How do you retrieve the ned rig?

[Bluebasser86]

6 hours ago, fin said:

I've been real tempted to try ned rigs. I fish very similar methods, but not with the ned rig materials. I use small plastics with very little weight.

 

The main thing that has kept me from trying the ned is the exposed hook. Both of these videos talk about catching 50+ fish off a single TRD. It's hard for me to believe when fishing an exposed hook on the bottom. Maybe the lake I fish just has a lot more wood and rocks. I also understand a lot of the hits come from the fall, and they never hit the bottom. I don't think that would be the case in my heavily fished lake.

If you stick with the light head and small hook, it's actually pretty resistant to snagging, especially in rocks and when it does snag it pops loose pretty easily typically. The lakes I fish mine in (the same lakes that Ned developed the system in), are primarily rocky bottoms with scattered grass and wood and docks as well. All are heavily pressured. Some days they'll eat on the drop, some days it's more during the retrieve like fishing a jig or T rig. It's a very inexpensive rig to try (frugality is one of the main emphasis of the system), you can buy a couple packs of heads and a few bags of baits and be out $20. 

[fin]

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

If you stick with the light head and small hook...

I use 1/16 oz most of the time already, so yeah, no problem there. What is considered a small hook in a ned rig? It's all LMB here, no SM.

[Bluebasser86]

Just now, fin said:

I use 1/16 oz most of the time already, so yeah, no problem there. What is considered a small hook in a ned rig? It's all LMB here, no SM.

A #2 is pretty standard with the 1/16oz head, that's the weight and size hook I pour the vast majority of and use by far the most for largemouth and smallmouth. 

[PourMyOwn]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

A #2 is pretty standard with the 1/16oz head, that's the weight and size hook I pour the vast majority of and use by far the most for largemouth and smallmouth. 

I also pour these heads, and use 1/0, #1, and #2 hooks. I pour mine with bismuth/tin to stay legal here in NH, which is less dense than lead. 

[fin]

On 6/3/2019 at 1:04 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

If you stick with the light head and small hook, it's actually pretty resistant to snagging, especially in rocks and when it does snag it pops loose pretty easily typically.

So I broke down and bought a bag of finesse TRDs and a package of NedlockZ in the 1/15oz #2 hook (only size available in that weight). Only took me 15 minutes to lose it to a snag ?

 

 

[HoosierFisher]

2 hours ago, fin said:

So I broke down and bought a bag of finesse TRDs and a package of NedlockZ in the 1/15oz #2 hook (only size available in that weight). Only took me 15 minutes to lose it to a snag ?

 

 

I think every time I've tried the Ned rig I have managed to snag it on something and lose it or bend out the hook. I've had better luck with a shaky head. I'll keep trying though. 

[Russ E]

22 minutes ago, HoosierFisher said:

I think every time I've tried the Ned rig I have managed to snag it on something and lose it or bend out the hook. I've had better luck with a shaky head. I'll keep trying though. 

 

2 hours ago, fin said:

So I broke down and bought a bag of finesse TRDs and a package of NedlockZ in the 1/15oz #2 hook (only size available in that weight). Only took me 15 minutes to lose it to a snag ?

 

Since my boat is currently in the shop, I spent the day fishing from  bank at a local lake with a bag of TRD's and 3  1/15 ounce shroomz heads.

it is a rocky weedy lake with a few fallen trees in the water. Fished all day on one Shroomz head and one TRD. 

caught a mixed bag of smallmouth and largemouth. also caught 1 catfish and 2 drum. 

I snagged a couple times but with steady pressure they usually pull free. if the hook bends , I just straighten it and keep fishing.

I did retie and sharpen the hook a couple times, but when I quit, the bait I started with was still on my rod.

 

[fin]

27 minutes ago, HoosierFisher said:

I think every time I've tried the Ned rig I have managed to snag it on something and lose it or bend out the hook. I've had better luck with a shaky head. I'll keep trying though. 

I'm not giving up. I'm going to try a t-rig with a 1/0 VMC EWG with a 1/16oz pegged Water Gremlin low profile slip-sinker next. VMC has the tiniest 1/0 for some reason. Still not as short as the jigheads I bought, but close enough I hope it will still have some wiggle.

 

9 minutes ago, Russ E said:

I snagged a couple times but with steady pressure they usually pull free. if the hook bends , I just straighten it and keep fishing.

I'm not sure what I hooked into. Maybe metal. I tried working it loose for 5 minutes or so. I think those NedlockZ are heavy wire, they wouldn't bend before my 10# popped, and I was snagged only a few feet away.

[Russ E]

1 minute ago, fin said:

I'm not giving up. I'm going to try a t-rig with a 1/0 VMC EWG with a 1/16oz pegged Water Gremlin low profile slip-sinker next. VMC has the tiniest 1/0 for some reason. Still not as short as the jigheads I bought, but close enough I hope it will still have some wiggle.

 

I'm not sure what I hooked into. Maybe metal. I tried working it loose for 5 minutes or so. I think those NedlockZ are heavy wire, they wouldn't bend before my 10# popped, and I was snagged only a few feet away.

I am not a fan of the nedlockz. don't like the heavier wire hook or the bait holder collar.

I prefer the original shroomz heads. They did had an issue with hooks breaking a while back, but that seems to be fixed.

 

Generally I don't use the ned rig a lot. I prefer larger baits most of the time.

It is a good bait when fishing is tough.

It also is a great bait to introduce somebody new to bass fishing. it flat out catches fish.

[DSTN]

Most of my ned rig fishing has been using a 1/16 oz ball head crappie jig with a #2 hook. Has worked really well and since the heads aren't marketed for the ned rig they aren't $1 a head. I tried some if the Berkley half-heads in 1/16 and really like the keeper on them. Works really well. Just wish the 1/16 oz came with a #2 hook instead of #1.

