Why am i loosing so many smallies on a ned rig

[A-Jay]

@warefisher

Here ya go ~

A-Jay

[JMac603]

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

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? 

 

This this this! I do differ in that I prefer braid to leader after trying straight mono again, but I do use a 10' mono leader. "Make sure I rig it so that the hook gets exposed to the bend" - this IS the answer. You DO NOT need to swing on these fish for a hookset. Reel down on them and sweep the rod up and these light wire ned hooks will penetrate assuming the plastic doesn't prevent you from getting it in there enough. Keep that in mind when selecting baits - I ned with zman exclusively because it's so soft that it will stretch and move out of the way if needed. 

[Aaron Stelmach]

On 7/11/2023 at 8:43 AM, gimruis said:

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.

So since I made this post I have landed like 5 ned rig bass haha, i think my problem was jerking the rod instead of steadily reeling into em. I have lost a couple since aswell so I may try different heads in the future

[galyonj]

Doesn't take much to set the hook with light wire stuff like this. I just reel in slack, then kind of snap my wrist up.

[Dye99]

I fish the NED a alot, actually just coming in from a morning smallie trip right now.

Best of the day was 4.14lb

 

Everyones different, but for this is what Ive learned and how I do it.

-Proper time for the fish to take the bait. When I set right away I was losing fish.

-I do NOT hook set like a jig, I found it makes a bigger hole in the fishes mouth and more chances for the hook to come out.

-Proper equipment, I use light leader, light braid and a rod that isnt that stiff. It's got  more of a drop shot feel rod. ( G Loomis IMX pro 831s NRR )

-Raising the rod after the bite, Not jerking. As well as keeping the rod bent at all times, and letting the drag do its thing is paramount.

 

NED is one of my confidence baits for Smallmouth ( Triple threat NED, Tube, and weightless wacky senko ) so I usually will use it every week unless the fish tell me they arent having it. Then the Dropshot comes out...

 

Either way, Good luck!

 

[padon]

when i was losing fish on a ned i went to a farm pond that has a ton of bass but nothing over 2 pounds.you get alot of bites so lots of practice. ive found for me its best to reel til you feel the weight of the fish then a firm but not hard sweep while reeling at the same time.7ft medium light 10 pound braid 8 or 6 fluoro

[TnRiver46]

17 hours ago, galyonj said:

Doesn't take much to set the hook with light wire stuff like this. I just reel in slack, then kind of snap my wrist up.

And then a monster catfish goes wild 

[galyonj]

That channel cat more than made up for the fact that I was unable to find a smallmouth longer than 10" that day. ?

[Blue Raider Bob]

On 7/13/2023 at 9:06 AM, 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!

My advise to you proved worthless to me. Went out Friday and lost my first FIVE Smallies. Overall hook up rate was poor. One thing for sure is to keep your hooks sharp. Only takes a couple drags on rocks to dull them.

[Dingaling man]

I went through this 2 years ago, exactly the samething.  Go to a longer rod, I got a 7'4 which helped,  Those huge smallmouth 5+ are still tough to land on a ned. You want that extra leverage on the hook set and when they start digging, especially at the boat. If you set the hook to hard, you will tear that hole a bit. You want to stick em with that hook, 

[Idaho elk hunter]

My land ratio went way up when I started using EWG ned hooks 

 

[SnaggedAgain]

On 7/16/2023 at 3:12 PM, galyonj said:

Doesn't take much to set the hook with light wire stuff like this. I just reel in slack, then kind of snap my wrist up.

 

[SnaggedAgain]

Dang it, fat fingered the post above trying to get my ducks in a row. I fish finesse presentations on my local small creeks with light wire hooks a majority of the time. I use a 6'6" Med Fast rod and a do very well hooking up and landing. I don't think that you need a longer rod but that would be more of a personal choice/dictated by the waters you are using it on. I do believe as others said that a possible source of your issue may lie in your moderate action rod. Don't underestimate the importance of sharp hooks, check your hooks often and carry a small sharpening file to touch them up when needed. 

[galyonj]

For whatever it's worth, I don't like a moderate action for single-hook finesse presentations like this. Makes it unnecessarily hard for my brain to catch up with both the fish and the rod at the same time.

 

I want a fast action, medium light rod for ned rigs. Quick snap up to set the hook, then I just keep pressure on the fish and let my drag and the rod blank do the heavy lifting for me.

[waymont]

On 7/10/2023 at 9:34 PM, Aaron Stelmach said:

How do you set the hook with a ned rig?

Reel into the fish while lifting the rod, you don't want to hit them hard.

 

Your set up is good. You could also drop down to 8 or 10lb braid.

[Krux5506]

I hardly ever lay into a hookset when fishing a ned rig...which these days is more often than i want to admit. I've gotten a bit addicted to the ol ned rig. But anyway, 7' Dobyns fury medium light fast action rod does well for me, and I'm usually just running straight 8lb mono. This could be in Lake Ontario clear water or murkier water elsewhere either way it works fine for me. Half the time its not even about feeling a bite it's just watching your line twitch or slowly start swimming away. Seems like often the fish hook themselves.

 

I do agree with the zman ned jigs don't hold up well. Actually the TRD's themselves probably last longer than the jigs. Usually the holder on the jig breaks off at which point its basically useless or eventually the hook will just snap in half. 

[Aaron Stelmach]

On 7/25/2023 at 9:29 AM, waymont said:

Reel into the fish while lifting the rod, you don't want to hit them hard.

 

Your set up is good. You could also drop down to 8 or 10lb braid.

Plan on testing out lighter braids, next time i am grabbing 15 pound, i wouldnt want to go that low because i only have a couple rods and with some techniques i use 10 pound co polymer (cranking, finesse tubes etc)

On 7/16/2023 at 5:15 PM, Dye99 said:

I fish the NED a alot, actually just coming in from a morning smallie trip right now.

Best of the day was 4.14lb

 

Everyones different, but for this is what Ive learned and how I do it.

-Proper time for the fish to take the bait. When I set right away I was losing fish.

-I do NOT hook set like a jig, I found it makes a bigger hole in the fishes mouth and more chances for the hook to come out.

-Proper equipment, I use light leader, light braid and a rod that isnt that stiff. It's got  more of a drop shot feel rod. ( G Loomis IMX pro 831s NRR )

-Raising the rod after the bite, Not jerking. As well as keeping the rod bent at all times, and letting the drag do its thing is paramount.

 

NED is one of my confidence baits for Smallmouth ( Triple threat NED, Tube, and weightless wacky senko ) so I usually will use it every week unless the fish tell me they arent having it. Then the Dropshot comes out...

 

Either way, Good luck!

 

Thanks bro! and thats a nice rish lol.Since ive posted this ive probably caught 20 smallies 1-2 pounds lol, the couple bigger ones i had on, I would fight for a couple seconds and then they’d get off, i think my drag was a bit too tight so they ripped a bigger hole in their mouth.

[DuPage_river Bass]

On 7/10/2023 at 9:25 PM, 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. 

Aaron change your 6lb fluoro to 16lb fluoro and you won’t continue to lose Smallmouth bass. Also make sure your selected knot on the hook is properly secured without being in a hurry. It must be your best tied knot every time you tie it, or start over.

[33oldtimer]

I was just watching a Roland Martin video and he was fishing a 4" Senko on a jig head. The first 4 fish got off the hook with a normal lift and reel hook set. Then he started using a harder hook set and didn't lose any after that. A slightly harder hook set would be the first thing I'd try.