How to use the Ned Rig

[Donald Tyson]

I'm not really a Basser. I guess I want to be, not really sure and here is why. In our local and shallow lakes here in Pa I pursue Panfish and Pickerel. My Bycatch has always been Bass with out really trying. Now, For the first time in my life, I'll be fishing for Smallmouth in Gin Clear water while in Maine next week.  Spinnerbaits and jigs are my normal choice but am afraid I won't get deep enough. I'm thinking I might like to learn to Ned Rig down the steep underwater slopes. The visibility in these lakes is 20-60'. 

I have tried 3 or 4 times to employ the Ned Rig to no avail. While there is likely allot of info on this site regarding this practice I was hoping some of you could spill the beans from a-z and we'll keep it all right here for others to benefit from as well. Info to include may be jig weight, Line strength, depth, distance and situational conditions where you would use Ned Rig. 

I fish with Restored Spincasters in smaller areas, Spinning reels for topwater or finesse, Fly Rod for weedy banks and Baitcasters for all else.

[Jig Man]

You should watch Ned’s video.

I use either a straight 6# line or braid with a fluorocarbon leader.  I use TRDs with head weights from 1/16 to 1/4 oz.

[DaubsNU1]

Just fished Frances Case in South Dakota for four days, primarily targeting Smallies.

 

We have thrown the kitchen sink at them, and the NED is the #1 producer on that lake. I did catch a few on a shakey head, and nephew caught a few on a ripple shad. But the NED was putting them in the boat. Dad catches them on jig+minnow...he has shoulder issues and cannot cast. 

 

I NED fish with a medium light 6'6" spinning rod, spooled with 10lb bright yellow braid with 8lb fluoro leader.

[Rusty_Shackelford75]

just started fishing the ned rig this year and have been having great luck with it so far. caught my pb on one few weeks ago. I've been going with a super simple set up. 6'6" medium light rod, 8 lb stren mono line, 1/4 oz head, and trying all kinds of plastics, but the one that seems to work the best for me is bass pro elite chunk in black with blue flake. I'm sure others on here have more info on ned rigs than I do but I can tell you I've caught plenty of nice looking largemouth the past couple months on a nice and simple set up. I cast it as far as I can parallel along the bank, let it sink and work it back nice and slow with twitches and long pauses and they hit it. Hope that helps. Best of luck.

[MickD]

Smallies can be particular to color as well as the action imparted, or not imparted on a Ned.  So have a variety and don't be reluctant to try different retrieves.  I have found Canada Craw and Goby Bryant to be very good smallie colors.  I see no need to use the big ones/the TRD finesse works fine for smallies.  

 

I would not go smallie fishing without having a few swimbaits like your photo, sometimes a slow steady retrieve and sometimes snatching them off the bottom.

 

Additionally I would have a few 2.75-3.5 inch tubes and a variety of tube jigs from 1/8-1/4 oz in green watermelon/red flake and/or green watermelon/candy.  And like the Neds, experiment with the retrieve.  

[Susky River Rat]

I can tell you that in PA the ned rig is by far not my best producer. In river systems it’s much more productive for me. This year the ned rig has not been doing as well in the river for me. which is very rare. 
 

I’ve done all kinds of stupid things with Ned rigs and got bit. I’m a firm believer if it is catching you fish you aren’t doing it wrong just not how it was intended. 

[Donald Tyson]

I see a few responses from fellow Pennsylvanians. I must say that I've never caught a thing on these Ned Rigs the few times I've tried them. I'm a Beetlespin and spinnerbait lover and always catch fish on them. When Spinnerbaits Don't work I switch to Kieteck shiners and 1/4oz jigheads. Can't say that I clearly know what I'm doing but I am catching fish in PA to some degree. I also have a limited experience with topwater lures  and also flyfishing. 

 

Next week I'll be in Acadia in their clear lakes. Some have everything including Pickerel and others only Smallies and Salmon(small). I'm thinking this will be a great time to learn the Ned and to catch Smallies. Rusty mentioned the method I had in mind to try...long casts laterally along steep underwater slopes. Several of you mentioned changing up the action allot. I'll do all that. 

 

Are leaders used by you all? 

 

I'm hoping to use primarily Baitcasters this trip out, 2 Royal Legends and 1 Abu BM3.  They have 20, 8 and 14 lb Siege on them. I thought that the Royal Legend with 8lb line and a 1/4 or 3/8 head may be best for depth. 

 

Could someone share your experience with these in deeper water, I mean how deep can I effectively fish and not find it better to drop shot or something else ( I don't know how to dropshot either). 

 

Thanks for all the encouragement.

[gimruis]

Something that hasn’t been said here yet. The jig head your using does make a difference. Don’t use the light wire versions like the original Zman ones. They are weak and brittle. I would go with something more stout. You don’t need much of a hook set and your drag should be fairly loose.

