Weedless Ned Rig

[Luke Barnes]

Ive been on the hunt for a way to make a weedless Ned Rig that doesn't kill what little action a Finesse TRD has and coming up empty. I tried the VMC Rugbyhead but its too big of a hook. Got the Shroomz with the weed guard and its darn near worthless for grass. I want to be able to ned in thicker stuff but with the open hook I'm tired of losing them! Does anybody have any ideas???

[BoatSquirrel]

The ned is not a great option for grass.  TX rig is better.  But these heads work well around wood and rock.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lifted_Jigs_Ned_EWG_Jig_Heads_3pk/descpage-LIFTND.html

There are other folks making similar options, BR's old friend Siebert makes some.  Bought some good ones on ebay.

Good luck man.

[archman]

The owner ultra finesse ball head is a great option too. 

[plawren53202]

13 minutes ago, BoatSquirrel said:

The ned is not a great option for grass.  TX rig is better.  But these heads work well around wood and rock.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lifted_Jigs_Ned_EWG_Jig_Heads_3pk/descpage-LIFTND.html

There are other folks making similar options, BR's old friend Siebert makes some.  Bought some good ones on ebay.

Good luck man.

+1 to this. If I want to fish something Ned-like around grass, I usually go with a weightless Texas rigged 4" Yum Dinger. Seems like I have good luck with it sinking nose down, but occasionally I will put the tiniest of split shot right in front of it (I forget what size they are) to make sure it does. If I want to make it even more Ned-like I might use a SK Ned Ocho.

 

I've used the Lifted Jigs EWG heads, as well as some similar ones made by Big Bite Baits. They work really well, except that I had bad luck with using them with the original Zman/Elaztech baits. It seemed like even with the hook texposed, that rubbery Elaztech bait made it hard for the hook point to come through and I was missing quite a few bites. I have some other TRD Finesse-like baits from other companies, like Strike King Ned Ocho and Roboworm Ned Worms, and these seem to do better for me on the Texas rigged hook. Of course, the Elaztech is a big part of a Ned rig for me because it floats, so I feel like I'm giving something up by using these others.

[Finessegenics]

There was a post about this today as well...here’s the message I left, the way I make my ned rig weedless; 

 

“

Now to go truly weedless; there are a lot of  EWG ned heads out there but I have a gripe with most of them. A lot of them don’t come in 1/16 oz, which is my sweet spot for the ned rig. Secondly, most are made with 2/0 EWGs which are way too big to be putting on a 2.75” TRD. I mean sure, it fits, but the plastic loses the little action it has. The top half of the TRD will no longer be swaying with the current and a big hook just turns a TRD into a log. I’m sure it still gets bit but I have a somewhat better solution. 
 

I like to take a size 2 EWG and Texas rig one end of the bait. On the other end, I screw in a 1/32 oz VMC neko weight, which is just one of those pagoda weights. The bummer is it’s hard to fit anything more than 1/32 ozpagoda weight into a finesse trd but if you go with tungsten you may be able to squeeze a 1/16 oz weight in there. It’s hard to rig straight into the Elaztech but once it’s in, it’s not coming out. The bait falls a little different and can be harder to cast without appropriate gear but I use this in shallow water when pitching around weeds and logs. I still occasionally get hung up but you’ll see that ithappens a lot less. ”

[NYWayfarer]

I use a screw in 1/8 oz mushroom head weight and a 1/0 straight shank worm hook from Zoneloc. They call this variation of the Ned the Tiny Child Rig.

 

It's as weedless as it gets. I have had very few issues with getting caught on anything with it. It's basically an upside down T-Rig.

 

http://

[Taylormade113]

8 hours ago, GreenPig said:

.The Z-man Finesse Bulletz jig works with the TRD & TRD Crawz in the grass/weeds.

This right here, changed the Ned game for me and my sons.  

[Luke Barnes]

11 hours ago, archman said:

The owner ultra finesse ball head is a great option too. 

I looked at those and the hooks seemed a bit big. 

17 minutes ago, Taylormade113 said:

This right here, changed the Ned game for me and my sons.  

I saw these but with the more bullet head I didnt think they would stand up on the bottom like with the Shroomz. They still have good enough action to get bit??

1 hour ago, NYWayfarer said:

I use a screw in 1/8 oz mushroom head weight and a 1/0 straight shank worm hook from Zoneloc. They call this variation of the Ned the Tiny Child Rig.

