Why am i loosing so many smallies on a ned rig

[Aaron Stelmach]

Using a medium moderate fast 7 foot st croix victory, shimano stradic 3000, 20 pound braid to a 6 pound fluoro leader. Had 4 smallies bite my ned rig and a pike, landed 1. The rest I had on with tight line for a split second and then gone. 

[Susky River Rat]

Set the hook then let the drag do the work with a bend in the rod.

[Aaron Stelmach]

4 minutes ago, Darnold335 said:

Set the hook then let the drag do the work with a bend in the rod.

How do you set the hook with a ned rig? I do have my drag loose. I got one in today and I fought him for a couple minutes. It’s almost like the hook is slipping because one second its tight line and than boom they gone and it goes slack

[Susky River Rat]

Just now, Aaron Stelmach said:

How do you set the hook with a ned rig? I do have my drag loose. I got one in today and I fought him for a couple minutes. It’s almost like the hook is slipping because one second its tight line and than boom they gone and it goes slack

I hookset everything like I am trying to hit a home run. You want the drag tight enough you get a hookset and let the rod bend. You want loose enough though it still pulls drag and not the hook out of the fishes mouth. Dealing with the small single hooks like a Ned rig is a fine line on drag set up and keeping the rod bent.

[softwateronly]

49 minutes ago, Aaron Stelmach said:

Using a medium moderate fast 7 foot st croix victory, shimano stradic 3000, 20 pound braid to a 6 pound fluoro leader. Had 4 smallies bite my ned rig and a pike, landed 1. The rest I had on with tight line for a split second and then gone. 

 

I've had terrible luck hitting them hard on a ned hook.  I definitely do a lot better reeling into them, bowing up the rod, and sweeping up very smoothly while reeling, seems like the bigger ones tend to not even know they're hooked immediately.  Maybe it's my ML rod, maybe it's the way I set my drag, but my hookup ratio has improved dramatically.  The obvious question, is your hook sharp?

 

scott

[Jig Man]

What head and size hook are you using?

[TnRiver46]

Little hooks stick well in smallmouth. Can’t hardly get it out of the roof of their mouth most of the time 

[The Baron]

If they're hitting you on the fall, it's very difficult to get a good hookset unless you're very carefully letting it fall on semi-slack and watching your line like a hawk.  I had that problem with tubes, before I learned I'll get so many bites on the fall.  I also started using a bit more drag for hooksets (which is just an up sweep to put a good bend in the rod for the first couple head shakes to bury the hook), then backing off so the fish can pull drag when they're making those hard digging runs near the boat.  If the fish are just skin hooked, it doesn't take much pressure for the hook to pull out.

[DaubsNU1]

I had same problem about a month ago on a smallmouth trip. Love fishing NED's for smallies.

 

<< following >>

[gimruis]

What type of mushroom jig head are you using @Aaron Stelmach?  Years ago I started using the original zman jig heads and some of them bent out on sizable fish because they were kind of chinsy and light wire hooks.  Try using something a little more stout.  You don't need to set the hook like you're shark fishing either, just a slight jerk or lift with the rod tip should do it.

 

If you are getting into pike, they will bite you off.  You mentioned pike in your original post.

[PourMyOwn]

I switched from a 6lb leader to a 10 lb test one when I moved from the light wire Ned heads to the ones with thicker Owner hooks. You may want to try something similar to reduce the stretch.

[MN Fisher]

Owner Block Heads.

 

 

[TOXIC]

I know I sound like a broken record but a Ned just like a dropshot is a finesse presentation.  Light wire hooks biggest advantage is that you don’t (and shouldn’t) try to cross their eyes on the hookset. All these braid to leader riggings just add complexity to a finesse application the should be kept super simple IMHO.  I use 6lb straight mono and Ned heads custom made with trout hooks.  The only time I have hookset problems is when I try to use a Ned bait that overpowers the hook.  For example, I like a 4 inch Senko as a Ned bait.   When I step up to a Baby Ika which is thicker and heavier plastic, I have to make sure I rig it so that the hook gets exposed to the bend or I will have problem hooksets and fish throwing the bait.  What bait are you rigging? 

