Ned Rig!!! (Update)

[IndianaFinesse]

39 minutes ago, wdp said:

Are you using the shroomz or are you making your own jig for the Ned? I know you make a lot of your own stuff is why I'm asking. 

 

I looked at the 1/20 oz and 1/15 oz size shroomz heads & man the hooks on those things were so tiny it looked like a crappie or bream hook. Ended up buying the 1/10 oz just for the slightly larger hook. After fishing it yesterday, kinda wish the bait had a slightly slower fall rate. But I did catch my fish Ned Rig fish. ?

Bluebasser does pour his own, but he pours them on #2 and #1 hooks which are the same size as the shroomz's.  I also pour my own ( I used to use the 1/20 oz. size shroomz's and 1/16, 1/32, and 3/32 ounce heads from Gopher tackle, poured on #4 and #2 hooks) and I now pour my own jigs on #4 and #2 hooks for 2.5 inch zinkerzs, and #1 for hula stickzs and finesse shadzs.  Ned kahde usually gets his jigs from Gopher tackle, and uses a #6 hook for the 1/32 ounce size, a #4 hook for 1/16 ounce heads, and #2 hooks for 3/32 ounce heads. If you upsize the hook the bait will lose its action and snag more, without improving hooking percentage.  Stay with the little hooks, and I would recommend using the 1/15 and 1/20 sizes depending  you buy from zman.  For the hookset, just reel quickly while raising the rod up higher.  And use braid.

[wdp]

1 hour ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Bluebasser does pour his own, but he pours them on #2 and #1 hooks which are the same size as the shroomz's.  I also pour my own ( I used to use the 1/20 oz. size shroomz's and 1/16, 1/32, and 3/32 ounce heads from Gopher tackle, poured on #4 and #2 hooks) and I now pour my own jigs on #4 and #2 hooks for 2.5 inch zinkerzs, and #1 for hula stickzs and finesse shadzs.  Ned kahde usually gets his jigs from Gopher tackle, and uses a #6 hook for the 1/32 ounce size, a #4 hook for 1/16 ounce heads, and #2 hooks for 3/32 ounce heads. If you upsize the hook the bait will lose its action and snag more, without improving hooking percentage.  Stay with the little hooks, and I would recommend using the 1/15 and 1/20 sizes depending  you buy from zman.  For the hookset, just reel quickly while raising the rod up higher.  And use braid.

Yeah, I was using 10 lb braid with a finesse TRD on a 1/10 oz shroomz - wasn't very weedless given the hook gap. Had a couple of snags & had to straighten out the hook once. Plus, fall rate was fairly fast. But it did cast well and the TRD was floating, so it stood up on bottom with a nice action & looked just like a small feeding baitfish. I'll probably go get some of the 1:15 oz shroomz. 

 

The one I caught nailed it bouncing off some rocks. Got a few other nibbles that I think were panfish. 

[Oregon Native]

Tried the "Ned" in a tourney yesterday and was interesting day.  Lost a couple decent fish on the Ned.  So tried one of my bigger hooks and thought it was the deal...no missed fish.  And then........@!#$.  Had about a 20 plus inch smallie to the boat a couple times and sadness followed.  Came off.....so the bigger hook wasn't really the answer I guess.   Will have to be a little more patient and softer I guess on the hookset.

Will have to do some more research and development..(slowing down on my part)  I enjoy research and development!!!

[Airman4754]

1 hour ago, Oregon Native said:

Tried the "Ned" in a tourney yesterday and was interesting day.  Lost a couple decent fish on the Ned.  So tried one of my bigger hooks and thought it was the deal...no missed fish.  And then........@!#$.  Had about a 20 plus inch smallie to the boat a couple times and sadness followed.  Came off.....so the bigger hook wasn't really the answer I guess.   Will have to be a little more patient and softer I guess on the hookset.

Will have to do some more research and development..(slowing down on my part)  I enjoy research and development!!!

 

I was having a problem with keeping fish pinned on them initially too. It didn't have anything to do with the hook size (see fly fishing). 

 

I did three things; went from a medium rod to a ML. I would reel down until the rod was completely loaded up, then actually give a pretty sharp hook set. Haven't lost a single fish since on one which would be in the hundreds now.

[Scott F]

I started using the Ned rigs last year with good success until I got laid up after back surgery. I did lose a few to downed wood. This year, I'm going to try some of the weedless Z-Man Shroomz jig heads. Anybody have any comments about them vs the regular versions?

