Ned Rig

[dtrs5kprs]

Great info. Confirms my thoughts about needing to stay in contact with the rig. So many articles indicated that the "no feel", or "total slack line" approach is the way to fish it, but that seems to invite gut hooks. And I ALWAYS pinch my barbs, but still hate to preform dental work on the smallies that swallow it, even with a pinched barb.

My smallie fishing is 99% on s.w.missouri creeks. Seems the ned rig isn't suited for any real current where a bitsy tube is. Anyone effectively fish the ned in lite to medium current with success. Seems you may need to us a heaver jig, and then that seems to go away from how you are suppose to fish the ned. So how do you fish it in current?

If you try to tight line it or feel it, you will cost yourself fish. From my experience with it, the difference is on the order of 4 or 5 :1, and that is probably conservative.

I do have some folks using 3/16oz heads in current. Have not said much about those because they really run contrary to the concept. Current is a special situation.

The same fish that might eat a Ned or a tube deep, could just as easily inhale a wart or other crank, and those are much tougher to deal with. There was a pic on the TR forum the other day of one with a wart down deep. It is simply a risk of fishing. With your barbs crimped it should not be much of an issue.

[Guest]

The no feel method doesn't really apply to river smallies as much, they generally attack the bait.

Seriously, get accustomed to casting out with a somewhat tight line.

I will engage the bail as soon as it touches water, similar to buzz bait fishing.

But instead of reeling, let the bait pendulum towards you in the current.

It has a swimming motion on the descent with a tight line. That also invokes strikes.

As for the weight, let the current dictate that.

Faster current calls for more lead.

I always have 1/8oz & 1/16oz tied on at all times.

I only use 2 rods, so that should tell you something.

[Amery]

If it's a ball jig head is it still the ned? If the bait is anything other than half a senko is it still the Ned?is a tube bait on a mushroom head a Ned rig?

[dtrs5kprs]

If it's a ball jig head is it still the ned? If the bait is anything other than half a senko is it still the Ned?is a tube bait on a mushroom head a Ned rig?

Yes, and no. The name "Ned Rig" has sort of come to designate the cut stick, or now the TRD, on a mushroom or button head.

The other baits, other methods, fall into the broader "Midwest Finesse" description. If you read back through Ned's blog and articles you will see all kinds of baits that are similarly utilized. Hair jigs to small swimbaits.

[Terrierman]

Ned or Fred? What does it matter when it's in a beautiful brown river fish?

[hoglaw]

fishing it on braid with a floro leader should help quite a bit with detecting bites. My wife is prone to gut hook a fish every now and then with her favorite setup - a hula grub fished on a 6' G Loomis IM3 crankbait blank. The softer blank really helps her cast it. She gets more backlashes with the stiffer rods that I like. But with that softer rod, I'll see the weight on it every now and then and say "you've got a fish" before she notices it. With a braid set-up, you feel the bite a lot faster I think.

[jtram]

Put 1/2 a senko on a jig head, catch brown fish all day, every day. Put a tube on, catch brown fish all day, every day. Spring, summer, fall stream smallmouth are as easy as it gets. Don't over think it, its all very similar regardless of what some say. On the rivers I fish, (swmo), fish it on whatever size head you are comfortable with and fish it in the current, slack water, deep water, shallow water. JUST FISH! Enjoy 100-200 smallmouth days, I promise.

[Terrierman]

Put 1/2 a senko on a jig head, catch brown fish all day, every day. Put a tube on, catch brown fish all day, every day. Spring, summer, fall stream smallmouth are as easy as it gets. Don't over think it, its all very similar regardless of what some say. On the rivers I fish, (swmo), fish it on whatever size head you are comfortable with and fish it in the current, slack water, deep water, shallow water. JUST FISH! Enjoy 100-200 smallmouth days, I promise.

No way!

If you will notice, that fish is hooked in the roof of the mouth. Same way with most of the fish I catch on a regular honest to pete ned.

[drew03cmc]

No way!

Jealous, party of me!

[LittleRedFisherman]

Here's a little vid I made awhile back, there is a difference in how it's worked, especially in cool water!