A Ned Rig is a popular ultra-finesses fishing presentation that excels in cold water conditions or when the bite gets tough. This technique has quickly become a go-to rig for many kayak anglers. It’s a simple and effective rig that catches fish anywhere even in the toughest of conditions

In this post, I  will cover everything you need to know about fishing this finesse technique.

What is a Ned Rig?

The Ned rig or the Midwest finesses rig consist of a light mushroom-style jig head paired with a small stick bait. It’s considered an ultra-finesse technique because it’s generally fished on light line and tackle.

The Setup

As previously mentioned it consists of a mushroom-style jig head that is rigged with a worm or some type of soft plastic, typically a stick bait.  Kayak anglers have more baits and jigheads to choose from now than ever before on the market due to their popularity.

With that being said, below I will put together some great information about the different styles of jig heads as well as the best Ned Rig Baits. This information will help make sure you have the proper setup while fishing a ned rig.

Jig Heads

Although some anglers say you can use any kind of jighead for a Ned rig the most popular and most effective in my opinion is going to be the mushroom-style jighead. Here are a few different variations of the mushroom jighead. Each style is designed for different situations. Z-Man Finesse Shroomz and Z-Man Ned Lockz HD are my preference when fishing the Ned rig.

There are a variety of “Ned” baits on the market these days, but in my opinion, there are certain baits that stand out from the crowd.

For me, I want a bait that stands straight up off the bottom and one that’s durable. When fishing the Ned, you will get a lot of smaller fish on it as well, so it’s important that your bait holds up after multiple catches. That’s why I really enjoy fishing with the Z-man products. 

The Zman TRD’s and Hula Sticks are tough to beat.  They are made from an elastic material, which gives them better action but also makes them durable.

Best Colors

There are also a wide variety of color options available to choose from. I prefer to fish with the more natural colors such as green pumpkins, shad colors, browns, craw patterns.  In my experience, they seem to outperform other colors especially and clear water and tough conditions.

However, I’ll go with brighter colors or black and blue in situations where the water is stained or murky. Your color choice should always be decided by your body of water and the fishing conditions that face you on your fishing trip.  

Best Rod & Reel

Much like other finesse fishing techniques a spinning rod is going to be an ideal match for this rig. I prefer a medium to medium-light powered spinning rod paired with a 10-pound braid and 6 to 8lb fluorocarbon leader.

The braid gives you more sensitivity and the fluorocarbon helps present a more natural presentation. This is an ideal setup for fishing a Ned rig in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

The rig is an all-around great finesse fishing technique that will get you bites in tough conditions. It is also a great bait for families and new anglers that are new to the sport or when you just need a bite in a tournament.

Whatever the reason maybe you can’t go wrong fishing a Ned rig. I hope you have found this blog post useful. Hope you take it with you to the water to catch fish.