Discovering the “Ned” Rig

Rarely does a lure create so much excitement for doing absolutely “nothing” than does the “Ned” rig, a relatively new fishing method that is sweeping the country.

This week’s column is dedicated to Ned Kehde, a Lake of the Ozarks guy that added one more piece to the “do nothing” finesse fishing puzzle that has its roots at least 50 years in the past.

Slider Fishing

While I was associated with Bass West Magazine in the late ‘90s, Charlie Brewer, a long time professional angler and lure maker showed me a method of finesse angling called “Slider fishing.”  His system utilized small, odd shaped jig heads and tiny plastic worms, grubs, and leeches. The secret to the system involved casting the rig, letting it fall to the bottom and leaving it. This “do-nothing” system worked like clockwork.  Fish found and ate the baits, and the angler set the hook. It was really that simple.

In one particular bass tournament in early 2001, the only way I could manufacture a bite was to use a 3-inch grape-colored Slider-rigged worm with a chartreuse tail.  I remember ordering an overnight shipment of worms to insure I had enough to last to the end of the tournament. That little worm made me just under $2000 dollars that week.

Ned Rig

Although the Ned Rig doesn’t exactly match Slider fishing, Ned Kehde credits Charlie Brewer with inventing a system that catches fish without the need to swim, pop, jiggle, or yo-yo the bait before reeling in.

The Ned Rig has two parts, a weighted hook, and the soft plastic “stick” bait.  The key element to the weighted hook is its shape, known as a “ShroomZ” or mushroom head, and is shaped to blend seamlessly into the stick bait when slipped on the hook. You must understand that 1/10 of an ounce is a standard weight for .  This is (after all) a finesse fishing system.

The stick bait looks like a mini Senko and I like one called (the real deal), a specific green pumpkin color, 2.5 inches in length and made of a buoyant plastic called “ElaZtech,” which is by far the most durable soft plastic on the market.  The baits come in several colors but the most important aspect to ElaZtech is that it floats. Imagine a small, 2.5-inch lure resting on the bottom with its tail end standing straight up. For whatever reason, with its tail up, the dinner bell rings for almost any species in the lake.

It Works

Since learning about the Ned Rig I have caught large and smallmouth bass, spotted bass, walleyes, catfish, trout, and blue gills.

Just last week, during an ice storm on Sand Hollow Reservoir, I pulled out the Ned Rig to entice bites from fish hugging the bottom in 35 feet of water and about 18 inches of grass.

The bass were eating tiny one-inch bluegills and waiting (nestled down in the grass) for schools to pass by. I stared at my fish finder not really seeing any bass but watching the schools of blue gills hoping the bass were hiding in the grass.  (Vertical fishing with a Ned Rig is easy. I drop my lure over the edge of the boat, watch it (on my screen) enter the grass on the bottom and wait for a strike. I don’t shake the lure or jig it up and down, I just keep it on the bottom, and amazingly the bass find the lure and I set the hook.)

Trout Love it Too!

Trout on Strawberry LOVE a Ned Rig in green pumpkin, brown purple, or pink. Remember to cast out, let the rig fall to the bottom and don’t move it.  If nothing hits (after around five minutes or so), reel it back in and repeat the cast. The Ned Rig is worth discovering, trust me.

For more information on the Ned Rig and where to purchase them, contact me at don@donallphin.com

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