The Truth About Ned Rigs for Inshore Fishing
- By: Pat Ogletree
- on

When it comes to inshore saltwater fishing, there’s been a lot of buzz about Ned rigs lately—and for good reason. This finesse technique, long popular in freshwater circles, has quietly been turning into an absolute powerhouse for targeting lethargic fish in saltwater, especially during extreme conditions like the winter cold or the heat of summer.
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But here’s the thing: while Ned rigs can absolutely work wonders, not every situation calls for them. They shine under certain conditions and, when paired with the right gear and tactics, can help you pull in fish when nothing else seems to work.
In my latest video, I break down everything you need to know about Ned rigs, including:
- What exactly is a Ned rig, and why does it work so well?
- The types of fish that can’t resist this finesse setup.
- The key times and places where Ned rigs outperform other lures.
- When NOT to use them (trust me, they’re not for every situation).
Check out the full video for all the intel!
Insider Members: If you’re ready to take your Ned rig game to the next level, be sure to check out our exclusive mini-course! It’s packed with rigging and retrieval tips that’ll have you catching fish like a pro.
Not an Insider Yet? What are you waiting for? Joining the Salt Strong Insider Club gives you access to detailed courses, Smart Fishing Spots, a community full of anglers ready to help and so much more.
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Tight lines, and I’ll see you out on the water!
-Pat
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Excellent video Pat!
Thanks Dan!
I have never used the ned rig before but I do remember when I was a kid in the 70s a kind of similar setup that was used for crappie fishing (aka speckled perch called here in the south) but in mich where im from there was the Charlie brewer slider head setup that consisted of a very light very flat pancake flat style jighead that was used with very small plastic jigs mainly tube jigs and then about the same time mister twister came out with there curly tail grubs and the smallmouth bass anglers that I used to remember that fished on the lake that I lived found that the 1.5 to 2 inch sized curly tailed mister twister jig was not only great for crappie but the smallmouth loved them as well and in the springtime right before the spawn when the ice on the lake had just all melted and the water was still very cold this setup was awesome for those lethargic bass and I remember alot of the small tournaments that were held on that lake that were won using this simple setup the jig was flat because it was ment to fall very slowly imparting a fluttering action that perfectly mimiced a dying minnow then resting on the bottom the curly tail would slowly wiggle giving the lure even more enticement action the bass would destroy it also the hook was a long thin wire hook that was usually embedded in the plastic grub texas style so it could be thrown into structure unlike the ned rig which is an open hook jighead anyways just saying thanks for the info and all you do
I remember those Slider Rigs, they were great on the specks (speckled perch). Funny you mentioned that, when researching to make this video that rig came up as part of the reason the small finesse lures became popular. That and the Beatle Spin, another great speck lure.
I am a baitcaster fisherman and would like to know what your baitcasting setup is for using lighter baits such as the ned rig.
The reel is very important when it comes to casting lighter lures, you have to use smaller ones. The reels I use are the Daiwa Coastal in the 80 size. They cast light lures well.
For Ned rigs I use the Cashion Salt Finesse casting rod. It will cast the small, light lures very well.
For small paddle tails and twitch baits like the Flea Flicker, I have the same size reel on a Cajun Alted in a medium power.
We keep the Daiwa reels in stock and have group discounts for both Cashion and Cajun rods if interested in either.
I have been using a Ned rig in the winter months for many years now. The small creature baits made by Zman have worked the best for me. Zman’s proprietary elaztec material seems to be more inherently buoyant than other materials, such as plastisol. They don’t get stiff due to colder water temps, either. These two factors help to impart better action with the bait, even when it is resting on the bottom. They don’t fall over, they just stand up and wiggle in the current.
When Ned switched over to the TPE material back in the 90’s it was because of how durable it was. He used a Strike King Zero that was cut in half and he could catch dozens of fish on that same lure without changing. Before that he and his counterparts used Senkos and Yum Dingers but after a few fish those lures would practically fall off the hook. The buoyancy was an added bonus.
As with anything there’s always trade offs. The TPE is slightly lighter and that cuts away on the casting distance. I know the Ned rig isn’t really meant to be a search lure but I do like to be away from the intended target as far as possible for stealth reasons so casting distance comes into play there.
Saltwater being naturally more buoyant than fresh allows for plastisol to stand on most mushroom jig heads, except the weedless style of hook, those seem to fall over more. I’m still on the search for a jig head that works as well with the plastisol as the Pro Shroomz does with TPE. But that’s the give and take, durability and rigging versus casting distance.
Appreciate you watching and leaving the feedback David!
Good stuff Pat, Thank you!!
Glad you liked it!
Pat another helpful video. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Great video Pat……………thanks
Thank you Richard!
Pat:you are amazing,you are so complete in your videos,you have to spend a lot of time in your preparation and it is very much appreciated.i just keep on learning more and more about every subject that you do.thank you mike justice
I appreciate that Mike! I want to make sure there’s something for everyone in them and it helps out some more fish in the boat!
I started using what I always called a “finesse rig” in TN during the winter months around boat docks (deeper areas under boats). The soft plastics have air in them, which causes them to float, on a light football jig. The retrieve is exactly as you described, just barely bumping off the bottom. The hits usually come on the drop and often you just see your line move. When no one else was catching, I was. Great info in the video and I know it works!
Thanks Norm! You should try them on those reds. It works on them too!
Great video. Thanks Pat.
Thanks Robert!!