# Anyone else fish the 'Neko' rig?



## DaleH (May 14, 2018)

Anyone else fish this? 

I must admit that 95% of my fishing is saltwater, but I just learned this trick for freshwater fishing for bass on spawning beds .. and it is KILLAH (_as only a boy from Boston [Bohstin ... ] can say it_) :wink: !

I plan to also rig saltwater seaworms in the similar manner and try that when the incoming tide comes up over the recently dug/exposed clam beds! I'll report that later ... but if it REALLY works ... then I'm gonna keep my mouth shut, haha :lol: !


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## onthewater102 (May 14, 2018)

I first read about it over the winter. Haven't tried it yet but will let you know when I do. It looks like a shaky head that won't hang up in New England's rocky bottoms.


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## richg99 (May 14, 2018)

Like you two guys, I have read about it but never tried it. With my miserable results today, I should have tried it, and everything else. Ha Ha 

I did try something similar this morning and caught one tiny bass on it. it was a saltwater jig head with a 4-inch Senko on the back. Worked it by jigging and winding. It was similar to this jig from Academy, but not colored.
https://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_1089303_-1?campID=1331689198&groupID=56174865594&device=c&productID=020398137&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-TXBRCHARIsANLixNyQF3AuN9lop3wIeZ5TSdKbwpyXPo6PE5JF4b91QIVBhgMQgr3YW-AaAq-jEALw_wcB


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## onthewater102 (May 15, 2018)

There is another finesse technique very similar to what you've described there Rich called the Ned rig - basically a pill shaped lead head with the hook shank coming perpendicular out of the center of the pill that you put a small senko or other small soft plastic on and slowly swim it along through the water.


Debating whether I should get some screws to use as weights or pour lead to make nose weights for the worms to try this Neko setup out. I just don't think steel will be dense enough to really do it.


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## DaleH (May 15, 2018)

onthewater102 said:


> Debating whether I should get some screws to use as weights or pour lead to make nose weights for the worms to try this Neko setup out. I just don't think steel will be dense enough to really do it.


Lead is 'verbotten' in the waters I fish, so I just use the ribbed nails, where the ribs hold the plastic well. Some just use sheet rock screws!

I saw some bismuth alloy weights the other day ... then saw the price ... _yikester :shock: !_


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## richg99 (May 15, 2018)

Ned....Neko... You are correct. I confused the two. In fact, I have read about the Neko but never saw a picture until just now.

Now I have ANOTHER hook set up to try. Luckily, I have a box of nails that will probably never get used up otherwise ...on the shelf.

Thanks, rich


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## DaleH (May 15, 2018)

They say ... :

_... both of these rigs are older than dirt. The Neko Rig is the wacky worm before sink worms (Senkos) came out. The Ned Rig used to be called "the jig worm" in the '80's. Use the Neko Rig when you want to fish a moving vertical bait, also fish it after the fish stop biting wacky rigged sink worms. The Ned Rig is a bottom rig, use it when the fish are tight to the bottom, feeding on craws, gobies, or juvenile catfish and you want to fish slow and tight to cover. I haven't fish a 'nail weighted wacky worm' aka Neko Rig in along time, but if remembering correctly ... it fall towards the weighted side, so it might be very effective around docks and overhangs._ 

*Neko Rig:*
The Neko rig came from Japan via California and is essentially a nail-weighted, wacky rigged stick bait. By taking a conventional wacky rig and inserting a nail weight into one end of the bait, you make it sink faster, fall with an erratic glide, and trigger strikes from suspended bass.

*Ned Rig:*
Finesse anglers get ready, there’s a new kid on the block. Also called “Midwest finesse”, the Ned rig is basically a super-light mushroom head with a small 2-3 inch plastic threaded onto it. Typically, the whole package measures smaller than 3 inches. The light (1/32 – 1/8 ounce) weight creates an enticing glide on the fall, and it’s been racking up the catches throughout the Midwest in the last couple years.


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## richg99 (May 15, 2018)

I learn something new in the place every week. thanks.


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## New River Rat (May 15, 2018)

Been using something effective, so I ain't seen no need to change. Take this exact head.....


https://store.radvandamwarehouse.com/snagless-slider-head-hooks-by-charlie-brewer-p3375.aspx?Size=1%2F16%20oz&msclkid=828dbb9ba4021eab39fae160f459fd42&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bing%20Ads&utm_term=4584757329525630&utm_content=Ad%20group%20%231


.....add this exact worm texposed....



https://fishingcompleteinc.com/case-jacks-worm-4-5-10-pk/




.....= KILLER!


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## onthewater102 (May 21, 2018)

Worked better than most everything we were throwing yesterday. Granted the weather's been really off lately, five days of rain then bright sun followed by wind & t-storms. With the spawn on in the backdrop of all that I had no idea what to expect. They've been steadily drawing water but it doesn't seem to have dropped the levels much if any.

Neko rig accounted for the only smallmouth of the trip, a nice 20" 3.5'r that a week ago would probably have been 4+, as well as the last fish on the evening which was a 15" crappie who ate a 5.5" senko! The bites really weren't coming though, on the neko or any of the other dozen+ lures I tried, and I certainly didn't have it figured out by the time my 5yr old's patience wore out and we headed for home. Oh well. This is why I try to stick to small water bodies fishing with him.

Action on the Neko setup is exactly what you would expect. I was using a green-backed white bellied senko trying to imitate a sucker working the bottom. I didn't come up with any pike on it so perhaps my presentation wasn't that convincing.


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## DaleH (May 21, 2018)

onthewater102 said:


> Action on the Neko setup is exactly what you would expect.


... and I for one ... have ZERO idea what to make of that comment, or the expectations ... but clearly it is me :roll:


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## onthewater102 (May 21, 2018)

Sorry - I've watched a ton of youtube videos of it...it stands off the bottom and has a really natural looking bounce to the unweighted end of the worm.


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## DaleH (May 21, 2018)

onthewater102 said:


> Sorry - I've watched a ton of youtube videos of it...it stands off the bottom and has a really natural looking bounce to the unweighted end of the worm.


Yes, thanks - in that aspect they work awesome! I took your comment in respect to “how they worked” - as far as results - hence my confusion.


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## onthewater102 (May 21, 2018)

Oh, no - yesterday was just one of those days results wise. I really liked how it had the action of a shakey head without the bottom snagging tendency of that rig, especially in Lilli with its zebra mussel encrusted 2# to 15# stone everywhere. 

My 17# fluoro leader going to my football jig was getting destroyed by the damned mussels everywhere. You'd bring a piece of milfoil back with your lure on occasion and if you look closely at the stalk section of the milfoil you'll see 10 or more zebra mussels hanging on in sizes ranging from the ball point of a pen right up to about half the size of a dime. Terrible. We need round gobies to come help keep them in check and make our smallies 3" wide at the eyes!


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