Favorite weedless alternatives for Ned rigging?

[snake95]

Lately I tried Ned rigging following recommendations on Glenn's video, including sticking with the Z-man products.  I've never done so well on a single bait.  

I'm mostly bank fishing ponds.  

The downside is I'm finding it hard to avoid snags, even in ponds with little significant structure - I'd say the main structure is submerged limbs or stumps.

Since I'm bank fishing, I normally don't have the ability to unhook the snags and wind up breaking off and re-tying.  Obviously there are a lot of downsides to that.

I'd like to learn what the favorite alternatives are for Ned rigging in similar situations:  try to T-rig on the shroomz? (loses the vertical orientation), T-rig a TRD with a small hook and pegged weight? use the shroomz with weedguard?  just accept it as part of Ned rig fishing?...

 

 

 

 

 

[Jar11591]

I use the ShroomZ heads with the weed guard when fishing around snaggy cover and they work fairly well. Should stop you from getting hung up but not necessarily make the bait "weedless". I usually opt for a different presentation than a Ned Rig when fishing anything other than docks, rocks or light weeds.

[IndianaFinesse]

I buy them from a guy that uses a mushroom jig mold modified to hold a thin brush guard, but if I run out of those I Texas rig them on a #1 ewg hook with a 1/16 ounce pegged bullet sinker.

[aceman387]

I rig the TRD on a 1/16 or a 1/8 bitsy bug jig and toss in into the weeds.I apply a couple of drops of super glue to the barb of the jig head to hold it in place. I've caugh a ton of bass this summer with this set up.

[Bluebasser86]

What size jighead and hook are you using? If you use the correct sized head and hook then you shouldn't be snagging often even with an open hook because it doesn't clear the plastic by much so it doesn't grab onto things as often. I fish it often, always using an open hook, and snags are very infrequent. 

[OCdockskipper]

Like Bluebasser86, I rarely snag with the Zman heads & hooks.  When fishing near weed beds, the lighter 1/15 oz won't penetrate far into the weeds & pops out with just a little resistance.

If you are getting hung up, my guess would be you are using too heavy a head or too large a hook.

[beardown34]

i've texas rigged both the 3" and 4" TRDs with a 1/16 or 1/8 oz sinker with tons of pond success. i caught 31 on one TRD before i broke off my line, and i hadn't even flipped it around yet. 

[snake95]

8 hours ago, aceman387 said:

 

I rig the TRD on a 1/16 or a 1/8 bitsy bug jig and toss in into the weeds.

 

@aceman387 Do you mean you leave the skirt on and use the TRD as a trailer?  That's interesting!  At the price of bitsy bugs, I guess you could just take the skirt off and add the TRD if you wanted to.

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

What size jighead and hook are you using?

@Bluebasser86 and @OCdockskipper

I've been using the 1/20 and 1/15, and most of the time, but not always, I've kept it up in the water column.  I've been trying to throw them close to cover but not into it, and maybe part of the issue is user error when I've chucked them a little too close to the brush.

43 minutes ago, beardown34 said:

've texas rigged both the 3" and 4" TRDs with a 1/16 or 1/8 oz sinker with tons of pond success. i caught 31 on one TRD before i broke off my line, and i hadn't even flipped it around yet.

@beardown34  what type and size of hook are you using - thought I read someone else suggesting this elsewhere, but couldn't find a thread dedicated to weedless ned rigging. Interested in what kind of hooks have worked for this.  With the light bites and durability of the TRD I was wondering if it is a problem to drive the hook through with this approach.

Thanks everyone.

[IndianaFinesse]

45 minutes ago, snake95 said:

@aceman387 Do you mean you leave the skirt on and use the TRD as a trailer?  That's interesting!  At the price of bitsy bugs, I guess you could just take the skirt off and add the TRD if you wanted to.

@Bluebasser86  @OCdockskipper

@beardown34 

Another thing you could try is the new shroomz micro finesse jig, it comes with a lite weed guard.

[OddChase]

Something I haven't seen mentioned here, I have nose-hooked the TRD with a weed guarded wacky hook. It slips through salad perfectly and it should get through sticks just fine as well. 

[timsford]

Ive Texas rigged them with a 1/16 oz pegged bullet weight and a 1/0 gamakatsu wide gap light wire hook. 8lb test trilene xl. Have to set the hook with a little more force but I rarely lose them and never get hung up. Also I've watched the rig in clear water and the trd still floats up and I still catch fish. I don't need rig a whole lot but when I do I usually use this method unless I'm fishing around rocks, gravel, or sand without any hard or weedy cover

[Big Swimbait]

There are some sellers on the auction site that make 1/8 oz swing head jigs with a 1/0 EWG hook. Works well with the TRD.

