Bass Archives - Lake Ontario Outdoors

Ned Rig vs Shaky Head

Two of the most popular finesse bass techniques are the ned rig and the shaky head, but what exactly is the difference?

There are quite a few similarities between the Shaky Head rig and the Ned rig when it comes to bass fishing. Both are widely considered to be finesse lures, but there are some subtle differences that should be noted in order to determine just which one is better in certain situations.

Shaky heads are normally fished on the bottom and in deeper waters while the ned rig can be fished at varying depths.

Ned rigs are normally much smaller and lighter than shaky heads.

From a tackle perspective a the best shaky head rods will have a fast action as you need to be able to put a lot action into the jig and get the most feedback down through the rod blank to know what’s going on.

Ned Rig vs Shaky Head

The main differences between the ned rig vs shaky head is that the shaky head is threaded onto a screw type bait holder on the jig head whereas the ned rig is threaded through the body and uses a flat mushroom style jig head.

Let’s take a closer look at each lure to see what sets them apart.

What is a Ned Rig?

A Ned rig is relatively new to the sport of fishing. It is typically smaller than a Shaky Head and consists of a small plastic tube-like worm of up to 4 inches in length. The lure is weighted by a jig head that is normally 1/32, 1/16, or 3/32 with a hook size of up to #2 or #6.

A Ned rig’s weight is shaped like a mushroom and sometimes has a small indention on one side in order to help balance the lure’s position so that the worm sits upright on the bottom.

Where to Fish a Ned Rig?

Ned rigs are generally used in more shallow water of less than 15 feet in depth. The key to fishing a Ned rig is to know that you likely won’t feel any of the bait’s movement (or lack thereof). Remember, this is a finesse lure and you’ll want to make sure your line is tight enough to feel the subtle bites from fish along the bottom.

Ned rigs work best on areas with flat bottoms near structure, but are also known to be productive around grass beds, docks, points and flats where you might typically find baitfish feeding or hiding from predators.

How to Fish a Ned Rig

One of the biggest differences in the Ned rig and Shaky Head is that a Ned rig will utilize a smaller, exposed hook. This may seem like a subtle difference, but it plays into the overall method of how to fish a Ned rig.

Since the Ned rig is the smaller of the two, you’ll want to use it in more shallow water up to 15 feet in depth. Fishing in deeper water will make it more difficult to feel fish bite the Ned rig since it is much lighter than a shaky head.

Also, a Ned rig should simply be “pulled” across the bottom of a waterway instead of “bouncing” it like most anglers do with a Shaky Head. The lightweight Ned rig will easily glide across the bottom of a lake and come to a resting, upright position that will attract nearby fish in a different way than a Shaky Head will.

The Ned rig, much like the Shaky Head, is attractive to most game fish like largemouth bass because it appears to be a smaller bait fish feeding on the bottom of a lake or waterway. Bass usually spend very little energy in biting a Ned rig as they will generally let the lure come within range and bite.

The Ned rig can be dragged or bounced across the bottom with variable lengths of time between when you decide to move the lure. Some anglers have reported success with a “swimming” technique in which they never let the bait touch the bottom.

What is a Shaky Head?

A Shaky Head rig is equally simple in composition and can appear to be very similar to the Ned rig at first glance. This lure usually employs a soft plastic worm of more than four inches in length, with a variety of different plastics in use.

Shaky Heads typically utilize a hook size from 3/0 to 6/0 and have a jig head of 1/16 ounce up to a ½ ounce size. One of the main differences between a Ned rig and a Shaky Head is the rounded jig on a Shaky Head. This allows for greater movement, even when the bait is sitting on the bottom.

A Shaky Head is generally larger than the Ned rig and will usually produce much larger catches.

Where to Use a Shaky Head?

Most experienced anglers will agree that the Shaky Head is their go-to for targeting fish that are stubborn and when the bite is slow. Something about this lure’s “shaky” action produces a strike in fish where other lures will be passed by without even a glance.

Shaky Head fanatics say this lure works best around docks and brush piles or other structures when the fish are ignoring other baits. As a general rule of thumb, you should look to throw a Shaky Head around some type of structure in hopes of coaxing the nearby bass out for a closer look and possibly, a bite.

