Ned rigs are among an elite few of the best bass catching baits ever created. And Z-Man is an industry leader in jig heads and soft plastics specifically made for this technique. Though Z-Man offers a plethora of dynamic minuscule baits designed to be used with their smaller Ned heads, the brand also brings a big boy combo to the table— the Big TRD and Mag ShroomZ. Today, we’re going to breakdown how to rig and fish this bigger offering. 

Options - 

For starters, there are two different styles of Mag ShroomZ available: a weedless version with a weedguard and a traditional version with an open hook. The Mag ShroomZ and Weedless Mag ShroomZ all come in either green pumpkin or black, with four weight options in each color ranging from 1/8- to 3/8- ounces. 

Z-Man offers a massive color selection in their soft plastics. When looking at the 4-inch Big TRD in particular, they have 26 color options, all made from their patented ElaZtech material.

ElaZtech - 

Using their unique ElaZtech formula, Z-Man has created a wide range of highly buoyant, extremely durable and stretchy soft plastics. This combination of characteristics is fantastic for Ned rig fishing, as the jighead is intended to stand straight up on the bottom. The buoyancy of the Big TRD helps the Mag ShroomZ do just that, creating an irresistible presentation for the larger bottom-dwelling bass. 

Rigging - 

To rig the Big TRD on the Mag ShroomZ, simply take the bait in your left hand (if you’re right handed), and the jighead in your right. Place the hook alongside the worm (with the head of the worm butted up against the head of the Mag ShroomZ) to see how far the hook needs to go down into the bait before popping the hook point out. Make a mental note of that area, and now you’re ready to slide the Big TRD onto the Ned head. 

It’s important here that you do this next step in one fluid motion. The ElaZtech material has many fantastic qualities, but if you push the worm up a little onto the hook, reposition your hands and push it some more, the bait will bunch up and not be straight when you’re done. Instead, insert the hook point straight down into the middle of the head of the worm, all the way to the point where you want to pop the hook point back out. 

Don’t stop this movement from the time your hook enters the head of the worm until the point pops out of the body of the bait. This may take a few attempts to get the hang of, which is perfectly fine thanks to the durability of the bait. 

If the head of your bait isn’t sitting snug against the bottom of the Ned head with body of the bait straight along the hook shaft, slip the bait off and try again until you get it right. This will create a much better presentation and also keep your bait from spinning in the water when being reeled back in, which would create line twists if not rigged properly.

Fishing the Big TRD and Mag ShroomZ - 

You can use this combo to target bass from a couple feet deep out to 20, 30 or even 40 feet of water or more. Drag it slowly along the bottom, allowing the bait to stand back up straight intermittent pauses. If you’re fishing a fairly clean bottom, the Mag ShroomZ will work great. If you’re around dense cover like brushpiles, it’s better to go with the Weedless Mag ShroomZ. 

Most smaller Ned rig presentations work better on spinning gear, but you can (and should really) use a baitcasting combo with the Mag ShroomZ and the Big TRD baits, as these combinations be a little too heavy for light line and spinning gear. The great thing about the Ned rig is, fishing it is easy. You just need to throw it out anywhere you think there might be a fish along the bottom and drag it in. So, tie one on and get to it! Your PB awaits.

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