Buyer's Guide: Ned Rig Baits and Tricks For All Seasons

The ned rig is one of the most effective lures ever created for bass fishing! Its fish catching power rivals the senko, chatterbait, and whopper plopper. You may not catch the biggest bass of your life with a ned rig but you're sure to catch a few fish when you pick it up. Its so effective in fact that it deserved a dedicated buyer's guide. Today we're simplifying Ned Rig fishing with a look at some of our favorite baits, hooks, and equipment.

The Ned Rig has been around a few years now but it exploded in 2019! Virtually every major brand in bass fishing introduced a "ned" worm or creature of some kind at ICAST. With all of the worms, creatures, craws, and heads on the market its hard to know which ones are worth the time. Today's buyer's guide is geared at simplifying the whole mess so that when you're on the water, you know you're throwing your best option. 

Below is a breakdown of the baits, hooks, and equipment Tim recommends for fishing the Ned Rig. Because this is a buyer's guide every product includes a link to the exact bait on Tackle Warehouse where you can see close up pictures, information, and color samples. In addition to the link we've included Tim's favorite color choices for each worm.  

Tim's Favorite Combo #1... 

Rod- Megabass Destroyer Flyssa: http://bit.ly/2B7NyFj

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 5 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Tim's Favorite Combo #2... 

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 902: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Shimano Stella 2500: http://bit.ly/2U8Pkzg

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 5 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'6" Light: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- Sniper Fluorocarbon 6 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Ned Rig Baits... 

-Z Man Finesse T.R.D: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

(Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Goby, Meat Dog)

-Z Man TRD BugZ: http://bit.ly/2oiavEE

(Canada Craw, Mud Bug, California Craw)

-Z Man TicklerZ: http://bit.ly/2mGyDAC

(Canada Craw, Green Pumpkin, Sprayed Grass)

-Robo Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

(Desert Craw, TW Black Blue Pumpkin)

-Missile Baits Ned Bomb: http://bit.ly/2XCOGwd

(Fishalicious, Super Bug, Green Pumpkin)

-XZone Ned Zone Stick: http://bit.ly/2mRiYhF

(309, Green Pumpkin Purple, Minnow Magic)

Ned Heads... 

-Swagger Tungsten Flanders Head: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

-Owner Block Head Jighead: http://bit.ly/2qL0A8n

-Z Man HD Lockz: http://bit.ly/2kIgRYK

7 Finesse Baits To Catch Stubborn Winter Bass

The Fall to Winter transition brings cold water and lethargic fish but savvy bass fishermen have no trouble getting bit under these conditions. Some of the biggest bass of the year can be caught in the Winter months along with surprising numbers of quality fish. During the cold water period Tim often turns to finesse fishing to find the consistent bite. He has a handful of proven techniques and he's sharing them with us today.

Winter fishing doesn't have to mean mundane fishing. There are a ton of techniques from jigs to swimbaits, flies to worms, that will consistently produce in cool to cold water. You're not limited to one or two methods, though light tackle is a common thread amongst most of them. Today Tim gathered the gear for 7 of his favorite Winter techniques and he's explaining them for us.

Below you'll find a breakdown of the baits and equipment Tim trusts to get through the Winter months. From late Fall all the way to the start of Spring, you can rely on each of these finesse techniques to produce. Try a few and find the method that produces best on your home lakes.

Finesse Football Jigs and Trailers...

-Dirty Jigs finesse football 3/8-5/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2d2apsm

(Super Matt Brown, Go To, Brown Craw)

-Keitech tungsten Football 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2FDQ3o1

(Brown Purple, Green Pumpkin Blue)

-Bass Patrol Round Rubber Football 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2Hbyf5x

(Brown/Green Pump, Brown/Orange, Brown/Purple)

-Yamamoto Double Tail 5" Grub: http://bit.ly/2db9w1p

(Green Pumpkin, Cinnamon Purple)

Finesse Tubes and Heads...

-Dry Creek 3.5" Tournament Tube: http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r

(Crazy Eddie, Green Pumpkin, Old Ugly)

-Bite Me Flat Eye Tube Head 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2diyVXK

-Provider Tackle 90 Degree Tube Head 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2LY9eMj

Neko Rigging Components...

-Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

(956- Watermelon Copper Orange Red, Natural Shad, Electric Shad, Green Pump Purp/Cop)

-Swagger Tungsten Pagoda Nail Weight: http://bit.ly/2iGNSFW

-G7 Worm Protect Tubes: http://bit.ly/2PWEkUs

-G7 Worm Tube Pliers: http://bit.ly/2PRMNrG

-Owner mosquito light 1/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

-Gamakatsu Stinger G finesse Size 1: http://bit.ly/2otYTPg

Ned Rig...

-Roboworm Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

(Desert Craw, TW Black Blue Pumpkin)

-Swagger Tungsten Flanders Head 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Finesse Swimbaits...

-Dirty Jigs Guppy Head 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

-Keitech Easy Shiner 3": http://bit.ly/2bxJK6H

(Electric Shad, Pro Blue Red Pearl, Tennessee Shad)

-Cool Baits Down Under 3/16 oz Underspin: http://bit.ly/2boS7QA

-Megabass Okashira head 1/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

-Megabass Spark Shad 3": http://bit.ly/2XcLZk4

(Albino, Purple Haze, Baby Bass)

-Megabass Dark Sleeper 2.4": http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

(Donko, Shirauo, Wakasagi, Haze)

Dropshot Rig...