 

It's as weedless as it gets. I have had very few issues with getting caught on anything with it. It's basically an upside down T-Rig.

 

http://

I saw an Ike in the Shop about the Tiny Child rig. It looks like it doesnt have much action, like the top quivering, but I guess it still catches fish.

[NYWayfarer]

46 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

I saw an Ike in the Shop about the Tiny Child rig. It looks like it doesnt have much action, like the top quivering, but I guess it still catches fish.

I have studied the action of this rig while using it. I find the bait falls away from me. When using the screw in mushroom weight it has a shimmy on the fall. The bait stands straight up on semi-slack line and hops nicely when the rod is twitched.

 

I feel the strike 99% of the time. Yesterday was the first time I did not detect the strike. I thought I was snagged and yanked hard and a Bass came flying out of the water!

[archman]

The owner isn’t too big. I catch a ton of fish with them. 

[casterus60]

These are working good for me. 

Adam

[Heartland]

When you start using hardware like this to rig the TRD, you are no longer fish a "Ned Rig".  It looks much closer to a shakey head.  Spend some time learning the actual "Ned Rig" technique  - Midwest Finesse, learn the different retrieves that make is very successful,  listen to an interview with Ned himself while he talks retrieves, tackle and hardware.  

 

Probably my OCD but I dislike hearing someone say Ned Rig and look at it and the only thing it has in common with a Ned Rig usually is a TRD.

[Black Hawk Basser]

6 hours ago, Taylormade113 said:

This right here, changed the Ned game for me and my sons.  

 

 

Keep in mind that these are for the Elaztech baits.  Regular baits will get tore all to heck by the weight on the shank.

[galyonj]

4 hours ago, casterus60 said:

These are working good for me. 

Adam

I'm predisposed to like these because Nail Bomb is one of my favorite bands. ?

[Junk Fisherman]

Use a 1/15th oz jig and a #2 hook.  I have started to experiment with a #4 hook to see if my hookup/land percentage remains the same as using a #2 or #1 hook.  The bait is surprisingly weedless as long as it is 1/15 with the small hook.  Like someone mentioned, when you get to a bigger weight and hook it is more of a shakey head than a Ned rig.  I fish a very weedy lake and have learned over the last month how truly weedless it is.  You can ****** the bait from weed stalks often and still have a clean retrieve.  With the 1/15th weight you can work it a little faster and keep it off the bottom as well.  Sometimes you get snagged or bring back weeds but the more I fish it, the less it happens.  Having a light, sensitive rod and using braid/fluoro is key to knowing what exactly is happening with you bait.  

 

While I haven't used them a lot, I did buy some Owner 1/16 oz #1 EWG jigs with Ned in mind but I didn't like how the hook was coming through the TRD.  I tried it once and missed a couple fish and immediately went back to my standard rig.  Good luck.  

[NYWayfarer]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

 

Probably my OCD but I dislike hearing someone say Ned Rig and look at it and the only thing it has in common with a Ned Rig usually is a TRD.

If you want your OCD to truly flair up the Ned was half a Z-Man Zinker and not a TRD. ?

[galyonj]

17 minutes ago, NYWayfarer said:

If you want your OCD to truly flair up the Ned was half a Z-Man Zinker and not a TRD. ?

According to the man himself, it was half of a Strike King Zero.

 

Which...splitting hairs, I guess.

[Heartland]

14 minutes ago, NYWayfarer said:

If you want your OCD to truly flair up the Ned was half a Z-Man Zinker and not a TRD. ?

Yes that's true, was fishing before the TRD, have made my peace with it.

[Elkins45]

9 hours ago, Taylormade113 said:

This right here, changed the Ned game for me and my sons.  

How do you rig that thing?

[Luke Barnes]

4 hours ago, Heartland said:

When you start using hardware like this to rig the TRD, you are no longer fish a "Ned Rig".  It looks much closer to a shakey head.  Spend some time learning the actual "Ned Rig" technique  - Midwest Finesse, learn the different retrieves that make is very successful,  listen to an interview with Ned himself while he talks retrieves, tackle and hardware.  

 

Probably my OCD but I dislike hearing someone say Ned Rig and look at it and the only thing it has in common with a Ned Rig usually is a TRD.