[ChrisD46]

If you are snagging , drop down to a 1/24th oz. or 1/32nd oz. jig head and use no larger than a #2 hook size . I have some *Gopher made mushroom heads that have a smaller  **#4 size hook that are very good in snaggy conditions .

 

*Gopher Jigs filled a nice Ned Rig niche - unfortunately I believe they may no longer be in business .

** I've seen Ned pictures where he has Bass hooked with a #6 size jig head hook - to Ned a #2 size hook is large !

[fin]

9 hours ago, Russ E said:

I am not a fan of the nedlockz. don't like the heavier wire hook or the bait holder collar.

I prefer the original shroomz heads.

They had very few options at my local Academy. I wasn't happy with the design of the bait holder either, or the heavy wire. I won't be buying again.

 

9 hours ago, Russ E said:

Generally I don't use the ned rig a lot. I prefer larger baits most of the time.

It is a good bait when fishing is tough.

Fishing is tough where I fish about 80% of the year, so I use a lot of small baits. Sometimes larger than average triggers bites too.

 

7 hours ago, DSTN said:

Most of my ned rig fishing has been using a 1/16 oz ball head crappie jig with a #2 hook. Has worked really well and since the heads aren't marketed for the ned rig they aren't $1 a head.

lol. I usually avoid hot trends until they're no longer hot, but this appealed to the way I already fish. If I used ball head jigs, that would be so close to fishing with grubs that I wouldn't expect much better results than that, plus, I assume you would lose baits since there is no holder.

 

 

[fishwizzard]

6 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

 

*Gopher Jigs filled a nice Ned Rig niche - unfortunately I believe they may no longer be in business .

** I've seen Ned pictures where he has Bass hooked with a #6 size jig head hook - to Ned a #2 size hook is large !

Yea, Gopher is gone.  I had hopped that they sold their molds to someone who would keep producing them but so far it seems to not have happened.  

[GreenPig]

I prefer to stitch the Ned Rig. I can cast & retrieve 8 or 9 long cast in 4 hours if I'm not bothered by the bass. Must be in an area that has fish for this technique to work.?

[jbsoonerfan]

On 6/2/2019 at 5:06 PM, fin said:

I've been real tempted to try ned rigs. I fish very similar methods, but not with the ned rig materials. I use small plastics with very little weight.

 

The main thing that has kept me from trying the ned is the exposed hook. Both of these videos talk about catching 50+ fish off a single TRD. It's hard for me to believe when fishing an exposed hook on the bottom. Maybe the lake I fish just has a lot more wood and rocks. I also understand a lot of the hits come from the fall, and they never hit the bottom. I don't think that would be the case in my heavily fished lake.

I'm in the same boat, but I tied one on today to try this weekend. I figure I will catch more grass/moss than fish, but I'm gonna try.

[cookieman]

Have tried about everything and use the hop retrieve the most. Surprising enough I am thrifty and no longer use the ned rig hook regularly but use a worm hook with a  round split shot weight. Saves the money and works good for me

[fin]

4 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

I'm in the same boat, but I tied one on today to try this weekend. I figure I will catch more grass/moss than fish, but I'm gonna try.

I lost my t-rig in 15 minutes too. I lost it in riprap though, so I can't really blame the rig. It didn't stand up and wiggle as good as the shroom head jig, but it looked pretty good. I bent the EWG to make it even shorter and wider.

 

I can see why fish would be attracted to it, it looks like an easy snack. A bream about 2" long attacked it when I let it sit near the bank for a second.

 

I'm not sure it would be my bait of choice in flooding conditions / muddy / murky water.

[teabag259]

The Ned Rig has become my go to where I usually fish. I’m still working on mastering the technique but I have definitely improved. I usually hop it along the bottom and have had pretty good success. But....I do get hung up A LOT with it. The lake I fish is very rocky and I guess that is the risk I run. 

 

I do have a question on what rod and line I should be using. I’ve read that a light or medium light rod with light test is recommended. Is this the case?  I’ve been using my medium heavy rod with 10# test. It does work but I’m thinking i might have more success with the proper equipment. 

[EGbassing]

20 minutes ago, teabag259 said:

The Ned Rig has become my go to where I usually fish. I’m still working on mastering the technique but I have definitely improved. I usually hop it along the bottom and have had pretty good success. But....I do get hung up A LOT with it. The lake I fish is very rocky and I guess that is the risk I run. 

 

I do have a question on what rod and line I should be using. I’ve read that a light or medium light rod with light test is recommended. Is this the case?  I’ve been using my medium heavy rod with 10# test. It does work but I’m thinking i might have more success with the proper equipment. 

Get a ML if you can. MH is definitely too heavy, but it will work if you need it to.

[Allen Der]

st croix 6"10" MLXF works well. this is their "drop shot rod".  i've also used 7' MLF.  6lb mainline or leader

[Glaucus]

16 hours ago, fin said:

I lost my t-rig in 15 minutes too. I lost it in riprap though, so I can't really blame the rig. It didn't stand up and wiggle as good as the shroom head jig, but it looked pretty good. I bent the EWG to make it even shorter and wider.

 

I can see why fish would be attracted to it, it looks like an easy snack. A bream about 2" long attacked it when I let it sit near the bank for a second.

 

I'm not sure it would be my bait of choice in flooding conditions / muddy / murky water.

It caught most of my biggest SMB last year in the rapids of a river dam. White water and murky to muddy otherwise. Swimming it rather quickly with an eratic hop retrieve the whole way to combat the fast water. There's no limit to it. Those fish are more incredible than we realize, and so is the Ned Rig.