Rank the finesse techniques..

[DaubsNU1]

I don't fish Smallies much...but when I do...it's...

 

1. NED

2. NED

3. NED

4. Wacky

[Standard]

Boring

Boring

Boring

 

I've stopped bringing any spinning finesse tackle in favor of fly rods for river fishing.

[RHuff]

My #1 hands down is a wacky rig...   The only thing I have ever really caught on a ned rig is catfish or junk fish lol...    I have hooked one smallmouth, granted it was a solid one, on a drop shot and it broke me off shortly after hooking it... 

[Jig Man]

Ned

I don’t do the other two.

[Ktho]

1. Drop Shot

2. Drop shot

3. Drop Shot

 

Unranked: wacky, ned

[blackrain]

Dropshot

Tube

Grub/swimbait

Ned (very last resort)

[dytmook]

Ned

Wacky

Drop

 

I don't fish the drop shot because I'm mostly wading and its a pain in the current as well. Lots of times I have a ned and wacky as my two rigs. I'm just looking to catch a few fish. Not looking to break records. 

[TOXIC]

On 10/16/2023 at 7:34 PM, RHuff said:

effectiveness, confidence, and reliability

It’s a little hard considering it changes year to year for me.  With your criteria, I would have to say the Dropshot is number 1 not only because I have a very high level of confidence but I have thrown it for longer than the Ned which comes in second  due to its consistent performance.  It did give me the best year for numbers I have ever had in 20 years on Lake St Clair.  The dropshot has given me the biggest smallmouth.  I would never think of hitting the lake without both of those baits.  I do throw a weightless Senko but I don’t wacky rig.  I have never seen a reason to wacky rig either in numbers or size.  I would add a Yamamoto DShad (fluke style bait) to your list and condition my other answers on what the fish want as far as plastics on a Dropshot or a Ned.  Some work better on one over the other.  

[TnRiver46]

The king of the senko doesn’t wacky rig, that makes me feel better haha

[TOXIC]

13 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

The king of the senko doesn’t wacky rig, that makes me feel better haha

Believe me I certainly would if I thought it had some advantage.  To me it just adds cost and gear (different hooks, o-rings and tool) to a bait that works just as well t-rigged and doesn’t foul on slime, grass, wood or rocks.  On the rare occasion (yuck, yuck) I put one into the trees, there’s a 95% chance I’m getting it back. 😂

[TnRiver46]

5 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Believe me I certainly would if I thought it had some advantage.  To me it just adds cost and gear (different hooks, o-rings and tool) to a bait that works just as well t-rigged and doesn’t foul on slime, grass, wood or rocks.  On the rare occasion (yuck, yuck) I put one into the trees, there’s a 95% chance I’m getting it back. 😂

Same, I don’t like getting stuck and they eat it weedless 

[stk44]

1. Ned my go to finesse technique 

2. wacky- the only way to fish a senko under a dock 

3. Drop shot - I tie this on every time I fish Lake Erie like I’m a professional. I usually catch way more fish on a Ned rig, and end up switching. I need to learn it better. 

[Junk Fisherman]

On 10/16/2023 at 6:34 PM, RHuff said:

Rank the following smallmouth techniques based on effectiveness, confidence, and reliability..  feel free to add anything if you feel it’s justified.. 

 

Ned Rig

Drop Shot

Wacky Rig

 

 

1)  Ned- #1 bait overall.  

 

 

 

2)  DS- I have decided to stop throwing a DS around my waters around Chicago.  With all the busted up concrete along the breakwalls that I fish, I breakoff constantly even though I am always checking my line.  It's just not worth the frustration.  I'll still use one when I head up to traditional smallie waters that don't have all the obstacles in the water.  

 

NA- I haven't thrown a wacky rig for smallies in years.  

 

My rankings overall would be 1)  Ned  2) Neko  3)  Hair jigs  4) Tubes  

I'd have a small swimbait #2 if you consider that finesse.  

 

[ElGuapo928]

Where the wacky shines is isolated targets - docks, bridge pilings, brush clumps, etc. The slow fall brings out some non-commital fish.

[TOXIC]

36 minutes ago, ElGuapo928 said:

Where the wacky shines is isolated targets - docks, bridge pilings, brush clumps, etc. The slow fall brings out some non-commital fish.

I’m not discounting the use of a Senko wacky style but there is no real difference in the fall rate, wacky rigged or t-rigged.  The only added weight is in the bigger hook.  It actually hangs up more on docks, bridge pilings, brush clumps, etc., as well as grass and rocks because you are throwing it with an exposed hook. It’s all a matter of preference and I know wacky is very popular so I would never say not to throw it if you have confidence in it.  I’m just glad to see it rightfully considered a finesse bait. 😎

[ElGuapo928]

18 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I’m not discounting the use of a Senko wacky style but there is no real difference in the fall rate, wacky rigged or t-rigged.  The only added weight is in the bigger hook.  It actually hangs up more on docks, bridge pilings, brush clumps, etc., as well as grass and rocks because you are throwing it with an exposed hook. It’s all a matter of preference and I know wacky is very popular so I would never say not to throw it if you have confidence in it.  I’m just glad to see it rightfully considered a finesse bait. 😎

I actually throw them both ways - the wacky more so for short pitches/flips, and always for skipping. Texas rig for casting/beating the bank.
 

While my not very scientific method of observing bears little to no repeatable accuracy, It seems to me the Texas rig Senko goes a little more nose down than horizontal, and goes a tad faster. 

[Bdnoble84]

My reason for wacky rigging is I feel like i can dance it in the current. When its wacky rigged, both ends will dance. I want it to look like a crawler drifting in the current. 

[cvaicunas69]

Local river I normally fish is fairly rocky, so the ned rig is tough for me. I either live with the constant snags, or fish even smaller jig head, that I have yet to master when hooked into larger fish. Wacky worms and Drops shots require far too much patience for me. If it's finesse, its a marabou hair jig for me. At least I'm moving water with that.

[bowhunter63]

I Fish the Wacky a lot Ned rig once in a while . Never drop shot so those two mainly. When it gets colder hair jigs or float and fly 

[r83srock]

I fish a bitsy bug jig with zoom super chunk and a Ned most of the time. I like a wacky and t rigged fluke when conditions are right also. The water temp is 44 right now and a jig n pig and Ned will work until deer season comes (ice).  Certain times of the year the smallies will get in the wood so deep, and the duckweed will blow in and Matt up, I’ll use a 3/4oz punch rig with a pit boss. Only thing I do different from punching for largemouth is go from a 4/0 to a 3/0 hook. 

[Creek Chub 1]

I’m a power fisher and prefer jerk and crank baits. If those two don’t produce, I’ll always throw the ned and it almost always produces for river smallmouth even if the conditions are tough. I have no experience with the drop shot mainly since it’d like hang up quickly in rocky rivers. The whacky is something I just started playing with but don’t have a lot of confidence yet

[Obi_Wan]

Ned

[bowhunter63]

I have been doing great on a Wacky Worm this year for Smallies. Try to hit em a few times a week. Ned rig I get hung alot so I don’t use it much . Never drop shot . Been using the old jig finesse worm and doing well on that . One thing I’m using spinning rods more often. Plus the zoom baby brush craw has been producing pretty good on a 1/8 ounce sinker just dragging it along the bottom 

[Munkin]

Ned and tube are the two most used around here.

 

Allen

[Creek Chub 1]

Trd bugz on a 1/10 ewg in the fall works great on the river