Difficulties keeping fish hooked on Ned Rigs

[MickD]

I tried some other jigs with the "cast-in" keepers and couldn't get the grub over the keepers and against the head. 

Regarding losing fish, I think there are two things that might help.  First is a fairly long, moderate actions medium light power rod which makes it easier to keep a tight line and won't tear the light wire hooks out.  Second, you may want to try giving the fish a little more time.  Don't set immediately on feeling the fish, give it a few seconds.  I recently was fishing and doing something else while my ned was on the bottom and felt a "bump", but thought I had hit the rod butt on something.  About 10 seconds later I gently felt for the lure and found resistance, so set the hook into a fish.  The hook was in the tongue of the fish, not at the lips.  The fish was eating it.  This was the new larger ned.

[benzmech]

I love the Ned rig and fish it all the time. It's always tied on and sitting on my deck. I am a believer in the zman products as well. I think they perform the best for this specific application. That being said, I also think the hooks on the shroomz head don't keep a sharp point for very long. I also had problems with fish just popping off half way to the boat. I started taking a file to the hooks and got a nice sharp point. Now I hardly have one pop free. I'd tie my file to my Ned rig rod but it would get in the way. The key for me was to sharpen the hooks often. Hope this helps you and keep handing out those baits. Swing by my place on your next rounds with some green pumpkin and 1/10 Oz heads please.

[Team9nine]

2 hours ago, MickD said:

Regarding losing fish, I think there are two things that might help.  First is a fairly long, moderate actions medium light power rod which makes it easier to keep a tight line and won't tear the light wire hooks out.  Second, you may want to try giving the fish a little more time.  Don't set immediately on feeling the fish, give it a few seconds. 

Just my experience, but this is the best all-around solution to the problem ^^ 

My favorite overall Midwest Finesse rod is a 7' ML built on a popping rod blank. That action also serves the purpose of making reaction times to bites slower since the feel aspect is delayed...which also addresses your second point. That latter point is the reason Ned states the technique is best accomplished using a "no feel" retrieve, and why he can fish with a $20 cheapo graphite rod and catch thousands of bass each year. High end, super duper modulus rods with x-fast actions provide no real benefits to the technique when carried out as espoused by Ned. That aspect really only comes into play when you go outside the realm of traditional MF depths.

-T9

[snake95]

4 hours ago, benzmech said:

The key for me was to sharpen the hooks often. Hope this helps you and keep handing out those baits. Swing by my place on your next rounds with some green pumpkin and 1/10 Oz heads please.

Thanks  - that's a great tip, and I was thinking that might be a solution to make the best of the jigs I have on hand.  I have a great hook file that I keep in my "lure shop" after watching Glen's video on sharpening hooks, but will put in my tackle bag instead.  I wish I could do some MI fishing and hand out TRDs up north.

 

3 hours ago, Team9nine said:

My favorite overall Midwest Finesse rod is a 7' ML built on a popping rod blank.

  Thanks Team99 and MickD.  I just got a 7' med (not ML) and will try that, too.

 

 

 

 

[MickD]

Note that it's not just the power, but also the action.  You want a moderate action, and as Team states, they are often called popping rods.

Snake, don't worry about us up-north folks not having TRD's.  I think the ned is probably the biggest thing to hit up  here in my memory.

I cast a junebug new bigger size ned into the launch area while my buddy went back to the car to get his cap and on the first cast ever with that bigger size ned, I took a nice smallmouth.  I was cheating , though, I moved the lure now and then.  :-)  I think that in cloudy water it helps to move it some to expose it to possibly more fish than would see it if it were absolutely stationary.  I don't think the now and then movement adversely affects its effectiveness.

[ChrisD46]

The Mid West / Ozarks guys have it going on with respect to really understanding the Ned Rig - if you do a little searching you will find guys making excellent mushroom type / style jig heads for the Ned Rig ( a good all - around hook size is a #2 ) . A 6'10" to 7' ML spinning rod , 2500 reel , #10 lb. braid , #6 lb. ~ #8 lb. co-poly leader and lastly - tight lines completes the deal for keeping bass hooked up . *FYI - the hook Bluebasser86 speaks of is deadly and is what I use ... No hook up problems to report !

[snake95]

18 hours ago, MickD said:

 

Note that it's not just the power, but also the action.  You want a moderate action, and as Team states, they are often called popping rods.

Snake, don't worry about us up-north folks not having TRD's.  I think the ned is probably the biggest thing to hit up  here in my memory.

 

Thanks for the clarification, MickD.  I meant to type "moderate" in there - I just bought my first moderate spinning rod with the intent of using it for light cranks and Rapala minnows in fairly open water.   That's what I'll try next based on your suggestion.

Interesting about Ned up north, though I'm not surprised.  Clearly Mr. Kehde has been putting out articles on the subject for quite some time and it is obviously popular in many places.  In my area of GA I had never seen a TRD in any of the suburban sporting goods stores.