Ned rig head recommendations

[jcjunior]

I’ve always used the zman finesse shroomz heads with the zman TRD but unless you take the bait off each head at the end of the day the hook rusts and will snap either in a snag or setting the hook on a fish. I superglue my trd’s to the head so it’s a PITA taking them off and regluing  after every outing. I had a pack of mustads which were nice, also a little bit thicker gauge wired hook which I also liked.  What other heads are you guys that don’t rust and snap in half on a hook set?

[Wprich]

Just picked up using the ned rig this year but I've been using the Outkast Tackle Josh Douglas perfect ned head with no issues so far.  Been leaving the bait/head together after fishing them also.

[Jig Man]

Baits with salt if left on will rust the hooks.  Have you tried them without the glue?

[padon]

outcast tackle heads are good and so are the siebert heads. go right to the banner on the right of the page and get some. excellent heads.

[BlakeMolone]

I love the berkley half heads, very cheap and come with a nice small and sharp hook. The keeper works well with Elaztech at first but once the worm starts to wear out a drop of supper glue might be needed. 

[tander]

I use Jades Jigs and also Z Mans Ned Lock. I think any hook will rust out if left long enough. I still use glue on all of mine.

https://jadesjigs.com/

[ChrisD46]

None better than site sponsor Siebert's Morel Ned Jig Head standard size in 1/16th oz. Green Pumpkin or Black . *The Owner #1 size hooks Mike uses in the Morel Ned jig heads are the perfect size and strength for Ned Rigging . If you are using a little larger Ned soft plastic - the Morel XL with the Owner 1/0 hooks are equally great on a Big TRD or the Robo Worm 4.5" Ned Worm .

 

Bonus Mention : Morel Ned Jig Heads are also great for your 2.75" ~ 3.3" Strike King / Keitech Swing Impact swim baits.

[jcjunior]

2 hours ago, Jig Man said:

Baits with salt if left on will rust the hooks.  Have you tried them without the glue?

Yes using elaztech baits without glue is not a good idea. They constantly fall down the hook 

[walleyecrazy]

The Outkast tackle perfect ned heads are the best I’ve found. 

[FishTank]

I like the Owner Blockhead. The ones from Zman are kind of a joke. You would think they would catch on to this and make some improvements. Their baits though are not bad.  They last a long time and can catch fish. My only complaint is that they stick to some hook keepers like glue and slip on others. 

[EWREX]

berkley half heads and the lunker city ned head have great keepers on them

[Cgolf]

Second for Jades Jigs, they are reasonable and also made out of a tin bismuth alloy that is environmentally friendly. They do run a touch lighter due to that. I have had great luck with them and they have multiple styles one which is the gopher head design. I get mine unpainted to keep costs down since I fish snaggy waters.

 

I actually have an order being delivered tonight which will appear on another thread as well:)

[Columbia Craw]

Sieberts baby!

[Bluebasser86]

Whatever you pick, don't go too heavy or too big of a hook. 

[rangerjockey]

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Whatever you pick, don't go too heavy or too big of a hook. 

100%. I just picked up some of the Z man OG's in 1/16 so far so good.

 I'm going back to the way the thing was meant to be fished. 

[Junk Fisherman]

The rusting on the hook must be due to the Z-Man jig.  I make my own jigs with Owner hooks and have never had any rusting.  Like you, I glue my baits to the head and always have a half dozen or so of different baits in the boat and some have been in my boat a long time.  Like others have mentioned, don't go too heavy or use too big of a hook.  A 1/16 #2 hook is the setup I use most often followed by a 3/32.  Good luck.  

[snake95]

I haven’t tried them all, but definitely fish Neds a lot.  
 

I also like the Owner Blockhead and the Zman OG.

 

ZMan/TT lures Ned Lockz are well built with all the bells and whistles but a little heavy and bulky for the kind of light line Ned fishing I do the most.

 

Rage brand Ned baits are excellent but Strike King’s Ned heads seem weirdly long and large.  
 

Zmans traditional Ned heads are a little flimsy - I agree - but the proportions and weight are right for Ned rigs in my experience and they work ok for me.  They just don’t last long.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

 I've got trds that have been on finesse shrooms that have litteraly sat in a plano for years without rust because I dont use them nearly as much anymore.  There may be a tiny bit of build up on the shank of the hook right where it exits the bait, but it doesn't damage the hook and you can wipe it off.  

I do soak my TRDs overnight for max buoyancy.  That greatly reduces the salt content.  Try that and see if it makes a difference, it should.

Dont store your rigged or soaked trds with unused baits that are full of salt if you want to prevent rust.  Also avoid putting them away wet if possible.  Zman has some ned baits with little or no salt that work really well.  The TRD hogz work great, but they dont cast quite as well as a standard TRD.

I've used most of the earlier heads on the market, starting with the shrooms, grip pins, jewel and ned locks.  I've actually come full circle back to the finesse shrooms.  Although I really wish they kept the rounded head on the 1/20, they work really well.  If you have the right gear and your drag is set correctly you wont have issues with hooks breaking.  The newer hooks dont seem to have as much flex as the older ones.  I actually much prefer a hook to have some give and bend then to be stiff and break.  I did have one of the newer ones break when I grabbed my line and lifted a 3lb bass out of the water, but that's user error really.

The Berkley Half Head is one you have to try.  The hook size is really versatile and it's stupid sharp.  The wire is thin enough for great penetration but sturdy enough to handle bigger fish with confidence.  Good keeper, 90⁰ line tie and good head shape.  What may be the best part is the price you get 8 for 5$ instead of 3 or 4.

 

[Mbirdsley]

Seems like this would be a good application for tungsten.  However, maybe the head would have to be too small due to it being heavier than lead. 

[RDB]

On 3/24/2022 at 7:54 AM, jcjunior said:

Yes using elaztech baits without glue is not a good idea. They constantly fall down the hook 

FYI…here is a video by Brian Latimer discussing the importance of rigging Z Man’s to keep them up on the hook.  In my experience if you don’t pull it up like that it usually doesn’t seat well.