upshaw makes casting easier with
a heavier worm. his favorite is a 4-
inch strike King KVD perfect plastics
ocho cut down to 3 inches (he likes
green pumpkin with the tail dyed
chartreuse). the ocho doesn’t last as
long as some other plastic formula-
tions that are popular, but the salt
content makes it heavy, and distrib-
utes the weight of the rigged worm
more evenly for what he thinks is a
more natural sinking presentation.
the pro has fished a Ned rig as
deep as 35 feet. the key at that
depth is to make an accurate cast
and fish even slower so the bait
stays down in the strike zone.
use it as a search bait
some baits are classified as
“search baits” because they can be
fished hard and fast on a straight
retrieve. the Ned rig qualifies,
because, if you put it in front of a
bass, the fish is probably going to
bite, and you can cast the rig to a lot
of potential fish-holding targets in a
short amount of time.
summer 2019 I FlWFIshInG.com
“If I’m searching with a Ned rig,
I’m bombing the longest cast possi-
ble out in front of me,” upshaw says.
“I’ll have my trolling motor pretty
high. When the bait lands, I’ll pick up
the slack, move it a little bit, drag it a
bit, reel up and make another cast.
In that small amount of time I keep it
on the bottom and move it really
slow. Especially on lakes that have
docks and other targets, you don’t
have to move it a whole lot.”
upshaw’s Favorite ned heads
1. Z-man Finesse shroomZ Weedless – this is his choice for shallow
water. the only time he opts for the model without a weedguard is in wide-
open water, like a sandy flat on st. Clair.
2. Gene larew ned rig pighead – upshaw really likes the 1/8-ounce
model for fishing through rocks, and it has a bigger hook for targeting a larger
class of bass.
3. cumberland pro lures ned head – A long, light-wire hook is perfect for
getting hook penetration in deep water with light line. It also comes in sizes
up to 1/4 ounce for fishing deep.
Gene Larew
Ned Rig Pighead
Z-Man Finesse
ShroomZ Weedless
Cumberland Pro
Lures Ned Head
31