Ned rig in grass?

[PressuredFishing]

So I have a few Ned rigs with the weed guard but does anyone fish them in hydrilla for clear water lmb?  Looking to expand my finesse approach to pressured clear water grassy lakes

[TnRiver46]

Finesse and grass don’t play well together in my experience 

[walleyecrazy]

If I’m around a lot of grass and want to use a ned rig I go with an ewg style head. I use the ones made by Lifted Jigs. 

[PressuredFishing]

43 minutes ago, walleyecrazy said:

If I’m around a lot of grass and want to use a ned rig I go with an ewg style head. I use the ones made by Lifted Jigs. 

Thanks, will try these perhaps

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Finesse and grass don’t play well together in my experience 

So true, sometimes it's the only option is fisheries that are pressured and Gen clear for me

[TnRiver46]

15 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Thanks, will try these perhaps

So true, sometimes it's the only option is fisheries that are pressured and Gen clear for me

I’m noticing fishing pressure is always in the forefront of your thinking, are you in California? I guide trout trips on the most pressured 1/4 mile of creek you’ve ever seen and the fish will still bite . They have to eat 

[PressuredFishing]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m noticing fishing pressure is always in the forefront of your thinking, are you in California? 

Yes you guessed so correctly ???

[Dogface]

I use Ned rigs but I'm careful where I throw them. I target areas along or outside of weed beds or toss to holes in the weeds. Since I usually fish Ned rigs on light line I stay away from heavy cover.  

[CountryboyinDC]

Honestly I think that jighead baits and exposed hook points are asking for a headache in grass or heavy current.  I use an offset 1/16 oz Owner jighead and I'm sure I miss more fish, but I'm not getting snagged every cast.  Shakey might be another way to go about it, just not with a 2 1/2" stickbait.

[T-Billy]

I've had some great days fishing outside grass edges with a ned. Exposed hook, 6# XT. It comes through better than you might expect and most fish head for deep water when you stick 'em instead of burying up in the grass. 

[Kenny Yi]

9 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Finesse and grass don’t play well together in my experience 

another reason why that stinking dropshot is so dominant ?

[PressuredFishing]

3 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I've had some great days fishing outside grass edges with a ned. Exposed hook, 6# XT. It comes through better than you might expect and most fish head for deep water when you stick 'em instead of burying up in the grass. 

Interesting, will definitely be worth a shot

[PressuredFishing]

57 minutes ago, Kenny Yi said:

another reason why that stinking dropshot is so dominant ?

Its good, just feel like the weight at the bottom punches down to far or not enough lol

[Bluebasser86]

Open hook, 1/16oz head, fish it around the edges or swim it over the top if the grass is deeper. 

[padon]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Open hook, 1/16oz head, fish it around the edges or swim it over the top if the grass is deeper. 

exactly. this is what alot of guys dont get about ned fishing. especially in grass. you dont throw it in areas that you would go flipping. but you can fish the edges. the key is to use a light head that doesnt bury in the grass. the 1/16 oz head will snag in the grass a little but a quick pop of the line frees it. thats also when alot of bites come as it pops off the grass and slowly falls.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Thats why ned heads have a really small hook.  You snag up more often with hooks over a #2 not to mention the 1/0 every one is putting on them now.  

I was hesitant to go to an EWG head.  I didnt think the bait would stand up and I figured the hookup rate would suffer.  I was surprised to see that even the TRDs stood up well and the hookup ratio was as good or better.  I found the hook on the Lifted heads to fit the smaller ned baits better then the Flatlands head. 

[PressuredFishing]

21 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m noticing fishing pressure is always in the forefront of your thinking, are you in California? I guide trout trips on the most pressured 1/4 mile of creek you’ve ever seen and the fish will still bite . They have to eat 

Oh man I love fly fishing for trout, do you live in california? The thing I hate about the fly fishing industry is how expensive it is though. I found a solution to that issue and  picked up a piscifun sword 2 fly reel for 60 dollars and feels like a 200 dollar Orvis reel. I also got a diawa Algonquin fly rod which is really nice.

