In its simplest form, the Ned rig pairs a light, mushroom-style jig with a short soft stickbait. Hop it along bottom, drag it or dead-stick it. All are deadly presentations. (Photo courtesy of Northland Fishing Tackle)
June 13, 2024
By Justin Brouillard
The Ned rig , also known as the Midwest finesse rig, has gained immense popularity among bass anglers in recent years. Renowned for its effectiveness in challenging conditions and on pressured fish, the Ned rig’s success is attributed to its small profile and remarkable action in motion and its enticing appearance when immobile or dead-sticked. It’s simply one of the easiest baits to throw for bass.
WHAT IS IT? Ned Kehde designed the Ned rig to be straightforward, and to this day, that’s what it is. The rig consists of a simple, lightweight, mushroom-style jig head typically rigged with a 3-inch plastic, often a stickbait-style worm. Most Ned heads range from 3/32 ounce up to 1/4 ounce, with some manufacturers now making them much heavier.
Expanded Ned rig offerings include extra-wide-gap (EWG) hooks for weedless presentations as well as heavier heads with heavier gauge wire hooks. However, the original design with a lighter wire hook remains the most widely used.
Ned-style jigs with extra-wide-gap hooks permit weedless presentations. Snags are one common weakness of the typical mushroom-style jigs used for Ned rigging. (Photo by Justin Brouillard) RIGGING UP Setting up the rig requires only a few simple steps. After choosing your jig head style, color and weight, simply thread your desired soft plastic over the shank of the hook until it is perfectly straight. That’s it.
Advertisement
Rigs can be as complicated or simple as you want them to be. Just cut an old stickbait in half or grab one of the many Ned-specific plastics now available. In most cases, you’ll use a spinning rod with lighter line. Simply tie the jig onto the leader with a basic fisherman’s (improved clinch) or Palomar knot and start fishing. For the connection from braided mainline to fluorocarbon leader, I recommend either an FG knot or an Alberto knot. The FG is the strongest and best knot, but it’s harder to tie and takes longer to learn. The Alberto knot is strong and generally much easier for these connections.
While rod, reel and line won’t vary significantly, you can get away with heavier rods and lines in some situations. A 6-pound-test fluorocarbon leader is a good place to start for most scenarios with the finesse Ned baits. Around vegetation or chunky rocks, however, I often upsize to an 8- or 10-pound fluorocarbon leader for added strength. Typically, my setup is a 10-pound braided mainline with a leader tailored to match the conditions present. This lets me quickly change leaders and bait sizes without re-spooling the entire reel.
FISHING IT Aside from a wacky-rigged soft stickbait, there’s perhaps no bait easier to fish than a Ned rig, and this is true for rookie anglers and veterans alike. You can throw it on any lake or pond, apart from areas with heavy vegetation. The standard rig has an exposed hook, which can easily snag on grass or wood if you’re not careful. However, those types of cover are also excellent places to fish if you can get your bait through without getting snagged.
Advertisement
Most anglers fish a Ned rig on a slow retrieve with short jerks of the rod to hop the bait along bottom. The subtle profile and quick movements prompt nearby bass to strike. The bait’s action during the retrieve does most of the work for you.
Alternatively, imparting almost no action to a Ned rig can also be deadly for lethargic bass. Most Ned-style plastic baits are designed to be buoyant, and slowly dragging the free-floating plastic through rocks, or dead-sticking it, is a great way to produce bites.
Common areas to fish a Ned rig are docks, grass edges and shoreline cover. In the later spring, when bass are spawning, a Ned is one of the best baits for safely catching and releasing fish on their nests. In the summer, offshore shoals and reefs, points and rocky banks will hold schools of bass, and a Ned rig shines here, too. Regardless of the water conditions or time of year, a Ned will typically produce bites.
NED GEAR In general, a lighter spinning combo should be used for Ned rigging. For more precise casting, a 6-foot-6-inch, medium-light- to medium-action rod is best. If you’re making longer casts or fishing in deeper water, a longer rod, such as a 7-foot or 7-foot-3-inch model will help pick up the slack to ensure a solid hookset. I prefer a medium action when using a longer rod and will bump up to a medium-heavy when fishing heavier jig heads.
One of the most popular jig heads—a Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ with a size-1 or size-2 light-wire hook—remains a go-to for many anglers. The welded wire keeper works exceptionally well with Z-Man TRD baits but also keeps other manufacturers’ baits pinned. They are available in finesse sizes perfect for most bodies of water across the Midwest.
For a slightly heavier option, the Z-Man Pro ShroomZ is a favorite. They feature a stronger, heavier 2/0 hook and allow for heavier lines to be used without sacrificing penetration on the hook set.
Most available jig heads and Ned baits are good products. With a wide variety of lead or tungsten options and various hook sizes, there’s no shortage of choices for anglers. The big thing is selecting the right bait size to match your fishing conditions and then mating it with the most suitable gear. In shallower areas with more rock, I prefer a lighter jig. When I am fishing deeper water, I opt for heavier options.
Other great jig heads include Berkley’s Half Head Jig and Northland Tackle’s Nedster Jig . For more Ned baits, look to the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil’ General or a Yamamoto Ned Senko .
Ned rigging is a game-changer for anglers of all levels. The rig’s simple design and adaptability make it a perennial go-to for bass. Explore different gear options, match your setup to the conditions and enjoy reeling in the big ones with ease.
This article is featured in the June-July 2024 Midwest edition of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
