Fall 2018
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“Since it is such a finesse technique many people assume it has to be ultra- clear water, he said. “That is a great time to use it; but, I have had success for smallmouth in stained and even what some would consider muddy water. There really is not a bad time to use a Ned rig when it comes to smallmouth, because big smallmouth are suckers for small baits.”
While it can be used just about anywhere and anytime, there are several situations when the Ned rig will not only catch smallmouth, but also outperform just about any other technique. For Clausen that is with highly pressured fish, the post-spawn as well as in cold- water situations.
HERE IS HOW HE TACKLES EACH OF THEM
Pressured Fishing
Finesse fishing has always been a good way to catch fish in pressured situations and the Ned rig is no exception.
“When there are a bunch of boats in the area or if it is on the last few days of a tournament, I always have a Ned rig ready, he said. “It is a good approach when the fish have seen a bunch of bigger baits and it will still catch the bigger fish needed to do well in a tournament.”
Post-Spawn
Like fishing in a crowd, post-spawn fishing can prove to be a challenge. When the fish are in the “post spawn” funk they often fall to small baits.
“One thing I do a little differently, this time of year, is to use a heavier jighead than I normally do; so, it falls faster and creates more of a reaction,” he shared. “I’ll often cast, let it fall and hop it and then quickly reel it in to make another cast and cover more water until I find a group of fish.”
Cold Water
During the winter or early spring as fish smallmouth begin to become active a Ned rig can produce giant bags of smallmouth.
“Typically, I am fishing a little deeper with it this time of year or will be video game fishing for them with my Lowrance units,” he said. “I usually downsize my leader to 6-pound-test and go with a very light jighead.
“I like the lighter wire Finesse ShroomZ in either a 1/10 or 1/15ounce size. It falls a lot slower and takes some patience; but, that slow fall is usually what they want when it is cold.”
As more and more anglers are starting to use the Ned rig, the technique is evolving. Bass anglers are realizing that it gets bites in all scenarios and Luke Clausen feels that when it comes to smallmouth it is something that should always be rigged and ready. •
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