FISHING
BASS SKILLS
PRO-LEVEL TIPS FOR MAXIMIZING SUCCESS
WITH THIS SEEMINGLY SIMPLE FINESSE RIG
I
t’d be hard to overcomplicate a Ned
rig when it’s nothing more than a lit-
tle worm on a little jighead.
then again, it’d be a shame to
oversimplify the rig, too.
After all, like anything that’ll
catch a bass, there are pro-level
methods for getting the most out of
the Ned rig.
When to ned
30
pro Andrew upshaw considers
the Ned rig and drop-shot to be his
two most valuable finesse options.
Deciding which one to throw
depends on the scenario.
“If the bottom has a little more of
a dirt composition or a softer bot-
tom, I really turn to the Ned rig,”
upshaw says. “If I feel like the Ned
rig is going to get lost on the bottom,
like if there are little pebbles or
rocks, I’ll turn to the drop-shot. I like
the bait to sit above that stuff.”
upshaw also classifies the Ned
rig as a must-throw on spotted bass
and smallmouth fisheries, for catch-
ing both numbers and size. on true
trophy largemouth lakes, he might
throw it, but usually as a last resort.
“I just think a drop-shot catches
bigger ones, in my opinion,” he adds.
think bed-Fishing
Even if you don’t throw a Ned rig
on a bed, you should act like you’re
bed-fishing when you use it.
“I really like a drag-and-dead-stick
presentation,” upshaw says. “I’ll lift
and shake it, but I really lift it slow. In
my mind, the Ned rig is so small that
if there’s a bass right there, the
faster I fish it through there the less
likely it is he’s going to eat it. If I fish
it through there slow, he’s going to
eat it every time.”
GET AHEAD WITH NED
By Curtis Niedermier
light head, heavy Worm
Lighter is usually better, says
upshaw. he uses a 1/10-ounce head
for general shallow bank fishing. on
steep banks, or for fishing a little
deeper, he moves up to 1/6 or 1/8
ounce. Ledges or deep drops get
3/16 or 1/4 ounce.
“At that point, I’m not as much
worried about the drop of the bait as
I am getting to the bottom where the
fish are,” upshaw says. “In shallow
water I get quite a few bites on the
drop, especially in clear water.”
the lighter the head, the more
subtle the slow-falling action. the
tradeoff is less bottom feel and more
difficult casting.
upshaw’s ned rig setup
upshaw fishes a Ned rig on a 6-foot, 11-inch, medium-power, extra-fast-
action team Lew’s Custom pro speed stick series Dock sniper rod with a
3,000-size team Lew’s Custom pro speed spin series reel. the large arbor on
the reel helps reduce wind knots in 15-pound-test seaguar smackdown braid.
to the braid, he attaches a long 6-pound-test seaguar InvizX leader.
FlWFIshInG.com I summer 2019