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Summer 2026
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times do not have to trigger these bass to bite you just have to get a bait in front of them.
Now in the case if the bite is off, I will use baits that are made of TPE. These baits have a floating quality and have a slower fall than traditional plastics. They also have more of a gliding action as they fall on a slack line instead of falling straight to the bottom. That subtle glide can be a major advantage during tough bites, helping trigger inactive bass that won’t ignore an easy meal.
O-RING POSITION
Worms and stickbaits are excellent starting points for Neko rig applications. Position the O-ring in the middle of the bait, then allow it to fall on a slack line after the cast. This setup creates a natural gliding fall toward the bottom.
Moving the O-ring farther up the bait increases the glide and allows the presentation to cover more water. Fished on slack line, the bait can sweep a wider zone with each cast.
One important point: not all baits within this category behave the same way. Experiment with different bait styles and monitor how each one falls, glides, and rests on the bottom, since action can vary significantly based on bait design and O-ring placement. Those adjustments help keep the bait in the strike zone longer and can generate more bites throughout the day.
WEIGHT CHOICES & MATERIAL (LEAD OR TUNGSTEN)
When selecting Neko weights, match the weight style to the bottom composition you’re fishing. On hard-bottom structure, I prefer a weight that maintains consistent bottom contact.
The majority of the time I will use either a lead or tungsten option to get the best feel that I can get. There is also a sound factor as the weight will make a sound when it hits the hard or rock bottom. Make sure that you put a few drops of super glue on the stem before you push your weight into the plastics. This will help secure your weight in the plastics better and allow you to catch more bass. I have also when using tungsten weights put an O-Ring around the sinkers stem to help secure my weight in place better.
When fishing in weed conditions I usually grab and use a lead nail weight. When in the weeds the bottom feel
is not as big as a factor as it is when targeting and fishing a hard bottom or rock bottom area. “In softer cover, visual line movement becomes more important than bottom feel when detecting bites. In this case be more of a line watcher in this case.
HOOK CHOICES
When it comes to hooks, I use a Gamakatsu Weedless Super Tuned Drop Shot hook and a Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot hook designed by Aaron Martens as my two top hook choices. I will adjust my hook option to match the fishing situation that I am faced with on the water. I will use the Weedless Super Tuned when I am fishing in or on the edge of the weeds as I can keep my bait weed free in these situations. When I am targeting rocks and weeds are not a problem, I will use a Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot hook in these situations.
ROD REEL & LINE
I fish my Neko options on a spinning setup the majority of the time. My rod choice is a Denali 7ft Attax Pro medium action spinning rod teamed with a Lew’s Hypermag spinning reel 200 size. I use Sunline Asagi braided line 16lb rigged with 10lb Sunline FC leader. I will match my leader choice to the bite conditions that I am faced with that day on the water. If bite conditions are good, I will continue with this combination. On the days when I am faced with fishing in difficult cold front conditions when the bass tend to drop the bait before I could get a hook set, I will switch to a 10lb Sunline Mono leader choice. This adjustment helps to build in some stretch making it harder for the bass to feel me so they do not drop the bait before I can get a hook set.
Another option that has saved my day many times is to switch to a reel that is spooled with 10lb Sunline Sniper FC. This builds in even more stretch making it harder for the bass to detect me before I can set the hook.
I hope this Neko breakdown will give you a good starting point if you have not used this presentation much before. For me I have moved this presentation to the top of my finesse list as I feel of all the finesse options that are out there, this is the most underutilized finesse option being used right now. Use this to your advantage as I can tell you after making this presentation adjustment I have put more and bigger bass in the boat on tougher bite days. •