Ok. I finally gave in a tried one today. I started out with my usual junk. 4 hours without a bite. Same spots, and stuff, with a Ned rig and I have had about 40 bites. …and landed 10. I feel the bite, set the hook, and sometimes I feel em for a second. Sometimes they just start pulling drag. I’ve tried reel sets, small hook sets, heavy swinging sets. Nothing seems to work. I just fought an 8 pounder all the way to the boat. Reached down to grab her and ….SHE GONE!

What am I doing wrong. I am using a Falcon Mansfield rod. 20lb braid to an 8 pound InvisX. This is the bait below.


The 8 pounder is back under this dock laughing. I will know her when I see her. She has a HUGE black spot on her head.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Picasso rhino heads with the 3/0 hook
10 braid to 10 floro. When you get the bite hold the rod at 1 o clock and reel fast until it loads. No hook set necessary

maybe a 'stinger' hook..?

Steez, I fish it on a 7’3” M action spinning rod with 20lb. braid to 10lb. Seaguar. I typically reel down tight to approx. 9 o’clock position with my rod tip and do a sweeping motion to about 12 o’clock. No issues with hookups and rarely lose a fish. I feel like that’s all it takes with the light wire hook on most Ned rig heads. And yes, this technique will catch big ones as you stated, hate to hear you lost her. Keep fishing it, it gets bites when other baits won’t . I have it tied on and in the boat year round! Good Luck

Ok. I finished the day of doo doo fishing with around a 15% hookup ratio. One thing that was pretty consistent with each miss was having the worm folded over and stuck into the worm in a way where the barb wouldn’t penetrate the mouth. So, this leads me to as this question…

What worms would y’all recommend for this little hook? The worm I was using was a Zoom 4” stick worm. It was not too stiff, but I think it may have been too thick.

I use a Dobyns Fury 7'-0 with 6 pound Stren Clear blue mono. I have done a lot of testing with the Ned rig, and for me, the best rig is the original Z-Man jigs and the TRD275-359PK8 Elaztech Finesse TRD Ned Worm Rig 2.75" . I have experienced the worm turning as you described, but can't offer any cure. My hook up is around 75%, and a few of the fish just let it go for some reason.

I dont throw it much cuz i suck at fishing and gut hook them ned rigging more than id like.....but i really think elaztech/zman stuff is the way to go anything ned. Other companies have started making their own baits...but i just think that Elaztech buoyancy and a flat top jig head pair very well together. when it comes to hookset, im usually on a spinning rod and try and lift it straight up. Ned rig hooks are usually a lighter wire, so a strong hook set isnt as important as getting that hook point in them and letting the "stickiness" of a lighter wire hook do its thing...in my opinion.

What was your drag set at? any time ive lost a decent one at the boat ive felt it was a lot of my fault for having a bad rod angle....these damn fish just need a split second, and just enough leverage and angle to be able to spit a bait. rod angles get worse and sketchier the closer to the boat you are....in my opinion

Might have been one of those days where they just weren’t biting well, I had 30 bites today and only managed to get 2 into the boat. Couldn’t keep them loaded on a chatterbait and they were blowing a toad into the air, couldn’t stick a single one.

Maybe so. I know a lot of bites today were short strikes. But a bunch had the worm in their mouths, since it was folded like a taco. I dunno. Gonna try it again tomorrow. It should be better. Somewhere I have some itty bitty strike king elaztech Ned rig rage craws. I’ll try one of those. Then I’ll try a tiny senko. Maybe a Senko will let the hook get to em.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

The hooks I have are TRDZ Shroomz. Or something like that. I’ll look into the other hooks y’all suggested too.

5" Senko - cut in tail off then cut in half...

Plastic is probably your problem. When you say folder over on the hook, is it coming down from the keeper, too? Or is it just like the fish is chewing on it and getting it messed up before you can set the hooks into them?

In what I am seeing in your picture, you appear to have too much plastic below the bend of the hook. Needs to be shorter and stiffer.

Hook getting really dull on rocks and such?

Yeh. Worm is folding over the hook Point after they suck it in. I have bags and bags of senkos. I’ll try that. Thanks for the idea.



I don’t think so. The hooks were never used before this. They are very sticky…that’s also why I’m reaching out to the forum, I think I’m doing something wrong.

From the man himself... KISS... Dan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqGTzPt6TIQ

Good video Dan.

You could try opening the Gap just a hair.