[Bdnoble84]

Your rod may be too soft. I use a ml xf and it keeps them pinned. It helps for a couple reasons. One is i feel the bite faster and there is more instant resistance allowing them to drive the hook in with ease. 2, a good mlxf rod is still soft enough to play a fish on light line but if the run at you or you have to catch up to them you can put pressure on them quicker. Ive found the biggest thing is keeping a loose drag while keeping on steady pressure.

[Obi_Wan]

I use a 7’ Denali Pryme ML Fast  with a 1000 reel or 7’ Denali AttaX M mod with a 2000 reel for ned rigs.  Straight 6 lb mono on both. I’ve used the M mod most often.  I set the hook like I do everything else, because I get excited and let it rip.  Used the AttaX in Canada with a 4” Charlie Brewer Slider worm on an Eagle Claw 1/16 oz jig head.    Don’t think I missed more than 1 or 2.  Between the three of us we caught 120 that day.

 

like others have said, ned your drag tight enough to hook set and loose enough to allow some fight with a bent rod.

[Bird]

ML rod.

[Kyhokie]

I think that moderate action isn’t the right action for Ned. Your mileage may vary obviously, but I always fish in it on an extra fast tip. I don’t really ever have a problem keeping them pinned.

[dytmook]

I like to make sure I really feel the weight of the fish then give a good hook set. Nothing crazy, but a solid hard sweep for sure. I only seem to have issues when I don't really feel the fish first. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

I used to follow an earlier train of thought that suggested no hook set at all. This did not work for me. After experimenting with soft sets to hard sets and everything in between, I have settled on a quick wrist set, no arm set at all. While I still lose fish, my hook-up ratio has improved to the point that I see no more room for improvement. I use a medium or a medium light spinning rod, light drag, and 8lb mono. It works for me. Also I must confess I'm Ned rigging 80% of the time I'm on the river with T-rigging the other 20% which requires a fairly good yank!

[PaulVE64]

8 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

I used to follow an earlier train of thought that suggested no hook set at all. This did not work for me. After experimenting with soft sets to hard sets and everything in between, I have settled on a quick wrist set, no arm set at all. While I still lose fish, my hook-up ratio has improved to the point that I see no more room for improvement. I use a medium or a medium light spinning rod, light drag, and 8lb mono. It works for me. Also I must confess I'm Ned rigging 80% of the time I'm on the river with T-rigging the other 20% which requires a fairly good yank!

Light wire, light hook set, light drag.

[A-Jay]

Most all of my ned rig presentations are done with a 7'6" ML Fast action stick.

In the clip below (which starts right out with a hookset so you can see that)

I'm using 10 lb braid with a fairly long 8 lb FC leader (like 20 ft) standard operations for me. 

The bait is a Z-Man Big TRD with an Outkast Tackle Perfect Ned Head 1/8 oz with 1/0 hook.

Hookset's just a quick 'lift' 

Works for me. 

 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[roadwarrior]

Man, that is quite a fish!

 

 

 

                                                       

[Obi_Wan]

23 hours ago, Kyhokie said:

I think that moderate action isn’t the right action for Ned. Your mileage may vary obviously, but I always fish in it on an extra fast tip. I don’t really ever have a problem keeping them pinned.

That’s what I always thought until it was the only rod I had in the boat for a ned rig.  Only fish I lost with it were the ones I tried to set the hook too fast on.

 

I would still prefer a fast tip, but don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with a moderate one.

[T-Billy]

On 7/10/2023 at 11:21 PM, softwateronly said:

 

I've had terrible luck hitting them hard on a ned hook.  I definitely do a lot better reeling into them, bowing up the rod, and sweeping up very smoothly while reeling, seems like the bigger ones tend to not even know they're hooked immediately.  Maybe it's my ML rod, maybe it's the way I set my drag, but my hookup ratio has improved dramatically.  The obvious question, is your hook sharp?

 

scott

 

On 7/11/2023 at 10:10 AM, TOXIC said:

I use 6lb straight mono

 

On 7/12/2023 at 8:38 PM, Bird said:

ML rod.

Yes, yes, and yes.

[warefisher]

9 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

Works for me. 
 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

A-Jay - I see your many informative posts containing great pics and videos.  What do you size a picture to in order to post it to BR?  Can you direct me to the FAQ or other post that’s most helpful regarding this topic?  I’m using an iPad or a MacBook if there’s a best App that you may know of.  Your pics are terrific so thanks for any advice.

Bob