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What it is
The ned rig is a finesse bottom presentation that uses a short 2.5–3 inch soft plastic bait — usually a stick-style or craw-style chunk — threaded onto a small mushroom-head jig. The jig head is typically 1/15 to 1/6 oz. The entire setup is tiny, light, and deliberately understated. That is the point.
What makes the ned rig different from other bottom rigs is the bait’s buoyancy. The soft plastics used — most notably Z-Man’s ElaZtech material — are extremely buoyant. When the rig sits motionless on the bottom, the bait tail stands straight up off the jig head. That posture, a short piece of plastic standing at attention on the lake floor, triggers strikes from bass that will not react to anything else.
The ned rig was popularized by Kansas City fishing writer Ned Kehde and midwest tournament anglers who called the approach “midwest finesse.” It has since become one of the most-discussed techniques in bass fishing, particularly for cold-front days and finicky late-season fish.
How to rig it
The setup is about as simple as a rig gets:
- Select a mushroom-head jig in the appropriate weight (1/15 oz for shallow or calm water, 1/6 oz for depths over 8 feet or when wind affects the fall).
- Push the hook point straight into the center of the cut end of the bait and thread it up through the body until 1/4 inch of hook protrudes from the top.
- The bait should hang straight with no curve or twist. Twisted baits spin on the fall and disrupt the natural tail-up posture that makes this rig work.
Some ned rig jig heads have a small keeper barb near the collar to hold the bait in place. On these, thread the bait all the way up so the head seats flush against the cut end of the plastic.
Knot: Use a Palomar knot. The mushroom-head eye is usually small and the Palomar seats cleanly against it. Wet the knot before cinching.
How to fish it
The ned rig is a slow, bottom-contact presentation. The core retrieve is a drag-and-pause:
Cast to your target, let the bait sink on semi-slack line, and watch the line as it falls — strikes on the drop are common. Once the bait hits bottom, slowly drag it a few inches with the rod tip, then pause and let it sit. The buoyant tail stands up during the pause. Hold the pause for a few seconds, then drag again.
The hop: Lift the rod tip a few inches and let the bait fall back. The bait rises off the bottom, then settles tail-up again. Keep the hops short — you are not trying to move the bait far, you are trying to keep it in the strike zone as long as possible.
Deadstick: In cold water or post-front conditions, cast the ned rig out and barely move it. Let the bait sit, tail up, for 10–20 seconds between tiny movements. This style of fishing feels unproductive until a 3-pound bass inhales a motionless piece of plastic.
Line feel: Use a spinning rod held at roughly the 9 o’clock position during the drag. Strikes often feel like a subtle weight or tap, not a hard thump. Keep light contact with the bait so you feel what is happening without pulling it away from the fish.
When to use it
The ned rig was built for tough conditions. Reach for it when other presentations stop producing:
- Cold fronts and high-pressure bluebird days: When a front pushes through, bass get lethargic and pull tight to cover. The ned rig’s slow fall and tail-up posture triggers reluctant fish that will not chase.
- Clear water: In reservoirs or rivers where visibility is high, bass get a long look at every bait. Smaller, more realistic presentations outperform large, aggressive ones. The ned rig’s compact size and natural-looking rest position hold up to scrutiny.
- Pressured fish: On heavily fished lakes, bass see texas rigs and drop shots constantly. The ned rig’s different size and posture often gets bites from fish that have been caught and released on other rigs.
- Winter and early spring: In cold water, bass metabolism slows and they conserve energy. Slow-falling finesse rigs outproduce reaction baits by a wide margin during these windows.
The ned rig also works in summer on deeper structure — it just requires a slightly heavier jig head and more patience.
Size and weight selection
| Jig head weight | Best use |
|---|---|
| 1/15 oz | Shallow water (0–5 ft), calm days, slow fall desired |
| 1/10 oz | All-around; most lake situations in 4–10 ft |
| 1/6 oz | Deeper water (10+ ft), wind, or current |
| Bait length | Best use |
|---|---|
| 2.75 inch | Standard for largemouth and smallmouth in most situations |
| 3.5 inch | Bigger profile for larger fish or stained water |
| 1.75 inch | Ultra-finesse in very clear water, drop-shot style applications |
Gear setup
Rod: A medium-light or light power spinning rod, 6’8” to 7’2”, with a moderate-fast action. Faster actions make it harder to feel the subtle strikes on light line. A softer tip absorbs the head shakes of the fish and reduces the chance of pulling the hook out of the small bait during the fight.
Reel: A quality spinning reel in the 2500–3000 size. The ned rig does not require a fast gear ratio — 6.2:1 is typical.
Line: 6–8 lb fluorocarbon straight to the jig head. Fluorocarbon sinks, which keeps the line off the surface and maintains contact with the bait. It is also less visible than monofilament in clear water. Some anglers use 10–15 lb braid with a 6–8 lb fluorocarbon leader when fishing deeper water. Avoid heavy line — it kills the natural fall of the small jig head.
Brands worth knowing
Z-Man TRD (The Real Deal): This is the original ned rig bait and still the most widely used. Made from Z-Man’s ElaZtech material, it is extremely buoyant and nearly indestructible — one bait can outlast dozens of strikes. Available in 2.75 and 3.5 inch sizes.
Z-Man ShroomZ Jig Head: The companion jig head to the TRD. Available in 1/15, 1/10, and 1/6 oz with a short-shank wide-gap hook designed specifically for short ned rig plastics.
Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm: A scent-impregnated finesse bait that works well on a ned rig head. The flat body creates a slightly different fall action and the scent adds a strike-holding quality.
VMC Ned Rig Head: A widely available and affordable mushroom-head option with a strong short-shank hook. Good starter option if you are new to the technique.
Strike King Ned OG: A salt-infused plastic in ElaZtech-style material. Strike King’s color range for this bait is broad and includes several proven regional patterns.
Owner Ultrahead Ned: A finesse ned head with a wider gap and a hook keeper, designed for use with slightly larger ned-style plastics.