Neko rig

[LrgmouthShad]

3 hours ago, fishingtx said:

I use Neko rigs 99% of fishing trips. They are extremely versatile. My primary use for them is targeting shallow cover. They are good for ffs and deep brush as well. I have found that the Neko rig performs best in highly pressured areas, similar to a wacky worm, however the Neko rig is not as commonly thrown. The applications for this technique are endless and the variations in lure choice are as well.

How do you work the lure

[WRB]

Let the worm/Senko on slack lack line then drag hope it.

Tom

[BrianMDTX]

Like @WRB says, that’s the way. 
 

Try a Neko rig with a Neko Macho. It’s a fatter, bigger bait. Also works well rigged as a TR. 

[ChrisD46]

On 3/25/2024 at 6:32 PM, Bass Rutten said:

These are great, but if you don't want the weight exposed get a nice sturdy pointy toothpick, one of thick old school ones not the newer flat wimpy ones, and "pre-drill" a hole in it, about and inch or so long or a little longer than the nail style weight you plan to insert, then insert the weight with your fingers about 3/4 of the way then use the toothpick to push it in the rest of the way and "bury it", then use a dab a superglue to seal it off.

I have evolved with the Neko rig to use this mushroom shaped head versus the nail weight ... I believe you pick up a few more bites with the exposed mushroom head clacking off of rocks and gravel whereas the nail weight embedded in the soft plastic runs silently along the bottom .

[BrianMDTX]

@ChrisD46 I just watched a video last night about using this weight as a Neko rig with a craw. It looked read good. 

[RRocket]

21 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

I have evolved with the Neko rig to use this mushroom shaped head versus the nail weight ... I believe you pick up a few more bites with the exposed mushroom head clacking off of rocks and gravel whereas the nail weight embedded in the soft plastic runs silently along the bottom .

The Decoy DS-15 is really good too! 

[Tennessee Boy]

I use brass screws for weights.   They stay in the bait much better than nails.  You can get a box of 500 in a variety of sizes at Harbor Freight for $4.99.

 

If using something that cheap hurts your confidence,  you can tell them at the register that it’s for fishing and they will charge you 25 cents per screw and $7 for the Plano style box they come in.  😆

[ChrisD46]

On 4/20/2024 at 6:20 AM, Tennessee Boy said:

I use brass screws for weights.   They stay in the bait much better than nails.  You can get a box of 500 in a variety of sizes at Harbor Freight for $4.99.

 

If using something that cheap hurts your confidence,  you can tell them at the register that it’s for fishing and they will charge you 25 cents per screw and $7 for the Plano style box they come in.  😆

Harbor Freight is good as are the big box stores for buying packs of screws which can work in a pinch as a Neko Rig weight ... Still , the density of lead and tungsten in a Neko Rig weight is harder to duplicate and still have it fit in the nose of a soft plastic worm . I also like to know the weight of the Neko weight and choose 1/16th oz. and sometimes 3/32nd oz. for majority of Neko Rigging .

As far as hook placement on a Neko Rigged soft plastic : I used to insert the o-ring with hook right about the middle of the egg sack - but after watching pros on YouTube rig the Neko , I now move that o-ring and hook a little further away from the nose of the Neko Rig just north of the egg sack now more towards the tail . About a 40 (towards tail) - 60 ratio (towards nose) placement of the o-ring and hook gives better action on the fall as well as on the retrieve.

[fishingtx]

On 4/15/2024 at 1:54 PM, LrgmouthShad said:

How do you work the lure

Mostly dragging with small hops in between. On FFS I let the fish reaction dictate it.

[ChrisD46]

On 4/20/2024 at 4:45 AM, RRocket said:

The Decoy DS-15 is really good too! 

*If you are casting / pitching a Neko Rig around boat docks , boats (especially pontoon boats) - you will do better to burry that nose weight in the head of the worm . Why ? Because an exposed nose weight on a Neko rig clanging off boats and other structure (docks , metal , etc.) will scare away bass . No one can cast accurately 100% of the time , so if you are trying to cast in tight places with a Neko rig - then burry that nose weight into the worm for a quieter presentation . If you are not fishing around boat docks , boats , metal structures - then go ahead and used an exposed nose weight on your Neko rigs .

[gim]

3 minutes ago, ChrisD46 said:

Because an exposed nose weight on a Neko rig clanging off boats and other structure (docks , metal , etc.) will scare away bass .

 

I can't say for sure or not if the clanging will scare away bass.  I don't have any real life evidence or data to support that notion.  I did recently read an article in In-Fisherman this month that shows bass around and under docks are less likely to flee when there is noise because they are used to more of it in this environment.

 

Regardless, when you remove the exposed lead, you eliminate the noise.  I am trying to eliminate the noise so that people don't hear it, not bass.  Clanging hardbaits and lures with exposed weights immediately signals to people in the area that you're fishing their docks.  That's attention I don't need.

[RRocket]

11 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

*If you are casting / pitching a Neko Rig around boat docks , boats (especially pontoon boats) - you will do better to burry that nose weight in the head of the worm . Why ? Because an exposed nose weight on a Neko rig clanging off boats and other structure (docks , metal , etc.) will scare away bass . No one can cast accurately 100% of the time , so if you are trying to cast in tight places with a Neko rig - then burry that nose weight into the worm for a quieter presentation . If you are not fishing around boat docks , boats , metal structures - then go ahead and used an exposed nose weight on your Neko rigs .

 

Unless you're throwing completely weightless around docks, boats and whatnot, most every other technique people use have weights that can't be buried.

 

And I certainly can't notice any difference in numbers caught weightless vs "loud" weighted presentations around such structures.

 

And in all honesty, I have seen fish around docks not even react about ANY noise I've made around such structures.

 

I half wonder if this is because these structures/boats make plenty of noise all on their own floating and banging around...and the fish have no doubt become conditioned to ignore such habitual background/environmental noises.

 

As with all things, YMMV.