them that i normally would not throw during the summer. Water is clearer and that blue has proven itself to catch fall smallies. But I’m sure this is just a mental hang up. 
 

I do not fish a true NED rig. Soft plastics like Finesse worms, tubes, grubs, craws and lizards will produce for me on the river. I would not hesitate to throw any of these now. I like fishing single tail and double tail grubs. At any time. 
 

It’s not like I never fish and open type hook (jig head) but I’m more into throwing a weedless presentation with say a slider type or shakey head. 

Interesting, so you find creature/craw type profiles produce better than traditional TRD stick baits in fall?

1 hour ago, bowhunter63 said:

Still throwing a Wacky Worm and a t rigged craw .

For river smallies?

[Spankey]

26 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Interesting, so you find creature/craw type profiles produce better than traditional TRD stick baits in fall?

For river smallies?

My thought is the NED rig is probably a decent rig and very well could be better than some other soft plastics. I really don’t know because I didn’t jump on that NED band wagon. I’m not trying to be funny or poke fun at it. 
 

I really don’t see it as any different than fishing a grub or tube. In my mind a grub or tube is more of an attention getter. But that’s just my way of thinking. Do you bounce or pop a NED rig or do you cast it out and let it set there?
 

I’m a bit old school. Have a bit of old river rat mentality in me. But for years it has been a common thing to take various straight tail worms, Curly tails and stick bait versions that had damage at the head section, cut them back and rig them on a jig head. 

For many years I thought the old Guido Bug Craw was the best thing going. Well like anything else good things come to an end eventually. Went with Zoom, they were pretty close and they put out a good product. Berkley Power Craws are my craw of choice. Rage Craws in my opinion has nothing over them. 
 

 

 

[galyonj]

When I'm out fishing for smallies with my rod arsenal, I like to pack only sandwiches slathered with TRD™ brand NEDsauce (made with real elaztech).

 

However, I've discovered that, if I apply the NEDsauce to the bread against the current, or with too irregular a stroke, my whole face just catches on fire.

 

Anybody else ever experienced this? How do I keep my face from catching on fire?

[bowhunter63]

1 hour ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Interesting, so you find creature/craw type profiles produce better than traditional TRD stick baits in fall?

For river smallies?

Absolutely 

[Ohioguy25]

28 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

Absolutely 

Nice, yeah and with the full moon Sunday craw seems ideal. You think TRD craw or different profile?

[Blue Raider Bob]

46 minutes ago, Spankey said:

My thought is the NED rig is probably a decent rig and very well could be better than some other soft plastics. I really don’t know because I didn’t jump on that NED band wagon. I’m not trying to be funny or poke fun at it. 
 

I really don’t see it as any different than fishing a grub or tube. In my mind a grub or tube is more of an attention getter. But that’s just my way of thinking. Do you bounce or pop a NED rig or do you cast it out and let it set there?
 

I’m a bit old school. Have a bit of old river rat mentality in me. But for years it has been a common thing to take various straight tail worms, Curly tails and stick bait versions that had damage at the head section, cut them back and rig them on a jig head. 

For many years I thought the old Guido Bug Craw was the best thing going. Well like anything else good things come to an end eventually. Went with Zoom, they were pretty close and they put out a good product. Berkley Power Craws are my craw of choice. Rage Craws in my opinion has nothing over them. 
 

 

 

No different at all. I do not let my Ned sit. It is a hang-up machine. I try to feel the bottom and hope instinct and luck keep the hang-ups to a minimum. I vary retrieves. Sometimes a slight bounce and sometimes a slower crawl. Depends alot on river bottom composition. I only fish current and rivers so it is a bit different from jig fishing lakes. I personally refer to the set up as Ned for ease of technique understanding with fellow anglers but I do not use a TRD. I use a craw or TicklrZ. Don't know if they are better but it's my confidence baits. I'm going to try different plastics such as Fluke and curly tail to see if it matters or if the Smallies just eat everything they see. Got to try the Power Craw as well.

[Spankey]

31 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Nice, yeah and with the full moon Sunday craw seems ideal. You think TRD craw or different profile?

I’ve seen the TRD Craws at the shop and will say the style of them is nice. Not overly realistic image. The size of them is even better. The color selection I’d seen was fantastic. I just have not bit on them yet.

 

I’d be more apt to try the craws over the Ned sticks. 

[PaulVE64]

Over the past week I've not caught a river smallie on a soft plastic. The square bills & jerk bait went dry too.

I started throwing a TR using 1/8 oz bullet wts with bass streamers (hand tied) of maribou & deer.

It's extremely satisfying.

[TnRiver46]

@roadwarrior appears to have been gettin after them 

[Chris Catignani]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

@roadwarrior appears to have been gettin after them 

All I can do about that....is this...

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, Chris Catignani said:

All I can do about that....is this...

He will definitely appreciate that well placed GIF 

[MassBass]

Strictly moving baits. In water that clear it would be a small black spinner during mid day, topwater in evening. 

[TnRiver46]

Somebody needs to check on Kent, one of these things might have pulled him in