The Ned rig has become a go-to technique for bass anglers in recent years, allowing you to effectively fish in areas other lures can't touch. While the original Ned rig consists of a mushroom-shaped jighead paired with a soft plastic bait, the weedless version takes this finesse presentation to a whole new level. If you're looking to catch bass in and around heavy, matted vegetation, the weedless Ned rig should absolutely be in your arsenal this summer.
The basic components of the weedless Ned rig are straightforward - a light wire weedless jighead and a buoyant soft plastic like a Z-Man TRD or other Ned-style bait. The jighead allows the bait to stand up vertically in the water column, while the weed guard deflects most floating vegetation or wood cover encountered. An exposed hook point either behind a wire weed guard or pinned into the plastic helps ensure solid hook-ups when you get bit.
In terms of technique, the retrieve is nothing fancy. After making a long cast, simply lift and drop the rod tip occasionally while reeling slowly. This will cause the Ned rig to subtly rise and flutter down, mimicking a wounded baitfish or crawfish. You can also pause the retrieve for several seconds between subtle twitches to really tempt following bass. Focus on fishing just above the top of any weeds and reel quickly over any open pockets.
Here's a short video from the folks at Northland Tackle with more insight into fishing a weedless Ned rig effectively using their Weedless Nedster jig:
When Summer bass are holed up in the nastiest slop, the weedless Ned rig allows you to present a tempting morsel right in their face. While you'll still hang up occasionally, the weed guard vastly improves your odds of success.
Persistence and patience are key, but more often than not, this subtle finesse technique will help you fool some of the biggest bass in the area. Give the weedless Ned rig a shot this summer and enjoy reeling in bass from the thickest cover you can find!
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