[fishwizzard]

2 hours ago, Mosster47 said:

 

I was having a problem with keeping fish pinned on them initially too. It didn't have anything to do with the hook size (see fly fishing). 

 

I did three things; went from a medium rod to a ML. I would reel down until the rod was completely loaded up, then actually give a pretty sharp hook set. Haven't lost a single fish since on one which would be in the hundreds now.

 

I do something similar, but more of a double set.  I retrieve my my rod tip pretty low, like maybe 20d from parallel to the ground.  When I feel a bite I sweep it up to almost 90 then reel back down, as soon as I get the tip back to like 45 I give it another slow, hard set.   On smaller bass or sunfish, the hook is usually through the bottom or top lip, on the larger ones it is well stuck on the inside of the mouth.  If I don't do the second set I find that the fish I land are often just barely hooked and I am often amazed that i was able to land a lot of them.  

 

However, I most often fish the Ned while wading, so my rod tip is only a few feet from the surface of the water.  I assume that has a lot to do with the hooksets work.  

[IndianaFinesse]

10 hours ago, Scott F said:

I started using the Ned rigs last year with good success until I got laid up after back surgery. I did lose a few to downed wood. This year, I'm going to try some of the weedless Z-Man Shroomz jig heads. Anybody have any comments about them vs the regular versions?

Tried them, but I'm not a fan.  They didn't significantly decrease snagging, and decreased the hooking percentage.  The regular ned rig with a ~#2 hook and a roughly 1/16 ounce weight is already fairly snagless anyways, the small hooks and lite weights float and glide over snags easily.

[the reel ess]

On 3/16/2017 at 8:28 PM, the reel ess said:

I got a pack and some shroom heads in the mail today. Tied one on immediately. I cannot wait.

And I caught 5 on it today, biggest being about 2 lbs. I also caught 3 on a Zoom Finesse Worm, weightless, and 2 on a weightless chartreuse Manns fluke.

[reerok]

On 3/18/2017 at 0:26 PM, IndianaFinesse said:

And use braid.

 

I'm a happy Ned rig user of a few years now but haven't seen this tip before.  Can you elaborate on why you suggest we use braid?

 

As an FYI, I tend to fish the Ned on a 10 lb braid main to a 8 lb Flouro leader and it has worked well so far.

[IndianaFinesse]

40 minutes ago, reerok said:

 

I'm a happy Ned rig user of a few years now but haven't seen this tip before.  Can you elaborate on why you suggest we use braid?

 

As an FYI, I tend to fish the Ned on a 10 lb braid main to a 8 lb Flouro leader and it has worked well so far.

I meant either straight braid or braid with a leader, I don't think it matters which.  I did not mean to imply that straight braid was necessary, just that having braid as a main line was beneficial for improved hooksets and control without having a tight line for the no-feel retrieves.  Mono would be to stretchy and has to much memory for the ned rig.  I usually use 6-8 pound braid with an eight pound mono or flouro leader, but will use straight braid sometimes.

[reerok]

Got it.  That makes sense.  Thanks for the clarification.  As a note, I did once straighten out a Ned hook when I stupidly fished it on straight braid with a MH power spinning rod and set the hook like it was a 1 oz flipping jig.  That smallie was quite happy with my stupidity.  Med power rods and reel setting from that point forward has led to some serious Ned related happiness.

[Airman4754]

Took Ned to lunch with me today.

 

 

[Darren.]

You should make this the official Ned Rig Update thread  

 

So let me give mine! Got out for a couple hours, wind out

of the west, then it changed to NNW...

 

No bite on spinnerbait, dropshot, wacky, or Texas.

 

But good ol' Ned got me three, including a nice 2.89# fighting

machine. I lost a really nice one, too, didn't keep it under 

pressure. Almost changed from a ML to a M rod because of 

that, but I stuck with the ML.

 

So first trip with Ned gets an A. Not quite an A+ yet, but close.

[basswrangler83]

17" today one pb&j trd. 15lb braid, no leader. Caught several other small ones.

[kfili]

Question 1, do you think the ned rig would be a good bait for bedded bass?

2, what's the most amount of wind it can be fished in? 

[fishwizzard]

Cant speak to 1, but as for 2, I have had some luck stepping up to like a 12-15lb floro leader on windy days and still caught fish.  You want to use a loop knot to maximize the lure's action and I use a very short leader to keep the knot out of as many guides as possible, as the knot will be chunky.  

