Master Bait'r

Think of Ned rigging as a school of thought or bait presentation philosophy, not so much X bait and Y hook = Ned. The concepts that apply to the Ned are what make it successful. TRDs and nice mushroom heads certainly help but they are not what defines the practice. Play around! Get a bunch of different jig heads, weights, colors and different small plastics to go on them. The only true constant will be a line eye on the side so the jighead can stand up. Some places and times a hellgie will be the best, others want a TRD or speed craw. I run TONS of Neds from 1/16oz cocho cocho w/ a crusteaz (TINY!), 1/8oz kietech heads and huddle bugs (much larger but same concept) 3/32oz mono guards and TRDs (middle ground)... The combinations are literally infinite. The only constant is the method of rigging and the presentation philosophy behind it. So have fun! Don't feel like you aren't "doing it right" etc. It's all about experimentation and having fun figuring out what works for you and on your waters.

If she is a serial reeler, a beetle spin or Ned rig will likely be a good choice. They catch panfish as well as other species and will work with just about any retrieve.

I'd probably run a 5/0 EWG unless there was something specific I was trying to accomplish.

Dude. Those are dinks! Short fish swipe at stuff too. If you want to know for sure though, keep a finesse punch rig ready and when they miss it next time put a mendota tube or something right in there... Eventually you'll find out what is slapping your bait around. I'd be willing to bet it's 1lbers or juvie pickerel or something.

Value will always be subjective. I like their actions and I like the patterns, but they are a bit cost prohibitive. So is every other premium product on the planet too fwiw. Do they catch all the fish all the time? Of course not. They do have a great erratic action that is a nice compliment to the more rolly dart you get from say a LC 100SP though. I will never not have Megabass jerkbaits on my tackle box. I have megabass jerks from the 1/8oz smolt all the way up to the 1oz Kanata and they are all awesome at what they do.

This except for the midnight shift part. I stayed because of the info, format and vibe. Many other sites let people get really personal with each other, and others can be tough to navigate. I'm too stressed out from real life to argue with people about anything- fishing least of all- so I find it really nice here. The members freakin rock. Can't even begin to describe the advice, hookups, deals and such... It's literally the only reason I have nice gear. I could never afford it otherwise. Much love to everybody here that makes it what it is.

It's just good, not incredible or anything. Seriously though, if I hear one more person complaining about the unpainted weight on the bottom I'm going to burn it and post a video. Lol

Oh, and the 20# spool of Smackdown that's going on said Pixy R. Man, the bait monkey is really laying down a beating on me lately haha

Slug-Go SS worms, man... I'm telling you guys there's nothing like them. They're more whiptail jerkbait than worm, and they walk the dog like I've never seen. They are my #1 go-to finesse worm and they get crushed. 4/0 VMC heavy duty EWG, weightless t-rig. I find they walk really easy with an XF blank and ultra fine braid. They also make Neko rigging a breeze.

I got one of these calls too. Knew right away it was BS, but I'm sure they get people all the time!

One thing you've got to do (if you haven't already) is get a dedicated sun and extreme heat getup. White or silver loose fitting UV long sleeve and a wide brimmed hat of the same. When it gets hot simply take off the shirt, dunk it in the cooler or lake, wring it out and put it back on. If it's REALLY bad bring a small fan to move the air around you. It's like AC without the walls I swear! Being uncomfortable can can really throw you off your game bigtime. It sounds like you already know where to find them, so I'd concentrate on mitigating the heat factor and moving forward from there personally.

Wow, that is one clean combo!! Nice work!

Bringing the kayak for some inshore or brackish fishing? Striper a and blues? What's the plan?

I'd say I actually boated about 12-15 bass. None over the 3ish mark so definitely nothing crazy but it was just a really fun day to be out. The killer was that I lost a few that were much larger, and the fish of the day blew the hook literally at my fingertips! I definitely yelled and grabbed at water. Here are a few randos Biggest pickerel I've ever seen in my life. He barely fit in my net and I could hardly even grab em for the pic! Couldn't even get the whole fish in the pic. I've caught smaller muskies! Mend-It should sponsor this guy!! Also since this reservoir consists of several demolished and flooded towns, here is an old road surrounded by heavy cover I like to visit. There are also a lot of rock walls too! As I said, no monsters but it got progressively windier and windier as the day went on so it got tough to even make one or two casts at a time by the end. Lots of oar work in the weeds today. Pouring myself a nice local brewed IPA for the cherry on top after I hit submit!

It was awesome! The wind was a bit much but that meant there was nobody around and a TON of action in the pads and grass. I don't even know how many I caught lol. Nothing really big but man it was a fun day!

Stoked on your next adventure? Got the day off and you're running off to the lake? Headed someplace new? Nervous about an upcoming tournament and want a second opinion on your approach? This is the thread for that! I got the idea because I'm headed to my favorite big lake and I'm pretty jacked up for it! It's been really tough to get out lately. Going solo with six combos and a small mountain of gear. I've caught some serious pigs there- I cannot wait to start punching pads and digging lanes! The alarm goes off at 430 and there is no way I'm sleeping anytime soon haha... Oh well! Maybe I should start counting Larrys?

Oh man, that's why you have sportscasters and a production team who know how to work an event. Also you have about a week's worth of backstory mini-movies lined up for filler on the top 20 or so pros. The minute somebody catches a fish- wham - cut to the most recent footage of the actual catch, then queue one of the technique vids or feelgood backstory for that guy and keep it rolling. Even in the worst situations when nobody is catching, maybe you could key up a pro and do live interviews, explanation of the technique or baits they're using (plugs of course) etc. There are a bajillion ways to fill with snappy content, immersive information (personal stuff makes pros more relatable) and sponsor product highlighting. I'm actually blown away that it hasn't already been done since it's being so well executed in other sports.

I am in charge of putting together a "guy basket" for an upcoming Jack & Jill... Really torn between a fishing basket or a Smith & Wesson one.

Also when you get hot just dunk the shirt in water and wrong it out. Instant relief!! Sorry to to hear you got roasted OP. That wife beater burn is epic though!!

Why they don't use the golf format I have no idea. There should be cameras and drones on the top ten at the very least, and any highlights should be run as part of the ongoing coverage. Pro/Elite/big events should have top level production and coverage.

Lol yeah because America was definitely free before 1776!

Punch punch punch. The smallest rig you can run and still get through- those aren't lily pads they're beach umbrellas for vacationing smallies!

G Man! G Man! G Man! G Man!

I found an XL dairy crate and I love it. It's awesome and the extra length means it fits just enough for the combos I use. Also if I pull one of the coffee cans a growler fits there very nicely too!