The Ned rig is a 2.5–3 inch piece of buoyant soft plastic on a light mushroom jighead. The floating plastic stands up off the bottom when the head lands, mimicking a feeding minnow or crawfish. It catches numbers of bass when the bite is tough, and it is arguably the best all-round smallmouth presentation for rivers like the Grand, Saugeen, Ottawa and Richelieu.
What you need
- Mushroom jighead1/16–1/8 oz (1/10 oz standard) on a #1 or #2 light-wire hook; weedless versions for grass
- Ned plastic2.75" buoyant stick (ElaZtech or similar), craw or "TRD"-style bait
- Line6–8 lb fluorocarbon, or 10 lb braid to an 8 lb fluoro leader
- Rod6'8"–7' medium-light spinning
How to tie the ned rig
- Tie the jighead to your leader with a Palomar or improved clinch knot.
- Thread the plastic straight onto the hook from the nose, keeping it perfectly centred so it stands upright.
- Push the plastic up snug against the mushroom head (a dab of super glue keeps it there).
How to fish it
Cast, let it sink on a semi-slack line, then either drag it slowly with the rod tip or hop it 6 inches at a time with long pauses. The "do nothing" retrieve — a slow steady reel a foot off bottom — also works. Most bites are just extra weight.
Tips
- Buoyant plastics are the key; regular soft plastics do not stand up the same way.
- Go as light as you can stand — 1/16 oz in under 10 ft, 1/8 oz in wind or deeper water.
- Green pumpkin, goby and "Canada craw" colours cover almost everything.
Common mistakes
- Setting the hook hard with light wire hooks; reel and lift.
- Fishing it on heavy line, which kills the action and costs you casting distance.
FAQ
What weight Ned rig should I use?
1/10 oz is the classic. Use 1/15–1/16 oz in shallow calm water and 1/6–1/5 oz in deep water or current.