Ned Rig

The Ned rig pairs a short, thick soft plastic stick bait with a small mushroom-shaped jig head. It was built for finesse fishing, using light line and light weight to give the bait a slow, natural fall. Bass often eat it out of instinct because it looks like a small, harmless piece of food rather than a lure.

Anglers use it on a slow, steady retrieve along the bottom, dragging and hopping it through rock, gravel, or sparse grass. It shines in cold water, high pressure lakes, and any time bass are picky and ignoring bigger baits. Many anglers keep a Ned rig tied on as a follow up bait after a jig or worm gets refused, since it can trigger a bite from the same fish moments later.

Keep the jig head light, usually 1/10 to 1/6 ounce, and let the bait sit still after each hop. That pause is when most bites happen. Anglers exploring more finesse presentations can browse soft plastics to find compact stick baits that work well on this rig.

• Best on spinning tackle with light fluorocarbon or braid to mono leader
• Works year round, but especially strong in cold or clear water
• Simple retrieve: drag, hop, then pause