[IndianaFinesse]

1 hour ago, kfili said:

Question 1, do you think the ned rig would be a good bait for bedded bass?

2, what's the most amount of wind it can be fished in? 

It is my favorite bait for spawning bass, dead sticking it on the bed and jiggling it in place is a good place to start for beds.

You can fish it in any amount of wind as long as you can keep it down close the bottom. Past 25-30 miles an hour it gets tough.

[Airman4754]

I forgot to write about this last week. It was last Sunday I went to Academy and bought some 1/16oz Mr Crappie heads to try the Ned on. I was on my way home and I wanted to see what they looked like on the fall so I stopped by a pond to check it out.

 

I walk up to the edge, there is an older gentleman about 20ft down from me. I say hello, strip a couple feet off the reel and drop it straight into the water. It's only about two feet deep but kind of dirty. I watch it fall, think cool that will work, and pull it up to head back to my truck. The bait is stuck, so I pull up on it hard, it pulls back even harder. This 4lb-ish female start going crazy, I start this kind of running in place dance while I pull it up out of the water (6lb CX is strong), go to lip her but she is going nuts because I barely played her out, the Ned pops out, I drop her, she flops her way back into the water.

 

The old guy is looking at me and says "What the hell did you just do?" I replied "I'm not really sure" and went to my truck.

 

More Ned magic.

[Bluebasser86]

4 hours ago, kfili said:

Question 1, do you think the ned rig would be a good bait for bedded bass?

2, what's the most amount of wind it can be fished in? 

It's a terrific bed fishing bait. Not only do they seen to hate it on their bed, but it's nearly impossible for them to short strike.

I've fished it in as much wind as my Stratos could handle. My biggest Ned rig smallmouth to date was caught on a day it was gusting over 30. Never felt the bite, just reeled into her and realized it was a fish and not a rock, but that's about perfect with a Ned rig.

[kfili]

Well this thread convinced me, T.R.D.'s and shroom heads are on the way...

[NapeSticksToKids]

First tried the ned rig yesterday at a small pond I had never fished before. Got 5 largemouth and a faaat bluegill, one of the largemouth was a PB (see profile pic). Not the biggest around but my biggest so far. 

 

4 of them were on a cabelas bed jig head (like an offbrand shroomz head) with a 3" watermelon/red flake senko, the other 2 were on the same head but with a reactive smallie beaver in watermelon. It was pretty windy so I was using the 1/8 heads, 20lb braid with 10lb fluro leader. 

 

So so pleased with the turnout that I picked up some 1/15 shroomz today. 

[Smokinal]

1 hour ago, kfili said:

Well this thread convinced me, T.R.D.'s and shroom heads are on the way...

Welcome to the dark side; you're going to be a changed man.

[JustJames]

You know what, I never successfully using Ned rig itself. I started fishing Ned since last year and I caught nothing with it. In the mean time Zman TRD works, I use that on my dropshot and Texas rig and caught plenty of bass and one catfish. In fact I caught two today with TRD on Texas rig.

 

[basswrangler83]

1 hour ago, JustJames said:

You know what, I never successfully using Ned rig itself. I started fishing Ned since last year and I caught nothing with it. In the mean time Zman TRD works, I use that on my dropshot and Texas rig and caught plenty of bass and one catfish. In fact I caught two today with TRD on Texas rig.

 

I have Texas rigged them with decent success. I went back to the shroomz jig heads to try to stay true to the "system" but I lost 2 of them and 2 trd's because of snags. Most of the lakes in SE Nebraska are weedy, so using a 1/16 oz bullet weight and a 1/0 ewg hook can work. I've also caught a few on VMC finesse rugby heads in 1/16 oz size. 

[Airman4754]

18 hours ago, NapeSticksToKids said:

First tried the ned rig yesterday at a small pond I had never fished before. Got 5 largemouth and a faaat bluegill, one of the largemouth was a PB (see profile pic). Not the biggest around but my biggest so far. 

 

4 of them were on a cabelas bed jig head (like an offbrand shroomz head) with a 3" watermelon/red flake senko, the other 2 were on the same head but with a reactive smallie beaver in watermelon. It was pretty windy so I was using the 1/8 heads, 20lb braid with 10lb fluro leader. 

 

So so pleased with the turnout that I picked up some 1/15 shroomz today. 

 

I've caught some salad plate sized bream on the Ned in the last month. They were big enough no largemouth would mess with them. 

 

I haven't had the success bed fishing them like I though I would, but I fish beds a lot more aggressively than most. I make them bite.