The Shaky Head’s hook is not exposed and, therefor, allows you to use this bait closer to structure or weeds and grass as you’re less likely to get hung up.

How to Fish a Shaky Head

There’s no rush when using a Shaky Head. In fact, the slower, the better, according to most experienced anglers who find success in using a Shaky Head.

There are a variety of different kinds of soft plastics you can use with a Shaky Head. For a rounded head, it is best to stick with a stickworm or finesse worm that you should use on rocky or gravel bottom waterways.

For a standup jig head, trick worms are best, but anglers have reported success with a wide variety of different types of worms.

The key to being successful with a Shaky Head is to keep the action going, even when the bait is stationary. When other baits are forced to lie motionless, you can easily twitch and “shake” a Shaky Head in the right spots to produce a strike.

Which is better, Shaky Heads or Ned Rig?

It’s hard to choose a winner between these two baits matched up head to head. Each one has specific advantages over the other depending on the conditions and specific area you plan to fish. The best answer to this question is to learn how to use each lure and employ them at your own discretion in order to experience real success on the water.

Drop Shot Fishing for Bass

Drop shot fishing for bass has exploded in recent years and lot’s of tournament anglers are taking major wins with a drop shot when other techniques are failing.

Drop shotting is considered a finesse tactic but unlike other finesse approaches it is truly versatile and can be used year round and in a variety of different locations and scenario’s.

The drop shot rig itself is quite simple, your hook is tied a few feet up with a polomar knot from a weight on a leader that is usually fluorocarbon.

Drop shot fishing allows you to fine tune the exact depth that you bait will run at.

Controlling your depth is crucial to keeping your lure in the strike zone whether that is in deeper waters where bass hold at a certain depth during the winter or in warmer seasons in shallower waters.

Being a finesse application a lightweight drop shot rod with a lot of sensitivity is key to getting the best feedback from your sinker and bait which ultimately will increase your strike rate.

Rod – medium/light power, fast action, 7 foot spinning rod
Reel – spinning reel size 2000 or 2500

Line – Fluorocarbon in the 8 to 12 lbs range

Drop Shot Fishing

Being such a versatile technique fishing a drop shot can produce big bass all year round especially in winter when you can target them right down in the deeper waters of lakes.

Knowing how, where and when to use this type of rig is key to getting the very best out of it.

Below are some of our drop shot fishing tips that we hope will help you to catch more bass!

Drop Shotting Tactics

Tactics are everything in bass fishing and fishing a drop shot is no different.

Tailoring your approach to the seasons is the key aspect of catching more bass.

Water temperature is the ultimate guiding force to bass movements and learning to read it is very important.

Deeper waters call for a slower dead sticking approach and water weather can call for a more active almost jigging like approach.

When Should You Throw a Drop Shot

Different seasons call for very different approaches and knowing how to fish each one relative to the water temperature is very important.

We won’t give any strict temperature ranges here as across the country different seasons have big variances in water temperatures so apply your local knowledge to best affect.

Winter Bass are almost always out in deeper waters and will generally stay suspended at a fairly consistent depth depending on the lake and temperature in question.

It’s not uncommon to see bass on a fish finder in 40 to 50 feet of water during cold weather and this is when vertical drop style fishing excels.

Seeing as this is the most lethargic time of the year for bass dead sticking you lure will usually get the best results.

Only an occasional twitch of the rod tip is required once the weight has hit the bottom or you exact suspended depth.

Pre-spawn Bass will usually start to enter more shallower mid-range depths and will start to move when temperatures start to hit 50 degrees.

You’ll find them between 10 and 6 feet. Crawdad soft plastics are particularly effective especially if you are fishing over a rocky bottom at this depth

Post-Spawn/Summer Bass immediately following the spawn can take a while before they return to full summer feeding frenzy so you may notice a reluctance for bass to be overly aggressive in the immediate few weeks once spawning has ended.

Once summer kicks in it’s all about weed cover and working a light rig in and around weed is a killer approach.

Drop Shot Fishing from Shore

Shore fishing will of course limit your reach but it can still be very effective, less so in the colder months as bass will naturally move to deeper waters that are normally out of reach from the shore.