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Thats why ned heads have a really small hook.  You snag up more often with hooks over a #2 not to mention the 1/0 every one is putting on them now.  

I was hesitant to go to an EWG head.  I didnt think the bait would stand up and I figured the hookup rate would suffer.  I was surprised to see that even the TRDs stood up well and the hookup ratio was as good or better.  I found the hook on the Lifted heads to fit the smaller ned baits better then the Flatlands head. 

Wow I really should try some ewg ned rigs it seems, seems it is the ticket. I got se with a little weed guard but I feel those may get caught in grass as well. Thanks for telling me about the ewg Ned's, didn't even know they made em until now 

[Hawkeye21]

I use mine in all kinds of cover but I only use EWG ned hooks.  I never use an exposed hook.

[FishTank]

[Finessegenics]

Tiny child rig, I’m usually using a 1/32 pagoda weight with a size 1 or 2 EWG hook.

 

float the bait over the grass, or let the bait fall in the open lanes. I’ve used a “ned” this way with lots of success. I’m still using typical gear for ned, ML spinning rod with 10# braid to 6# or 8# leader. 

[TnRiver46]

18 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Oh man I love fly fishing for trout, do you live in california? The thing I hate about the fly fishing industry is how expensive it is though. I found a solution to that issue and  picked up a piscifun sword 2 fly reel for 60 dollars and feels like a 200 dollar Orvis reel. I also got a diawa Algonquin fly rod which is really nice.

Wow I really should try some ewg ned rigs it seems, seems it is the ticket. I got se with a little weed guard but I feel those may get caught in grass as well. Thanks for telling me about the ewg Ned's, didn't even know they made em until now 

 No I’m in TN, mostly very small streams choked out with rhododendron so rod is typically not super important because you are usually fishing very close quarters and not casting far 

[PotatoLake]

4 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

Tiny child rig, I’m usually using a 1/32 pagoda weight with a size 1 or 2 EWG hook.

 

float the bait over the grass, or let the bait fall in the open lanes. I’ve used a “ned” this way with lots of success. I’m still using typical gear for ned, ML spinning rod with 10# braid to 6# or 8# leader. 

You beat me to it. It works quite well.

[PressuredFishing]

7 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

Tiny child rig, I’m usually using a 1/32 pagoda weight with a size 1 or 2 EWG hook.

 

float the bait over the grass, or let the bait fall in the open lanes. I’ve used a “ned” this way with lots of success. I’m still using typical gear for ned, ML spinning rod with 10# braid to 6# or 8# leader. 

Yup that is one of my go tos lol, was kinda a secret I thought until now,  to get out further I throw 1/16th and if the water is deeper 1/8th. Love this rig alot, also for smaller baits I'll use a 1/0 twist lock which is nice!

[Bluebasser86]

You don't need an EWG for this type of fishing. You're not trying to get it to stand up because it shouldn't be settling to the bottom (ever really), but especially in weeds. The #2 hook I pour mine on coupled with it only being a 1/16oz head gives the slow fall that doesn't crash down into the weeds. You're going to catch some weeds, but so will 100% of the lures you fish in weeds. You're going to have to either accept that, or not fish weeds. That tiny hook can only catch such a small amount of vegetation though, it's typically easily cleaned with a little snap of the rod, which also triggers strikes. 

[ironbjorn]

Those weed guards do not and will not help you in grass. In fact they arguably make it worse. What they're somewhat effective against is snagging wood, rocks, and other hard debris.

[Biglittle8]

On 7/7/2021 at 12:00 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Open hook, 1/16oz head, fish it around the edges or swim it over the top if the grass is deeper. 

I use a weed guard, but what bluebasser86 says about swimming is right on. I've had some great days of fishing doing this.