Mushroom Heads Vs Regular Jig Heads (Neko Rig)

[WhiteMike1018]

Why do people use the mushroom heads insetad of a regular jighead? For example if your putting a grub or a small fluke on a jighead , what difference would the mushroom head make

 

-mike

[rippin-lips]

I just use a plain old lead nail weight or even regular finishing nails from Lowes. Neither has any type of head on it.

[hoosierbass07]

 I don't know why they use mushroom head jigs but I can't wait for spring 2015 to try them out.  I ordered a bunch of them in the fall and put them in a little tackle container last night, ready to do some super finesse bass fishing in the spring!  My main reason for buying the Gopher Mushroom jig heads is to try the Ned Rig and also I don't see any jigs exactly like those for sale around here in the stores.  Also, it seems all the jigs for bass I buy int he stores have strong hooks.  The Gopher Mushroom jig heads I bought came with light wire small hooks that can be bent if you get it snagged. 

[Ozark_Basser]

I'd guess it's just for the "look" of the bait.  It rounds off the flat end of the cut in half senko. The mushroom head isn't necessarily new.  People use the same head on worms for the same purpose. 

[WRB]

To reinvent the old nail head rig.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

I've never seen a real preference for a weight style with a Neko rig??

 

Do you mean a Ned rig?

[smalljaw67]

If you look up Do-it molds in the sinker molds category, you'll see a mold called a "worm nose weight", this is a nail weight with a mushroom head on it and it is the type commonly used with a neko rig. That rig doesn't use a jig head, it uses the weight and then an octopus or drop shot hook is hooked into the side of the worm around the egg sac area and then dragged around but the worm used should be very buoyant. The ned rig uses a small jig head with small 3" senko type worm or 1/2 of a Senko and the head style is just preference as is the mushroom style nail weight for the neko rig.

[Bluebasser86]

If you look up Do-it molds in the sinker molds category, you'll see a mold called a "worm nose weight", this is a nail weight with a mushroom head on it and it is the type commonly used with a neko rig. That rig doesn't use a jig head, it uses the weight and then an octopus or drop shot hook is hooked into the side of the worm around the egg sac area and then dragged around but the worm used should be very buoyant. The ned rig uses a small jig head with small 3" senko type worm or 1/2 of a Senko and the head style is just preference as is the mushroom style nail weight for the neko rig.

Hmm, I've never used anything other than a plain nail weight for a Neko rig but I'm usually fishing them in shallow water where I don't need/want much weight. I know with the Ned rig the mushroom head sits more flush with the top of the bait, which in theory will reduce snags. I imagine the main reason for using a similar shaped nail weight with the Neko rig would be for the same reasons. 

[WhiteMike1018]

Yes I guess what I meant was the ned rig, i still cany imagine any significant difference between the mushroom and the round, but ill probably still try the mushrooms regardless

[Ozark_Basser]

Yes I guess what I meant was the ned rig, i still cany imagine any significant difference between the mushroom and the round, but ill probably still try the mushrooms regardless

I assumed you were talking about the ned rig even though you typed Neko Rig.  Weird.

[Bluebasser86]

Yes I guess what I meant was the ned rig, i still cany imagine any significant difference between the mushroom and the round, but ill probably still try the mushrooms regardless

It doesn't really make a big difference. I fish the Ned a lot and have used both. I prefer the mushroom style head but it's mostly just because it looks better  

[Sam]

Why do people use the mushroom heads insetad of a regular jighead? For example if your putting a grub or a small fluke on a jighead , what difference would the mushroom head make

 

-mike

 

Remember, the jig heads in a Niko rig will be thrown from the bait sooner or later.

Nails are cheaper and remain in place better than the jig heads.

 

No difference between mushroom and regular heads on a Niko rig.

[Team9nine]

Here is what Ned has said about the mushroom head jig use in the Ned Rig:

 

 

Across the years, we have used many styles of jigs.

 

Ron Lindner introduced me to the many virtues of the  1/16-ounce Gopher Mushroom Head Jig many years ago. The Gopher jig was created by Connie Peterson of Deerwood, Minnesota, and it became the jig that Brainerd, Minnesota, anglers used. Gopher made several special heads for the Lindners, too. Because of its unique configuration,  Al Lindner used to call the Gopher Mushroom Head Jig the half-jig.

 

We found that the 1/16-ounce Gopher is the best jig in the world for retrieving a soft-plastic bait in submerged vegetation, on rock piles and reefs, and along rocky and riprap shorelines. The 1/16-ounce Gopher is an ideal jig for the waters we fish in northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri, as well as central Minnesota, where we fish with our grandkids in the summer.