The major advantage of fishing off of a boat is that every location on a lake is available to you.

On the shore you are limited by your maximum casting distance but on a boat with a fish finder you can search every single area making sweeps of drop offs, gravel beds and close to cover.

A fish finder will give you the biggest possible advantage.

All of the techniques described above are available to you as a boat angler.

From the shore you will mostly be casting and then slowly bouncing or jigging the weight back towards you.

Boat ramps and docks can be a big spot for bass that a lot of anglers ignore so make sure to work them just as hard as any stretch of bank.

Setting the Hook

A lot of times anglers will complain of missing a lot of fish on a drop shot and ultimately they are setting the hook with far more force than necessary resulting in the hook being ripped from the mouth.

Lift your rod tip and reel in at the same time instead of yanking the rod back.

Using a combination of reeling and lift the tip quickly will take in any slack line in the system and also set the hook without ripping it.

Chances are you’ll be using very sharp hooks that require very little force to penetrate a bass’s lip.

Lures

The majority of drop shot baits for bass will be soft plastic worms. But that does not mean you should limit yourself to the worm only.

Crawfish, shad, tube baits and other soft plastics lures work just as well in the right conditions.

When you are dead sticking or putting less movement into the drop shot then a good approach is to shaky head rig your worm as it will get a bit more life into it than just regular nose rigging.

Worms that have a ribbon tail will always have the best life in them but the only drawback is that the tail is a lot weaker than on a regular worm so you may end up replacing them quicker.

Tackle

Being a finesse technique means matching you tackle to get the very best casting performance and also the as much sensitivity as possible from the weight or your lure back down through the rod to your hand.

Rod

6.6″ to 7′ in length, medium/light power rating with a fast action. Tip sensitivity is key here and a moderate or slow tip rod is not suitable.

Reel

Spinning reel in a size 2000 or 2500 to match your rod. Spinning gear is best suited to lighter line techniques.

Line

A good line for drop shots is fluorocarbon as it has a lot less stretch than monofilament.

Braid is also a good option particularly close to heavy cover but always use a fluorocarbon leader to help reduce visibility when drop shot fishing for bass.

Jig Setup for Bass

Getting the best out of your jig fishing means fine tuning you jig setup for bass so that it allows you to get the most life into the jigs when working in deep cover.

Most modern jig setups use a fast action rod and a baitacaster reel paired with a low stretch line like fluorocarbon.

That low stretch is important as you need to get some life into the jig by twitching the rod tip and it also allows you to set the hook quickly.

A quick hook set is important when jigging as you might need to turn the bass away from heavy weed or other such structures before they get a chance to run towards them.

Jig Setup for Bass

1. Rod

The best jig rods will be casting rods with a medium/heavy power rating or heavy if you are working in really thick weed cover.

Power describes what weight line that the rod is rated for and how heavy a lure that it can handle.

They should be 7 feet in length in length as you will be flipping into cover and that extra length will also help to put a bit of life into the jig with just a quick flick of the wrist.

Just like most single hook lures a jig setup needs a rod with a fast action.

A fast action starts to bend up high on the rod blank in the top one third from the tip.

A more moderate action will have it’s bend start lower down the blank.

A fast action allows you to set the hook quickly and it also gives you good feedback down through the rod blank so you have some idea about what is going on at the lure.

Faster action rods also make it much easier to put some life into the jig. With a moderate action the rod blank would absorb a lot of the energy you would be trying to put into the line.

Most modern bass fishing poles will be made from graphite and for jigging it really is the best option in terms of action and weight.

2. Reel

A high speed baitcaster is definitely an advantage if you are looking to take up line quickly and try to haul bass out of thick weed or away from obstructions.

Try to run a reel with a 7.2:1 gear ratio or higher.

I don’t like to set the drag too light as you may need to get that bass out of cover quickly I you really do not want it taking too much line off of your spool once hooked.

3. Line

If you are casting into clearer waters over gravel or very light short grass then you’ll need a line that is less visible than braid but low stretch unlike monofilament and this is where fluorocarbon really shines.