Ive done some research. I have a dedicated Ned Rig combo, usually use 1/10th Shroomz and a variety of the TRD plastics. I do very small short hops then reel up slack or do a big pop and let it pendulum down. Not sure if this is what Ned himself does, but its what I do. I just want to do it weedless. 

3 hours ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Use a 1/15th oz jig and a #2 hook.  I have started to experiment with a #4 hook to see if my hookup/land percentage remains the same as using a #2 or #1 hook.  The bait is surprisingly weedless as long as it is 1/15 with the small hook.  Like someone mentioned, when you get to a bigger weight and hook it is more of a shakey head than a Ned rig.  I fish a very weedy lake and have learned over the last month how truly weedless it is.  You can ****** the bait from weed stalks often and still have a clean retrieve.  With the 1/15th weight you can work it a little faster and keep it off the bottom as well.  Sometimes you get snagged or bring back weeds but the more I fish it, the less it happens.  Having a light, sensitive rod and using braid/fluoro is key to knowing what exactly is happening with you bait.  

 

While I haven't used them a lot, I did buy some Owner 1/16 oz #1 EWG jigs with Ned in mind but I didn't like how the hook was coming through the TRD.  I tried it once and missed a couple fish and immediately went back to my standard rig.  Good luck.  

I use a 6'6 ML with 10lb braid and a fluoro leader. Weeds and alot of the time rocks is what really gets me. Ive broken the hook off one and bent many a light wire hook on rocks.

[Heartland]

10 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

Ive done some research. I have a dedicated Ned Rig combo, usually use 1/10th Shroomz and a variety of the TRD plastics. I do very small short hops then reel up slack or do a big pop and let it pendulum down. Not sure if this is what Ned himself does, but its what I do. I just want to do it weedless. 

I use a 6'6 ML with 10lb braid and a fluoro leader. Weeds and alot of the time rocks is what really gets me. Ive broken the hook off one and bent many a light wire hook on rocks.

That would be a Ned Rig for sure, try going lighter, try a 1/16oz head sometime try fishing it where you can't feel the bait.  I guess what I am saying in my OP is that if you're going to rig a TRD with EWG then call it a TX rigged TRD  not a Ned Rig, if you're going to rig a TRD with a Charlie Brewer type of sled rig then call it that if you want to fish it on a shakey head then do it, I am sure it works fantastic, but it does not make it a Ned Rig.   /Rant     IMO the Ned Rig was never designed to fish in grass, it was designed and used to fish the reservoirs, small lakes , rivers and creeks of the Midwest. 

[Luke Barnes]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

That would be a Ned Rig for sure, try going lighter, try a 1/16oz head sometime try fishing it where you can't feel the bait.  I guess what I am saying in my OP is that if you're going to rig a TRD with EWG then call it a TX rigged TRD  not a Ned Rig, if you're going to rig a TRD with a Charlie Brewer type of sled rig then call it that if you want to fish it on a shakey head then do it, I am sure it works fantastic, but it does not make it a Ned Rig.   /Rant     IMO the Ned Rig was never designed to fish in grass, it was designed and used to fish the reservoirs, small lakes , rivers and creeks of the Midwest. 

I do live in the midwest!! Haha. Whats thw benefit of going lighter? Also I have the TRD Crawz and Ticklerz but I feel like the plain ok Finesse TRD has gotten more bites. 

[Heartland]

2 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

I do live in the midwest!! Haha. Whats thw benefit of going lighter? Also I have the TRD Crawz and Ticklerz but I feel like the plain ok Finesse TRD has gotten more bites. 

Far less hang-ups when you go lighter, I also think it lets the bait present itself much better with a lighter weight and small hook.  Makes it easier to keep it off the bottom also.   I lived in Tulsa for a while, where you finding alll this grass at.

[evo2s197]

21 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

I am sure it works fantastic, but it does not make it a Ned Rig. 

If its rigged with a Small elaztech bait, with a light weight small hook jighead it's a ned rig.

[Luke Barnes]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

Far less hang-ups when you go lighter, I also think it lets the bait present itself much better with a lighter weight and small hook.  Makes it easier to keep it off the bottom also.   I lived in Tulsa for a while, where you finding alll this grass at.

I live in the Tulsa area. Mainly ponds and one small lake I fish are choked with weeds and grass. The main lakes are fine, but pond hopping is a different story. I thought 1/10 was pretty light but I guess it wont hurt to pick up a pack of 1/16th.