 

I do tend to catch smaller fish in general on it too. But occasionally a more sizable fish can be caught. Just be aware that the size and profile tends to attract dinks.

[Donald Tyson]

4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

I do tend to catch smaller fish in general on it too. But occasionally a more sizable fish can be caught. Just be aware that the size and profile tends to attract dinks.

I had heard before that it seems smaller fish are more interested in this. 
For egg hooks I use Gamma. For Jigs I use Kietec ball jigs with diachi 2/0 or 3/0 hooks. I am a collector of Old Pushbutton reels. And due to bad arthritis in my right hand I actually prefer them over spinning gear. Problem is I use light components for most lures and baits in order to accommodate my light gear. This will My first fishing trip where I am using a bait caster as the primary reel.  

[gimruis]

4 minutes ago, Donald Tyson said:

I had heard before that it seems smaller fish are more interested in this. 

By no means will it only ever catch smaller fish. I’ve caught nice fish on it, both smallmouth and green bass. But I definitely notice an increased rate of 12 inchers too.

[T.J.]

I’m another PA smallmouth guy. Ned is my number one producer followed by a tube. I like the Zman shroom Ned hook in 1/6 or 1/5 with the Zman trd finesse. 8lb mono with M or ML spinning rod. Braid to leader is nice but I’ve been just keeping it simple with mono lately.

 

I believe I have better results using the lightest jig head I can get away with and letting it move with the current after each hop. I fish down to the 20’ range. With the lighter weights I don’t feel I’d get a natural initial drop with a bait caster. I’d guess 25% of my bites come on the initial drop in the deeper water. 

 

In faster current I stick with a tube and heavier weights 1/4-3/8 and put the Ned aside if I feel the Ned is drifting more than falling. Or a swim bait with heavier head. Ned for largemouths, I go heavier and fish it more like a t-rig dragging the bottom. 

[Donald Tyson]

T.J. I guess we fish some similar waters ( I hope to fish 

Salem NJ area for Snakeheads soon). My normal haunts are all in the Poconos or at Spruce Run NJ.  

While I won't add tubes this year I will add some heavier Ned jigheads. I don't care for Braid but 8lb mono Siege is my favorite (tangerine). Do you recommend clear leaders or do you feel they are unnecessary?

[MickD]

With 8 pound mono?  Not usually, but I don't know about that tangerine line. Why?  

 

I fish clear waters with light braid with 12-16 pound premium fly tippets for leaders.  Works fine in clear water.   I find 8 pound mono/FC just too fragile.

[Buzzbaiter]

Don’t limit yourself to Zman stuff. Their Ned baits are great, but I’ve also come to like the Netbait Crush worms. I’ve heard that the Nikko Hellgrammite is great, but I’ve never tried it before. Just try different stuff and see what works. Baits aside, use a quality head in a light weight. 1/8oz is as heavy as I go, even in fast water. A bait that crashes to the bottom and stays there is much less appealing than one that drifts and bounces.

 

Be prepared for the Ned to catch a bunch of smaller fish. Elephants eat peanuts, but that’s not necessarily the norm for black bass (some exceptions apply). If you do find yourself patterning dinks, try a tube. I like the 3.5in Dry Creek Tournament Tube, and my favorite color is old ugly. Any tube will work, though, so use what’s available. You’ll still catch numbers, but you’ll average larger fish. Good luck in Maine!

[TOXIC]

Lots of good info given.  I will ad my 2 cents.  It works for me.  We fish Lake St Clair for smallies and a Ned is one of my main weapons along with a dropshot. 
 

My Ned head is a custom made one with a weed guard and light wire hook.  I have never straightened or broken a hook.  I use exclusively a spinning set up.  7 foot medium smoke rod and 2500 smoke spinning reel with 6lb straight mono. 
 

My secret weapon is my bait.  I use a 4” Senko for a faster fall rate the smallies destroy it.  Here are a few of my smallies on that setup. 

[Donald Tyson]

2 hours ago, MickD said:

With 8 pound mono?  Not usually, but I don't know about that tangerine line. Why?  

 

I fish clear waters with light braid with 12-16 pound premium fly tippets for leaders.  Works fine in clear water.   I find 8 pound mono/FC just too fragile.

Everything I fish with is lighter and smaller than the norm. Sufix Siege or Elite is my current favorite. Very hard to break and very resistant to abrasion. An Older guy I cant see clear line much anymore so I use Chartruece or tangerine.

Fly tippets are nice and I have them from 3x to 00. I've been fishing for Pickerel on purpose. I hate wire and cable leaders. Since I've been using 17 or 20lb mono I've not been bit off.

I'm an FC chicken and since it doesn't work so well with my Spincast gear I pretty much stay with Mono....sometimes I've liked Copolymer....but mono works here in my shallow Pennsylvania Poconos Mt lakes. 

[Donald Tyson]

Buzzbaiter and Toxic, I like those crush worms and hope to find some soon. I plan to try some pumpkin colored 4" Senkos, can't wait. 