For lighter jigs in the 3/8 to 1/2 ounce range I’d run 12 to 20 lbs fluorocarbon line.

If you are fishing larger jigs in dense weed then 40 lb braid if using a medium heavy rod or even as high as 50/60 lbs braid if you are using a heavy power rod and throwing jigs into really thick weed beds.

I usually prefer to use a fluorocarbon leader when running braid as a main line as braid is just so visible I rarely like it tied directly to any single hook lure like a jig.

Best Drop Shot Baits for Slaying Bass

With drop shotting fast becoming one of the go to finesse tactics for bass a lot of anglers are clued in on how to fish it but a little more confused on what kind of soft plastics make the best drop shot baits.

The 4″ worm is without doubt the most successful drop shot bait since the techniques started

The beauty of drop shot lures is that chances are you have already fished them before just on a different style of rig.

Soft plastics make the best drop shotting lures with the old reliable worm being the very best as it’s long slender shape puts out a lot of movement.

But they don’t stop there.

Shad imitators, small minnows, tube baits, crawdads and even paddle tail swimbaits can all be killer choices as a drop shot bait.

One thing is for certain, when bass are feeling lazy dead sticking a drop shot bait can be one of the most successful tactics for big bass.

Only the slightest movement is required and you may get a strike right when you feel like recasting.

Patience is a virtue when working a drop shot bait in a super slow manner.

These types of techniques do require a lighter drop shotting rod so a heavy powered casting rod is really overkill for using small weights and plastic lures.

Best Drop Shot Baits

1. Roboworm Straight Tail

Easily the best dropshot bait ever the Roboworm brand name is synonymous with drop shotting and are easily the most popular choice for thousands of anglers.

With a massive range of colors and sizes there is a Roboworm for just about any situation.

You can run these up to a big 6″ when wacky rigging or straight through the nose on a smaller 4 inch version.

You can also Texas rig them when working through heavier cover in warmer summer months.

Best to vertical drop in cover rather than cast away from you with any great distance as you can end up with a lot of weed on your weight if you have to drag it towards you.

2. Berkley PowerBait Power Worms

Berkley’s legendary line of scented worms the Powerbait Power worms are some of the best performing soft plastic ever thanks in part to their super stinky scent.

That scent combined with an innovative ribbon tail makes these irresistible to bass.

Their tails has a very distinctive flutter that gives out a great little vibration through the water.

You find bass will smash these on the drop or just after they stop moving on the way down.

3. Strike King Rage Tail Craw

Drop shot baits are not just confined to using worms and bass really do love feasting on crayfish.

Nose hooking these allows for those claws to really start flapping in the water.

Texas rigged they are also an absolute killer in cover and thick vegetation.

Because of the vibration from the claws they also work great in stained waters thanks to having a much bigger profile when compared to a standard worm.

4. Zoom Trick Worm

The Zoom Trick Worm has a similar taper from the body to the tail as the KVD Dream Shot below.

This taper makes them a prime candidate for wacky rigging.

When wacky rigged either end is heavier than where they are hooked so you end up with a lot of life from both sides of the hook.

The have a fairly beefy front section so can also be Texas rigger when working in cover.

5. Strike King KVD Dream Shot Bait

The Strike King Dream Shot bait has a thinned out mid-tail section that really makes the end come alive on your rig.

Specifically designed for finesse drop shot presentations these soft plastics come in a huge range of colors.

At 4″ long they are the perfect length for a drop shot lure and work in just about any situation.

Use a size 1/0 hook and hook them through the nose when in more open water to really make that tail dance.

They can also be used to great affect if Texas rigged and worked through cover in the summer months.

Texas rigging them is one way to make them weedless you can also use a weedless hook if need be.

6. ZMAN TubeZ

Tube baits are the first type of lure you might think about when going drop shotting but that fluttering skirt on the end is a real killer.

The Zman Tubez are a high quality tube bait than come with a dimpled tube body and life like tail end.

To get the most life out of the tail you really need to nose hook these. I’ve even had great success slicing them in half length wise to make two lures out of one.

Sliced in half they are a really good finesse style bait.

