Trying to catch finicky bass? Try a ned rig! This finesse tactic excels in the spring and fall, but works all year round. Today we have Brandyn Stoker from @Wisconsin Wildman​ with some awesome tips to help you CRUSH your PB with this amazing finesse bait.

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#Nedrig​ #howtonedrig​ #finessefishing​ #wisconsinwildman

Video transcript:

Brandon Stoker:
Welcome back everybody to another episode on the channel. My name is Brandon Stoker on behalf of MONSTERBASS today, and we are going to be talking about how to Ned rig, so we are going to go over the Ned rig in general. What it is, how to set it up, how to fish it, the setup that I use to fish it, why I think it's such an effective technique.

Brandon Stoker:
So if this is a setup or something that you've been wanting to try. You've been wanting to get into Ned rig fishing, don't really know what the necessities are for Ned rig fishing, or if it's something that you've tried, just can't get the hang of. We're going to go over everything. Like I said, we're going to go through the whole shebang with this thing. Why I think it's so good, what it looks like, how to rig it, the setup, like I said, that I use for Ned rigs.

Brandon Stoker:
Now, before we jump into that, guys, I run a channel called Wisconsin Wildman. So I do a ton of fishing in the Midwest, especially here on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin. I do a ton of bass fishing. I do hunting, all sorts of different outdoor stuff. So if you guys are interested in that, I'd highly recommend you guys go down in the description, click the link over to my channel, and I really appreciate it if you guys would check.

Brandon Stoker:
Also, if you guys love these types of videos, tips, tricks videos, we on the MONSTERBASS channel are always pumping out content for you guys. So especially if you guys are receiving a box, pumping out all sorts of different tips and tricks videos for the lures that you're receiving in your box, along with just how to do certain things. So if you guys love these types of videos, they're going to be on the MONSTERBASS channel. They are already on there, about all different things, tips and tricks, setups, all that stuff on there. If you haven't already, make sure you guys subscribe to the MONSTERBASS channel.

Brandon Stoker:
Now, the Ned rig, guys. Okay, so before I even bring the Ned rig out, why do I think this thing is so good? I think it's so good because it is my favorite thing to toss early spring, late fall, and into the winter time. Now, right now in Wisconsin, it's hard water. You're ice fishing right now. In some places in the country, though, you're still get not an open-water fish, but the water temps are a lot cooler. And now springtime fishing is right around the corner, late March, early April is my favorite time here in Wisconsin to go hit some small mouth, and this is one of my favorite baits for that.

Brandon Stoker:
So I think it's so great because in the winter time, it's just a small grub presentation, and for some reason that just drives the fish bonkers. It just catches a lot of fish. Especially if you guys love small mouth fishing, you're going to love a Ned rig. It just catches fish. I've caught walleye off of the Ned rig as well. You're going to catch a lot of different fish off of the Ned rig, but it really excels in those cold water scenarios.

Brandon Stoker:
So the Ned rig guys, we're going to bust this out for you. Now, this is one that I already had tied on from the season right here, but here it is. So as you guys can see, the Ned rig, it's just this little jig head here with a small plastic Senko on there, or you can buy Ned baits, things like that, but that is all this rig consists of. That is pretty darn simple.

Brandon Stoker:
So let's break it down for you guys. Now with the Ned rig, my preferred setup that I like to use is a 16th or an 8th ounce Ned rig jig head. Now you can buy these ones that are also weedless ones, or you can buy just normal Ned rigs. I know that there's a lot of Ned rig heads that come in the MONSTERBASS box. This is actually one of them that did come in the box. I believe it's the Super K Ned head, but this Ned head right here, guys, I think as an 8th ounce.

Brandon Stoker:
So I like to use 16th or 8th ounce. I usually start out with an 8th and I feel like the bite's a little tougher, I'll downsize the 16th. But what I like about the 8th is you can definitely get a little more of a cast on there. You can not get it out there a little bit further. The 16th, that's when it comes down to your setup for really casting that thing far. But an 8th, you can cast a little bit further. So a 16th or an 8th ounce Ned head Jig head, pretty simple. And then all you're taking is a three to four inch little grub.

Brandon Stoker:
So this is just a, a little Senko watermelon color with red flake. I prefer to use black and blue or green pumpkin with black flake is my absolute favorite for Ned rigs, guys. But like I said, it's just a little three to four inch grub on there. There's nothing special about it, and that's why it's so perfect. That is why the Ned rig is so perfect in the winter time or those cold water situations is because it's a little snack for them. They don't have to work hard for it. They just see this little grub down there and they just scoop it up.

Brandon Stoker:
Now, small mouth, they're a little more active in the cold water, so that's where the Ned rig is really killer. So I really love it. That's all it is. So if you guys are wondering what is a Ned rig, what does it even look like? This is all it is, and this is just a Senko that I tore off. You don't even have to buy specific plastics for Ned baits. This is just a Senko that I tore off at about, I don't know, four inches and put it on there. You don't have to have Ned baits. So if you just want to try it out for the first time and you have some Ned heads and you don't want to buy Ned baits, you don't have to, just use a Senko.