 

I prefer extremely sharp light or medium wire hooks I don't currently and don't want to learn the Matt Allen Hook set. My experience is that Hooks never break. Its Humans that break hooks. I've never broken a hook, ever, and I fish for large channels and also Medium Bluefish up to 8lbs. I do believe they are broken but is is by the operator. I'm not a tough guy, I admire such, but I'm not one. I use average to light wire hooks and when I get a bite I simply give it a small rip and start cranking. 

Toxic those Smallies look twice the size of what I catch. They're the size of LMB. 

 

This is so awesome that folks are willing to share their success on this forum. Thanks

 

[MickD]

3 hours ago, Donald Tyson said:

I'm an FC chicken and since it doesn't work so well with my Spincast gear

Me too.  But I just rigged up a new rod/reel with an 8 pound test premium Japanese FC to give it another go, and I'm not hot for it (open faced spin).  It seems limp enough so it doesn't jump off the spool, but it just doesn't cast as nicely (far/quiet) as light premium braid, is sort of fragile, and not as sensitive as braid for bite detection.  I'll stick with my braid.

 

Not sure of your experience with smallies in clear lakes, so I'll mention.  With both Neds and tubes, they often hit on the fall.  So watch your line, and if you feel resistance when you pick up on the retrieve, give it a good twitch.  Might just be a fish on.

[Donald Tyson]

That is what I found with trying FC on my Baitcasters. Snarly sonofagun. The limpness of 8lb is what that reel wanted for tossing 3/8 oz or more. 

I have no experience fishing in Vodka before. I'm sure it will be intoxicating compared to the tea I'm normally in. 

I've tried NR only 3 or 4 times and have never caught a thing. so this is going to be a blast, armed with all the info above, and trying it out in a concentrated area, with no schedule to keep for a week. 

I've never fished deliberately for Smallies before. Little Smallies have always been a bycatch of Pickerel and panfishing. 

Grew up on a farm in Dublin PA. Wasn't allowed to go anywhere much as a kid but I had this thing called a Zebco 202. I pedaled my bike all over to fish for whatever. One day in the Deep Run Creek I caught a mis-placed SMB of 17 and 1/4". I was 13. It must have been put there by someone as there were no Smallies in that creek naturally. I was 13 and sort of vowed I'd fish for Smallies someday and tomorrow I'll fulfill that dream. I'm 66 now. I will likely use some old Zebco 33's for part of the time just for the sentimental benefit. 

Thanks for all the help Men!

[JackstrawIII]

To those who say the ned is a dink magnet, I’ve caught my 3 biggest bass of the season this year all on the ned. Different plastics each time, but all on a Ned head. 
 

It’s wild to skip a Ned under a dock and not know if you’re going to hook up with a 6 inch rock bass or a 6 pound largemouth. 
 

To answer your original question, my favorite way to use the Ned is to skip it up under docks. It will often get bit during the original fall, but sometimes hopping it out from under the dock will trigger the bite. 

[A-Jay]

On 6/19/2024 at 2:23 PM, MickD said:

  I see no need to use the big ones/the TRD finesse works fine for smallies.  

 

I don't always fish a ned rig

but when I do,

the Big TRD is all I ever use.

Green Pumpkin and The Deal have both been popular with the ladies.

https://youtu.be/3OXnPQs0bqQ?feature=shared&t=61

A-Jay

[dodgeguy]

Now I'll tell you how I do it. I fish it on a 1/5 oz. Zman shrooms head jig tied to 50 lb test Vicious No Fade Braid with no leader .the reel is a Lews custom lite baitcast. The rod is a dobyns Sierra micro guide 7-3 mh casting rod. I catch plenty of smallies and largies this way and 4 lbers too.

[MickD]

8 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Green Pumpkin and The Deal have both been popular with the ladies.

Yup.  Good colors where I fish, too.

[Donald Tyson]

11 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Now I'll tell you how I do it. I fish it on a 1/5 oz. Zman shrooms head jig tied to 50 lb test Vicious No Fade Braid with no leader .the reel is a Lews custom lite baitcast. The rod is a dobyns Sierra micro guide 7-3 mh casting rod. I catch plenty of smallies and largies this way and 4 lbers too.

I don't have one but I like those Dobyns. I was glad to hear you mention 1/5 oz and also the shcroom head. I was considering them for deep water. 

3 hours ago, MickD said:

Yup.  Good colors where I fish, too.

I like Green Pumpkin but also PB&J. 

[MickD]

PB & J and Junebug work well on LMB, but I've not had the success on smallies that I have had with shades of green. (and goby/brown/light blue).  But I had an experience recently that shows how important color is at times.  My fishing partner had 4 LMB on goby bryant in the boat and I had no hits on Canada Craw.  I changed to goby bryant and caught up.  This was in an area that had gobies.  Canada Craw had done very well in the same area before.  So if they are not hitting, change colors.