The Ned rig
A Ned rig is a small mushroom-head jighead with a short, stubby soft stickbait, fished slowly along the bottom. It is the finesse rig: a small, light, do-nothing presentation that draws bass in pressured and clear water when bigger lures get refused. It catches largemouth and smallmouth alike, and it rarely blanks.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Light fluorocarbon, 8 to 10 lb; or a light braid main line to a fluorocarbon leader |
| Jighead | Mushroom-head jighead, 1.5 to 3.5 g (1/16 to 1/8 oz): lighter and slower in the shallows, heavier in deeper water or wind. Around 5 ft of depth per 1/16 oz is a fair start |
| Soft plastic | Short, stubby soft stickbait, 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3"), often half a longer stick worm. Natural tones (green pumpkin, watermelon) in clear water; a brighter tail or chartreuse tip can help |
What it's for
Largemouth and smallmouth bass in pressured and clear water, when they have seen everything else. This is the finesse rig: small, light and subtle, so it gets bites when bigger, louder lures get refused. The buoyant stubby stick on a light mushroom head stands up off the bottom and quivers on the lightest touch of the rod, which is a presentation bass struggle to leave alone. It is at its best in clear water, on hard-fished waters, in cold or bright conditions, and any time the fishing is slow. It does not catch the biggest bass every day, but it catches numbers, and it is the rig to fall back on when the others have stopped working.
The rig at a glance
Read top to bottom, the way it sits. The main line (light fluorocarbon around 8 to 10 lb, or a light braid main line to a fluorocarbon leader) comes down to the jighead. The jighead is a small mushroom-shaped head, 1.5 to 3.5 g (1/16 to 1/8 oz), tied straight to the line with a Palomar knot. A short, stubby soft stickbait, 6 to 8 cm (about 2.5 to 3 in), is threaded onto the hook so the flat back of the mushroom head presses up against the nose of the bait. The hook point sits exposed on top. The defining detail is that the head is light and the stick is short and buoyant, so the bait stands up and waves off the bottom rather than lying flat, which is what makes it a finesse rig.
How to build it
- Tie on the jighead. Tie the small mushroom-head jighead to the end of the line with a Palomar knot. Pick the lightest head that still lets you feel the bottom: around 1.5 g (1/16 oz) in the shallows, heavier in deeper or windier water.
- Thread on the stubby stick. Push the hook point into the centre of the nose of the short soft stick, run it through and bring it out the top a short way down, then slide the bait up so the flat back of the mushroom head presses against the nose and the stick sits straight. Leave the hook point exposed on top. The bait should stand up and float off the bottom on a slack line.
How to fish it
Cast it out and let it sink all the way to the bottom on a slack line, watching the line as it falls because the lightest takes come on the drop. Then do very little. Drag it a few inches with the rod tip, pause and let it stand up and quiver, then drag it again. Slow is the whole point: a slow drag, a long pause, a small shake on the spot, and let the buoyant stick do the work standing up off the bottom. You can also hop it gently or just deadstick it where you have seen fish. Keep the line fairly slack so the bait can stand and wave. Takes are often soft, a tick or a slight weight, so watch the line and lift into anything that feels different. Fish it light, fish it slow, and trust it on a tough day.
Where this rig works
The Ned rig earns its place wherever bass are pressured or the water is clear. Across the atlas it is fished for smallmouth around the islands and reefs of Lake Erie in Ohio; on the clear, hard-fished water of Lake Biwa and Lake Kawaguchi in Japan, where finesse is the home game; and on the Alqueva reservoir in Portugal when the bass go quiet. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses a Ned rig will link to this same page.
Ned rig questions
A subtle, finesse presentation for bass in pressured or clear water. A short stubby soft stick on a light mushroom jighead stands up and quivers off the bottom, which draws bites when bigger lures get refused. It catches largemouth and smallmouth, works best on a tough or slow day, and rarely blanks.
A mushroom-head jighead of 1.5 to 3.5 g (1/16 to 1/8 oz). Use the lightest head that still lets you feel the bottom: around 1/16 oz in the shallows, heavier in deeper water or wind. A fair start is about 1/16 oz for every 5 ft of depth in still water.
A short, stubby soft stickbait, around 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 in), often just half of a longer stick worm. A buoyant body that stands up off the bottom is ideal. Natural tones like green pumpkin and watermelon suit clear water; a brighter tail can help on a slow day.
A Palomar knot, tied straight from the line to the mushroom jighead, so one knot builds the whole rig. Then thread the stubby stick onto the hook with the flat back of the head pressed against the nose and the point left exposed on top.
When the fishing is tough: clear water, hard-fished waters, cold or bright conditions, or any time bass refuse bigger lures. It is the rig to fall back on. It catches numbers rather than the biggest fish every day, so use it to keep bites coming and to find where the bass are.