Brandon Stoker:
Now, how do I fish it? So let's talk about the setup really quick, because that's going to kind of go into how you fish this thing. The setup for fishing a Ned rig, as you guys probably guessed, you're going to need a light setup. So right here, I have a medium light fast action spinning rod.

Brandon Stoker:
Now, I don't care what brand it is. There doesn't have to be a specific brand, but you're going to want a medium light fast action. Now that's going to help you with casting it a little bit further because you are putting on a pretty small jig. A 16th to an 8th ounce is pretty small, so you need something light like this to really give it the go.

Brandon Stoker:
Now, when it comes to length, I would recommend, this is a 7'3 medium light fast action. I would actually recommend if you can go up to a 7'6, even better. Now, a longer rod is going to allow you to cast this bait a lot further, especially a 16th ounce. So when you have a 16th ounce on there, it's really going to help casting.

Brandon Stoker:
Now I have a 7'3, I think it does really well, but if you want a 7'3, that's fine. I would say 7'6 though is going to help you cast a lot further and it gives you a little more leverage on the fish when you set the hook. But a 7'3 will work, but I think a little bit longer rod will definitely help out with those casts with that smaller jig on there.

Brandon Stoker:
Now I'm running 10 pound braid on here. Now I'm just running straight braid. Now, if I'm fishing clear water, where I know that the fish are definitely going to key up online a little bit more. What I like to do is run 10 pound braid, and then if I ever get into those clear water situations, that's when I tie on a little six pound fluorocarbon leader. So six to eight pound fluorocarbon leader is great, but like I said, if you're not in that clean water, that clear clean water, you really don't need that specific fluorocarbon leader.

Brandon Stoker:
Like I said, I fish, one of the lakes I fish around here that I love for small mouth, it's pretty dark water. I just use the 10 pound braid, straight braid. I don't even put on the fluorocarbon leader because I just don't feel like they're really seeing it. But if you're fishing clean, clear water, that's when I definitely throw on that six pound fluorocarbon leader on there. So save yourself some money. But like I said, medium light fast action rod, 7'3 to 7'6, and you're going to want 10 pound braid on there, and then if in clear water, six pound fluorocarbon leader.

Brandon Stoker:
Now for your reel, you really don't need anything fast. This is a 5:1:1 gear ratio reel. You don't need anything faster than that. You can go faster if you'd like. You're really not working this thing super fast, and we're going to get into that. We're going to talk about how to fish this, but you really don't need something fast for this setup.

Brandon Stoker:
Now, when you're fishing this, the Ned rig's really simple. I kind of relate it to fishing a Texas rig. A lot of people fish a Texas rig, a lot of people fish a jig, for example. What you're doing with the Ned rig is you're just casting this thing out, and what I like to do is get into an area where I have a deep pocket. Maybe I'm looking for a deep hole or a hump, things like that. I'll just zing this thing out there and I'll let it sit.

Brandon Stoker:
A lot of times it's colder water that you're fishing the Ned rig in, so especially this time of the year. So you're going to work this bait pretty slow. So a lot of times I like to cast it out there and then I just let it get it's time to get the bottom, and then I just drag it back to myself. So a lot of times I like to make sure that I could feel bottom contact and I just drag and pop it along the bottom, reel up a little bit of slack, let it sit and then just drag it across the bottom. Things like that, guys.

Brandon Stoker:
It's really simple. There's nothing special to it. So if you fish a Texas rig or jig, you generally are either dragging the bottom or you're hopping. It's the same way with the Ned rig, and it's a great presentation for this time of the year. So it's not fancy, guys. There's nothing really to it. And when you feel the bite on this thing, it's really fun. Especially, like I said, early spring, late fall, winter time bass fishing.

Brandon Stoker:
I love catching small mouth off the Ned rig. For one, small mouth fight super hard in the winter time. And if for two, guys, you're using a really light setup for this rig. So it's really fun to reel them in. So, like I said, just cast it out there and slowly drag it back to the boat. And I would even go all the way to the boat. You never know when they're going to strike. So that's pretty much how you fish the Ned rig.

Brandon Stoker:
So that's it, guys. That's a Ned rig. If you guys have any questions, any questions, comments, concerns, things that I did not mention in this video that you were curious about, leave it in the comments down below, and I will answer you guys will, MONSTERBASS will answer you guys and we will give you all the information that you need to fish a Ned rig.

Brandon Stoker:
I hope I covered it pretty well. It's a pretty simple rig, guys. It's not super fancy. I think a lot of people think there's a lot that goes into the Ned rig, but there's really not. So I hope you guys enjoyed today's episode. Remember to like and subscribe and please, guys, get that link, check out the Wisconsin Wildman channel over there as well. But have yourself a good day and we'll see you guys on the next one.