When the bite is tough, the Ned rig saves the day. This finesse presentation, a short, buoyant piece of soft plastic on a light mushroom-shaped jighead, is almost embarrassingly effective. The buoyant plastic makes the bait stand up tail-high off the bottom, wafting and hovering like a feeding baitfish or crayfish, and bass of every size eat it.
Why it works
The Ned rig succeeds because it is small, subtle and almost always in the strike zone. The light head lets it fall slowly and hop naturally, and the buoyant plastic keeps the business end up where a bass can see it. On pressured, cold, or clear-water fish that refuse bigger baits, it is often the answer, and it catches numbers.
How to fish it
- Rig it: a short, buoyant finesse stick or worm on a light (often a sixteenth to a quarter ounce) mushroom jighead.
- Fish it slow along the bottom: a gentle drag, a subtle hop, and lots of pauses. The bait does the work.
- Target hard bottom, points and flats: anywhere bass feed on or near the bottom.
Tip Let it sit. The Ned rig is at its best when you slow down to the point of boredom, long pauses on the bottom, where the buoyant tail hovers, draw more strikes than constant motion.
Gear
Light spinning gear with a smooth Daiwa reel and light line, the same finesse outfit you would use for a wacky rig or drop shot. Small hooks and a light touch are the whole game.