 

Finesse anglers can catch scores of black bass on scores of other styles of jigs, but I like the way the 1/16-ounce Gopher works. On average, I can use one Gopher jig from more than three weeks before I have tie on a new one.  (In essence, I am not a believer in the necessity of using razor-sharp and pristine  hooks; what’s more, I remove the barb from the hook, but I have noticed that my 74-year-old mind has had a tendency of late to forget to remove the barb. It is easier, however, to remember in the winter when I wear gloves and the hook becomes entangled with one of my gloves, and by removing the barb, I can easily remove the hook from my glove

 

Just my opinion, but in shallow water (<10'), it does make a difference. Part of the Midwest Finesse concept is the "no feel" retrieve. Ball heads and aspirin heads of the same weight fall faster through the water than a mushroom head, and you will likely get snagged more often, and/or not be able to execute the swimming "no feel" retrieve to its optimum by using them instead. In deeper water, it probably doesn't matter near as much. From my own experience, it is best to at least use the exact product recommendations initially (Z-Man baits, Gopher mushroom head, small hooks, line, etc.), and then use them as the baseline to compare and try other options and setups. To not do so means you haven't properly attempted to learn/duplicate the technique.

 

-T9

[Choporoz]

 I know with the Ned rig the mushroom head sits more flush with the top of the bait, which in theory will reduce snags. I imagine the main reason for using a similar shaped nail weight with the Neko rig would be for the same reasons. 

I've read that elsewhere.  But, I must be missing something.  Doesn't Ned rig typically have an exposed hook?  Lotta good it'll do if the head comes through clean, but the hook is dragging a half pound of salad.

[Team9nine]

I've read that elsewhere.  But, I must be missing something.  Doesn't Ned rig typically have an exposed hook?  Lotta good it'll do if the head comes through clean, but the hook is dragging a half pound of salad.

 

Yes, the Ned Rig is typically fished with an exposed jighead. However, it's not like we're flipping matted vegetation with it. It is used to fish sparse patches and edges of weedlines and weed clumps. Think old school Minnesota jig-worming. The 1/32-oz and 1/16-oz heads are so light that the bait never bogs down in the weeds, but instead settles lightly on top of any vegetation, where a slight snap or pull to free it from such will actually help trigger a bite many times. Also remember that Ned uses small #8 and #6 hooks much of the time, so there is very little hook exposed to snag. Where Ned fishes, most of that vegetation is coontail and cabbage, which are "crisper" type weeds and can easily be worked with an exposed jighead.

 

Hope that answers your question.

 

-T9

[Choporoz]

Thanks. 

 

Not sure I can get in that finesse-y a mindset unless fishing for crappie or blue gill. 

[Bluebasser86]

I've read that elsewhere.  But, I must be missing something.  Doesn't Ned rig typically have an exposed hook?  Lotta good it'll do if the head comes through clean, but the hook is dragging a half pound of salad.

 

 

Yes, the Ned Rig is typically fished with an exposed jighead. However, it's not like we're flipping matted vegetation with it. It is used to fish sparse patches and edges of weedlines and weed clumps. Think old school Minnesota jig-worming. The 1/32-oz and 1/16-oz heads are so light that the bait never bogs down in the weeds, but instead settles lightly on top of any vegetation, where a slight snap or pull to free it from such will actually help trigger a bite many times. Also remember that Ned uses small #8 and #6 hooks much of the time, so there is very little hook exposed to snag. Where Ned fishes, most of that vegetation is coontail and cabbage, which are "crisper" type weeds and can easily be worked with an exposed jighead.

 

Hope that answers your question.

 

-T9

Most of the lakes around here (where Kedhe is fishing) have very limited to no vegetation. What little vegetation we have is easy to fish around for the most part. The biggest issue you run into is moss which no bait is immune to. You can easily run a Ned rig over the top of weeds that have room above them though. It's a very small, thin hook and if you fish it with braid it's very easy to snap the weeds off from the hook. It takes some learning to get a feel for it but it's deadly when you get the hang of it. It catches way more big fish than I ever would have thought too. 

[PondHunter]

The main reason for the Mushroom Head Jig is so that when rigged with a worm, it will let the tail point up and remain visible when it's on the bottom instead of tipping over and laying flat like other Jig styles.

[moguy1973]

It also allows for a drop of superglue to be placed on the back of the jig head to keep the half of the zinker right up against the head so it doesn't slide down the hook.  Makes one Ned rig last for many many fish before the zinker needs to be replaced.