[Master Bait'r]

23 hours ago, aceman387 said:

I rig the TRD on a 1/16 or a 1/8 bitsy bug jig and toss in into the weeds.I apply a couple of drops of super glue to the barb of the jig head to hold it in place. I've caugh a ton of bass this summer with this set up.

 

Yes also the Keitech spin jigs and the damikis too.  Eco makes a sick one too but any of those 1/8 or less jigs work great w trds.  

[Bankbeater]

I t-rig them with a 2/0 EWG hook and a 1/16 bullet weight.  Sometimes I peg the weight depending on how much vegetation I am picking up.

[fishwizzard]

I use the Owner Ultrahead 1/16oz-#1hook jigheads for Neds about half of the time.  They are the perfect size and are pretty inexpensive.  

They do want a stiffer rod to insure good hooksets, but once the lure gets worn in they seem to be about the same as an exposed hook.  I also really like the Decoy Nail Bomb jigs in the same size and weight, they have a slightly longer shank so they hold the lure a bit better.  

[ClackerBuzz]

small t rig hook with split shot. bobber stoppers keep the shot in place

[snake95]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Just to update I've now tried several of the suggestions and here is my score so far - casting in ponds in hot August GA weather, I've tried managed to try:

- the "Ed rig" - Bitsy Bug with TRD trailer - no luck yet, but I think it's just me and limited effort factor

- T-rigged TRD on 1/0 EWG with about 1/16 oz bullet - non-pegged, I didn't have the pegs with me - but it caught a couple of bass tight to shoreline cover

- Owner ultrahead 1/16 oz - caught a small bass 

- Weedless mushroom head - haven't had a chance.  We only available in 1/10 oz size.  Seems heavy for shallow bays in ponds to me.

I can see that I will be using any and all of these.  I love the super sharp and sturdy Owner hooks and very weedless profile.  With the Size 1 hook there is plenty of TRD left flapping beyond the hook.  The ball head is pretty shiny and would be nice to have black but the bass didn't seem to care. The  downside is the flat end of the TRD doesn't sit well in the tiny bend near the head, and doesn't butt up neatly like with the mushroom head jig.  I might try gluing it next outing.

Need to go back and read more about Ned's recommended retrieves, etc.  I've had the most strikes with a small but noticeable splash-down on the fall before it hits bottom. 

 

[bigbill]

I use a weed guard or if a hook alone is used I use a weedless hook most of the time.

[fishwizzard]

1 hour ago, snake95 said:

Owner ultrahead 1/16 oz - caught a small bass 

If you liked the Owner, you should really try the Decoy Nailbomb. It seemes to be a bit better in terms of holding the bait and in hookup percentage. 

The line tie is also 90d, which I feel helps me keep the lure nose up so I snag it less in current. 

[snake95]

8 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

If you liked the Owner, you should really try the Decoy Nailbomb

Bunnielab, I will try them.  If only someone made this configuration - so you can easily T-rig the TRD, but with a small, flat head and maybe a longer straight hook segment adjacent to the head.

[ChrisD46]

On ‎8‎/‎15‎/‎2016 at 3:09 AM, OCdockskipper said:

Like Bluebasser86, I rarely snag with the Zman heads & hooks.  When fishing near weed beds, the lighter 1/15 oz won't penetrate far into the weeds & pops out with just a little resistance.

If you are getting hung up, my guess would be you are using too heavy a head or too large a hook.

The above is correct - from shore you should be using the 1/15th oz. Z-Man head size .

[fishwizzard]

2 hours ago, snake95 said:

Bunnielab, I will try them.  If only someone made this configuration - so you can easily T-rig the TRD, but with a small, flat head and maybe a longer straight hook segment adjacent to the head.

The Decoy does have a longer stright hook segment, but it's still a ballhead. 

[snake95]

3 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

The above is correct - from shore you should be using the 1/15th oz. Z-Man head size .

OK, thanks.  I tried some of the 1/20 oz and 1/15 oz Z-man heads and they worked well - my experiences bear out your suggestion that lighter is better for shore in a shallow pond.  I'm snagging partly because I'm throwing right into submerged brush, or can't avoid it in our local ponds - at just about any depth. Sometimes it is intentional, sometimes just being clumsy.  But I'm learning that the bass sure like the small TRDs and other small baits you'd put on a true Ned rig with mushroom head, and I can say that already the great alternatives put out on this thread are working for me.