7. Yamamoto Senko Bait

What kind of list of soft plastics could be complete without a mention of the all time classic worm the Yamamoto Senko?

The go to bass worm that has slayed bass for decades.

Most drop shot worms are normally used in either a 4 or a 5 inch version but with a Senko you can run them up to even 8 inches and absolute hammer bass in and around spawning beds.

They also work really well around structures like docks or submerged tree stumps.

8. Zoom Bait Finesse Worm

Zoom have been manufacturing plastics for years and they offer some of the best value of any major brand out there.

These finesse worms are 5″ long and have a massive range of colors.

Can be wacky rigged or through the nose as to your liking. The best colors are greens of various varieties and pink or black when looking at plainer colors.

These are the smaller cousin to the Zoom Trick Worm and are really good when you want a lighter presentation when bass are spooking easily.

9. Jackall Crosstail Shad

When bass are on the shad it makes sense to throw them a shad imitator and the Jackall Crosstail is one of the best out there.

To get the most out of them they really need to be hooked through the nose.

They have a unique ‘crossed tail’ design(hence the name) that makes them flicker sideways and gives out a lot of really natural vibration that bass just seem to find irresistible.

10. Zoom Magnum II

Big bass sometimes call for big lures and the Magnum II from Zoom is a whopping 9 inches long.

They have a massive curved ribbon tail that really comes alive on the drop.

Great for really deep work especially in and around drop offs when bass are feeling lazy and just hanging in the water column.

And seeing as they are so long are really suitable for Texas style rigging.

Drop Shot Baits

Although the classic soft plastic worm is undoubtedly the very best drop shot bait ever used there are some occasions were trying some other options can produce quick results.

Matching the hatch is always a solid approach regardless of what type or style of fishing that you are doing.

When bass are gorging themselves on small shad then chances are they may well ignore you lovely 4″ senko even if you have put it right in front of their nose.

Having a few other offerings available to hand in your tackle box is always a solid approach.

Below we have listed the top drop shot baits by type starting with the classic worm and finishing with small bug imitators.

1. Worms

The old reliable soft plastic worm is always top of the list when discussing drop shotting lures and you’ll find that there are three main varieties that are commonly used:

Standard worm
Thick bodied, thin tail
Paddle tail worm

The standard worm is usually fairly uniform in the taper from the head of the worm to the tail. They come in an almost endless array of colors and sizes and there are also glitter patterns available too.

The thick bodied, thin tail style of worm bait is great for really adding a lot of life into your drop shot fishing. These are almost always best rigged through the head as you want to get as much life out of that tail as possible.

The paddle tail worm takes on a different type of movement than the thin tailed on. Whereas the thin tailed worm has a nice soft flutter through the water the paddle tail has a much more aggressive yet slower movement.

2. Shad

Shad imitators are clearly the ultimate choice when bass are feeding on the real thing.

I’ve known bass to ignore just about everything but a shad style soft plastic when they are in season.

You’ll normally want to rig them through the nose as they will be too short for wacky rigging.

5. Tubes

Tubes make an excellent choice although they are normally quite short in terms of length.

The key is obviously in the tail. Choose a tube that has a lot of action in the tail and you can’t go wrong.

6. Swimbaits

For most bass anglers a soft plastic swimbait would not be the most obvious choice when choosing drop shot baits.

But a swimbait with a paddle tail can really set bass off to strike hard.

Most Swimbaits for Bass are fairly large but in the smaller sizes they work really well on a drop shot.

Nose hooked for more open water work or Texas rigged in cover is how to use them best.

7. Imitators

Bass feed on a large variety of underwater creatures and insects so it stands to reason that a decent soft plastic crawdad or other small creature should make an irresistible snack for a hungry bass.

Any type of insect or other sub-aquatic imitator can work really well on as a drop shot bait.

Drop Shot Setup for Bass

Most finesse techniques will call for a light spinning rod and a drop shot setup is no different.

Matching your rod, reel, line, weight and hooks is crucial to getting the best out of this bottom focused rig.

When drop shotting you need a lot of feedback so that you can set the hook quickly.

Bass will strike on the way down more often than not and you need to be able to sense this bite easily so you can set the hook quickly.