-Reaction Innovations Flirt Worm 4.95: http://bit.ly/2CMB33J

(Lickity Split, Morning Dawn, Purple Smoke)

-Roboworm Alive Shad: http://bit.ly/2kDNeYw

(Hologram Shad, Morning Dawn, Neon Shad)

-Trokar Dropshot Hook size 1: http://bit.ly/2ahxJOr

-Owner Mosquito Light Size 1: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

-Swagger Tungsten Dropshot Weight 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2V2B63h

Flies...

-Spro Phat Fly: http://bit.ly/2mboisG

-Cumberland Pro Lures Float N Fly: http://bit.ly/2o9PE63

-Punisher Lures Float N Fly: http://bit.ly/2qrH9oA

Tim's All-Around Favorite Finesse Combo...

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 902S SJR: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- Sunline XPlasma Asegai Braid: http://bit.ly/2OR5i2j

Leader- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget-Friendly Finesse Combo...

Rod- Shimano SLX 7' Med Light: http://bit.ly/2AdvIC1

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Tube Fishing Tricks For Fall Bass! (Beginner To Advanced)

The Ned Rig has replaced the tube on a lot of fisheries but wise bass fishermen know that the Finesse Tube will always be a staple lure, especially for Fall bass! Tim is giving away his best tricks to catching tube fish including how change fall rate, fall angle, actions, shapes, colors, and more! Get ready to learn everything you need to know about bass fishing with a tube.

So many anglers think of a tube as a 1-dimensional lure that catches lethargic bass. This could not be farther from the truth! It works great for lethargic bass but its also an effective tool when snapped for shallow bass, spiraled for suspended bass, or hopped in deep water. Once you learn the many uses for a finesse tube you'll always want to have one close by.

While ultralight light and small tubes is the "norm", don't be afraid to step out and fish the bigger tubes on heavier gear, even casting rods. When it comes to equipment, a heavy tube is no different than fishing a jig, shaky head, or Texas rig. Below you'll find a break down of the different baits, colors, heads, and equipment that Tim uses to fish his tubes.

The baits...

-Dry Creek Tournament Tube: http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r

(Old Ugly, Green Pumpkin Copper, Crazy Eddie)

-Big Bite Baits Tour Tube: http://bit.ly/32e23VR

(Green Pump Blue, Green Pump Copper, Tilapia)

-Z Man TRD Tubez: http://bit.ly/2DbJB8s

(Canada Craw, Green Pumpkin, Mud Bug)

Heads...

-Bite Me Big Dude Goby Head: http://bit.ly/2CV3o7S

-Bite Me Flat Eye Tube Head: http://bit.ly/2diyVXK

-Owner 90 Degree DartHead: http://bit.ly/2nvNGxp

-Provider 90 Degree DartHead: http://bit.ly/2LY9eMj

Tim's All-Around Tube Combo...

Rod- Daiwa Tatula Elite 7'6" ML Feider: http://bit.ly/2QHupT9

Reel- Daiwa Tatula LT 2500: http://bit.ly/2zrq4id

Line- 15 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 7 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Tim's High-End Finesse Combo...

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 902: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Shimano Stella FJ 2500: http://bit.ly/2U8Pkzg

Line- 8 lb Sunline X Plasma Asegai Braid: http://bit.ly/2OR5i2j

Leader- 5 lb Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Heavy Tube Rods...

Spinning Rod- G Loomis GLX 892: http://bit.ly/2A6HH3O

Spinning Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Casting Rod - G Loomis GLX 893: http://bit.ly/2gqziwT

Casting Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

(Line and leader same as Daiwa Combo)

Ultra Shallow Senko Fishing Tips For Fall Bass

We're in Wisconsin fishing ultra shallow water for big bass! The fish have moved up under docks in less than 18 inches of crystal clear water and have shut down. How do we lure these big bass into biting on a post front day? Come along for a fun day of big bass catching in the MidWest as we put the pieces together and catch a ton of fish in tough conditions!

We started the day out deep and couldn't find any willing fish. We planned to catch them on crankbaits and swimbaits but the bass had other ideas. They'd pulled into shallow docks, often sitting in less than a foot of water along the support beams. When we finally put the pieces together the senko was the only bait they would eat. Typically bass under docks eat the senko on the initial fall but not this day!

The key to the bite was letting the senko soak. After the short fall to the bottom we had to let the senko sit motionless for 30-45 seconds before the tell tale "tick" on the line would alert us to a bite. While it was a painstaking way to fish, it paid off in a big way as we caught monster smallmouth after monster smallmouth all afternoon! Don't be afraid to get out there and fish this Fall. Even as Winter approaches there are big fish waiting to be caught!

Due to the bass' location we had to use much heavier leader than normal for spinning tackle. We ran 12 lb braid like we often do for ultralight combos but instead of going to a lighter leader material, we stepped up to 18 lb Fluorocarbon to give us a fighting chance against the bass amongst the cross members and chains below the docks. Below is a breakdown of all the tackle and equipment used in this video.

The Setup...

Bait- Yamamoto 5" Senko (Green Pumpkin Blk Flake): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Hook- Gamakatsu G-Finesse Stinger Weedless Wacky (Size 1): http://bit.ly/2otYTPg

Tool- O Wacky Tool: http://bit.ly/2wtX7M8

O-Ring- http://bit.ly/2MolpRD

Senko Combo...

Rod- G Loomis NRX 852S JWR: http://bit.ly/2dX9zjv

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Braid- 12 lb Plasma Asegai Sunline: http://bit.ly/2LWwBWE

Leader- 18 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Combo...

Rod- Dobyns Fury 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2e7HZPF

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm