Uh... Yep, The Ned Rig Is Awesome

[alrab23]

I got out fished by a guy using the ball head and yum dingers, I was using the Ned mushroom hook and the elaztech worm made for the Ned. Of course there could have been several factors like line size or techniques, but I don't feel like it matters what kind off jig head you use as long as it's small. When I say out fished I mean he caught around 12 and I caught around 8. I love the Ned Rig.

[Team9nine]

The mushroom heads give a particular action that regular jig heads don't - I've tried quite a few different heads and the mushroom is the most effective for me - also - I've always liked to use bigger hooks on light jig heads for bass but with this rig the smaller hooks allow for a more seductive action. They still hook and land large bass and even if they take it deep it is usually easy to extract.

 

This ^^ - If you fish long enough with enough different jig heads, you'll see the difference. Not that you can't use others, but mushrooms definitely seem to be best overall, at least for the conditions the technique was originally created for.

 

 

So the ned rig is using the Elaztech baits, or any senko like bait cut in half? Assume different baits cut would give different actions and sink rates. Not trying to hijack, just trying to figure out the rig.

 

Technically, no. Depends on how close you want to stick to the "original."  Elaztech is the material in Z-Man baits, as well as the Strike King Ochos. Other baits will fish and react differently being made of a different type plastic material, as well as differences in salt content or addition. They will all catch fish, but the best thing for anyone who wants to try Ned Rigging is to first begin with the exact original setup, Elaztech plastics and light (1/32, 1/16, 3/32) Gopher mushroom head jigs. Once you've fished those and learned how they react and why they work, then you can start playing with all the different component alterations that are possible. But until you have fished with the baseline rig, you'll have no basis for comparison...only another similar version that you won't have any idea why it's different than Ned's original setup.

 

-T9  

[OCdockskipper]

How awesome is the Ned Rig?  Well yesterday afternoon, I have a ZMan TRD tied on and am holding the rod out in front of me, about 6 feet off the top of the water.  Suddenly, a swallow or sparrow or some kind of smallish bird zips in and tries to grab it.  I instinctively jerk it back, at which time the bird does a 180 and goes after it again.  This crazy bird was zipping around me like a fighter jet, hell-bent on eating that TRD.

The only thing I could think of to do to stop him was make a cast, so I quickly skipped it under a dock I was approaching.  The bird made a halfhearted attempt to follow it, but then zipped up & away.  A moment later, the line jumped and I had hooked up with a bass under said dock.  I landed it, looked around for the Amelia Earhart of birds, but she was no where to be found.  I was freaked out for the next 10 minutes.

To me, this means the Ned rig is effective for both fish & fowl.  In fact, I believe I could have pitched it up on the shore and caught the dock owners cat for a triplicate.

[gim]

I've also found that since its such a small lure/bait, its more of a numbers game tactic.  It catches a lot of smaller fish and the occasional larger fish.  If you're in a tournament looking just for larger fish and fewer bites (or you just wanna target larger fish), its not the best strategy.  Also, since you're pretty much limited to lighter spinning gear, it doesn't work well in thick cover because a spinning setup doesn't horse fish out of those areas very well either.  The best aspect of those elaztech plastics is their durability for sure.

[MickD]

On 4/25/2015 at 6:57 PM, livemusic said:

I could have taken Senko's (or Stiko's or any other stickbait) and cut them in half, but I went ahead & bought what the recipe called for.  Like you, I really prefer Senko's over other stick baits (hence why I stupidly used the 3" models initially), but they just get destroyed.  You will be amazed at the way the fish choke this bait.  The TRD's are tough little baits, stay on the hook well and a bag of 8 will be good for catching 150 - 400 fish.  You will probably lose more of these baits by breaking off or snagging than you will get chewed up by the fish.

Senkos are heavy, one of the advantages of the Z man grubs is that they are  bouyant, which is part of the magic.  Forget senkos, the Z man grubs are right and they last forever-no more replacing them due to fish damage (at least until you are almost to triple digit fish numbers).  But , when fishing senkos wacky  use rubber O rings and hook the O ring and not the senko and you usually can get at least a few fish on each one.

[Drew03cmc]

The Ned is my go to when I'm just fishing to fish. I'm looking to go wade fish for smallies soon and can't imagine doing so without this setup.

[OCdockskipper]

On 7/17/2016 at 1:53 PM, gimruis said:

I've also found that since its such a small lure/bait, its more of a numbers game tactic.  It catches a lot of smaller fish and the occasional larger fish...

Here is an example of that occasional larger fish, I caught her yesterday.  She weighed 8 lbs even, hit a California Craw TRD on a 1/15oz Shroomz head.  It is amazing how such a small, simple lure convinces so many big fish to munch down.  I imagined her cruising past the TRD & just opening her mouth to filter it in like a Baleen whale...

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, OCdockskipper said:

Here is an example of that occasional larger fish, I caught her yesterday.  She weighed 8 lbs even, hit a California Craw TRD on a 1/15oz Shroomz head.  It is amazing how such a small, simple lure convinces so many big fish to munch down.  I imagined her cruising past the TRD & just opening her mouth to filter it in like a Baleen whale...

Holy Smokes Dude ~

That Bass has a FREAKISHLY LARGE HEAD !

Congrats on the Frankin-Bass . . .

A-Jay

[Tim Kelly]

Last saturday I had a surprising large perch munch a trd on the river. It was followed by one slightly smaller as I was winding it in. I caught the smaller one too a few minutes later. 19+" 4lb 11oz and 3lb 06oz. The bigger one was my largest summer perch by a long way. I've had a few larger ones in the winter when they're heavier anyway and more likely to get caught too.

 

 

[gim]

Holy balls those are some big perch

[Josh Smith]

For deep vegetation, I rig Ned rigs using weedless football head jigs. They stand up very nicely.

Josh

[aceman387]

I've had minimal success with The TRD until I tried one as a trailer on a 1/16 oz bitsy bug jig.This has been my go to combo all year.