What is Ned rigging?

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The Ned rig is just a small chunk of soft plastic stick bait (think Senko or Charlie's Worms Salt Bang-O) threaded onto an ultralight 1/16 to 1/8 ounce jighead. That's it.

I take no credit ... see:
https://mysterytacklebox.com/blog/how-to-fish-the-ned-rig/

History of the Ned rig:
https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/186214-the-basics-of-the-ned-rig/

Now to see if I can apply it to saltwaters ... :wink:
 
To anyone who has never used a Ned Rig, it is just a short piece of plastic on a light jig head. Nothing special right? The only thing special about it is just how effective it is. While any plastic can be used, the baits sold by the Z-Man company have an advantage. The elaztech material is extremely durable and buoyant. When used with the light, mushroom style jig, it stands up in the water instead of laying flat. Few can explain exactly why this simple rig catches so many fish especially when other normally effective baits on some days come up empty. I fish with several talented fishermen and everyone of them dismissed the Ned Rig when they first saw me using it. At the end of the day, after I outfished them, they started taking it more seriously. One of the knocks on the bait is that it can be a small fish bait. Part of that might be true but it catches big fish as well as small ones. It’s a finesse presentation, best used on spinning gear with light line. If you are a person who like to catch numbers of fish, you cannot afford not to have these as one of your go-to baits.
 
Everything Scott said is spot on.

It is meant to be swam through the water targeting suspending fish, though it will work on the bottom it tends to get snagged up if fished in contact with the bottom so keep it moving. The mushroom head jigs are nice in that they flow seamlessly into the bait keeping the look very natural. Also, they usually have a wire bait keeper set into the lead head. I like it with very small paddle tail baits and the Yum dinger senkos, I just nip enough of the tip off so that the body is the same diameter as the head and the two meet flush, though I haven't tried the Z-Man baits everyone raves about for the setup.

Super finesse presentation - definitely want to fish it on a 6lb fluoro leader, I like a braid main line and a fluoro leader for the extra sensitivity but the invisibility of the fluoro. According to testing done by Suffix fluoro ceases to be invisible in the water around the thicknesses that would give a 7lb break strength - so allowing for manufacturing differences I stick to 6lb test for my finesse work, though I suppose some 8lb fluoro is still the same refraction index as water. You can always spend the $25 and get the Suffix Finesse Fluorocarbon in a 7.2lb break strength that is the max thickness they could make and keep the refraction index the same as the water...but I'm not that inclined.
 

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