The Little Varmint

[Guest]

Here's the deal, your hook up ratio is about 90% with that little rig, plus it catches multispecies.

That makes it fun.

[Old plug]

I do not use hate it. It has its place. I was using that on streams many many years ago. I just do not buy the BS it is the answer to everything.

[Guest]

Nobody said it was the answer to everything.

[Guest]

"Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."

George Carlin

[Ham]

I've literally caught 100's of bass on the stupid little rig, I have seen 13 different species of fish caught on it, it's been my most productive presentation on almost every bass trip I've made since the beginning of April, and I've been able to show it to some young men with minimal experience and been able to have them catch a bunch of fish their first time trying it BUT Old Plug knows better than us. He's been catching fish longer than we've been alive and he has no reason to change what he's doing. OK?

[Old plug]

I do not claim t o be better than anyone else. You said that not me. But you claim it is some kind. of miracle. And that I KNOW it is not. Caught hundreds of bass means nothing how many topped 5 lbs out of that on the ned rig.

[fishinwrench]

My first impression is that it is a Kentucky catchin' sonofagun. And if there are BIG Kentucky's in the water you're fishing I bet they'll eat it as quick as a 10 inchers would.

I wonder of the guys down on Lanier (Ga.) have gotten wind of it yet?

That place is an ocean of Spotted bass.

[Guest]

It's not built for heavy current or high wind.

Typical power fishing prevails in those scenarios.

It's those slick calm days when the fishing is tough where it shines.

It's a good bait for the women, children & beginners.

I've never had one person tell me that it sucks.

[dtrs5kprs]

My first impression is that it is a Kentucky catchin' sonofagun. And if there are BIG Kentucky's in the water you're fishing I bet they'll eat it as quick as a 10 inchers would.

I wonder of the guys down on Lanier (Ga.) have gotten wind of it yet?

That place is an ocean of Spotted bass.

Stacey King has used it at Lanier. Ned wrote about it back in 2011 or so. That article convinced me to try it.

Ok well I finally warmed up to this thing and gave it a honest 1/2 day on LO.

Couldn't make anything happen with a 1/16 head but started getting consistent pickups with the 1/8 at about 6-8 ft.

Once I started getting bites I began alternating between the goose turd, a 5" hula grub on a 1/4 head (same style head), and a trick worm on a 1/4 Chomper Shakey head.

The goose turd got more bites overall and from 3 different species (LM, Spots, Drum) and I think I stuck every bite I got on it. The trick worm/Shakey got bit almost as much but I missed quite a few bites (following up on a missed bite with the goose turd didn't work).

The Hula grub did get bit when using it as a followup after a missed bite, and it caught the only two keepers along the bank I was testing them on.

After all that monkey business I went back to targeting 12-16' brush with a 8" Texas rig worm and stuck 3 keepers and a dozen or so shorts. I threw the goose turd around some deep brush but the wind was not being my friend so I couldn't stay in contact with it. I started to try it on a 1/4 head but I was too lazy to sit down and make one up.

Wrench...the trick is in not trying to maintain contact with it. You will seriously bump up the numbers if you go smaller and fish it on slack line. Think back to the heyday of the Eakins jig and their video about letting it fall on slack line.

Who cares what it's called and who cares when it started. It OBVIOUSLY catches fish. That's the only thing that matters. Right? I remember reading several articles that have stated Ned hates it being called the Ned Rig. I also don't believe he claims himself as the creator. It's just a technique that he used, tweaked, perfected, and started sharing with others who enjoy reading and learning about fishing. I believe his followers dubbed it the"Ned Rig". He doesn't make any money off this. ZMan, Strike King, Gopher, and other tackle companies are the ones making money. Why aren't people mad at these companies??? If you were using this back before Ned and you're ticked for his name being associated with it, then shame on you for not marketing it, writing about it, and having followers that wanted to name the technique after you.

Right on.

The guys in Kansas spent a whole lot of time sweating the details and were nice enough to share. If they made some money off of it, more power to them. Making a little money off something DOES NOT make you a bad person or make your actions less valuable.

I'm amused by all the folks that get center hung on the idea that "they didn't invent it". Cool. Hang your hat on that idea. Meanwhile, I'll go catch 100's of fish with it and wish those guys all the success in the world.

Amen. Ham is treading the path.

Did he actually claim to have developed it himself ?

I thought he was being credited simply for adopting it and writing an article about it.

Answers...no, and yes. You nailed it.

Sorry to get in late. We have been busy actually fishing the little rig (or whatever you prefer to call it) out of Kimberling. They are still eating it. Right now the bite is on gravel w/wood, and the key is letting it sit dead still on the bottom. More or less like fishing bait. For those who have not seen it, with the little heads it will stand straight up when fished that way.

Bill had it last year at least. Gave him some parts at the ramp. Think it was Stacey that started with it in 2010. That was a neat tidbit. I actually thought he had used it longer.

So much angst over something that helps folks catch fish is hard to understand.

[dtrs5kprs]

And from exchange of messages with Ned and Bill, Ned is thrilled to have it called anything else. Thrilled.

The B-squareds have been calling it the varmint for a few weeks now. Have not mentioned it because I was not sure they wanted folks to know how much they were using it.