Winter Tips For Dropshot and Ned Rig Fishing

Still struggling to catch Winter Bass? Tim has some advice that will help you catch more fish during the cold water months. When you're finesse fishing with Ned Rigs, Dropshot, or a tube, its critical that you change your cadence in Winter. The same method you were using in Fall will not work anywhere near as well as this slower approach. 

The difference between fishing and catching really can be as simple as going slower. If you're still shaking your baits like you did in Summer and Fall, you're making a mistake. At the very least you need to fish your baits slower and more methodically with longer pauses between movements. At the most, you need to literally drag your bait across the bottom without any movement of the rod tip at all. 

Slowing down sounds easy but if you're not used to it, its much tougher than you might expect. If you struggle with slowing down Tim suggests sticking the tip of your rod underwater. The resistance if the water makes it more difficult to "over work" the bait and also makes you more aware of your movements. Don't let the Winter cold get you down, keep adapting and you will find the fish you're searching for. 

Below is breakdown of some of Tim's favorite baits and equipment for finesse fishing this time of year. 

Favorite Baits... 

Finesse Tube- Dry Creek Tournament Tube: http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r

Fat Tube- Big Bite Baits Tour Tube: http://bit.ly/32e23VR

Straight Tail Worm- Roboworm 4 1/2": http://bit.ly/2asZyH3

Shaped Worm- Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

Ned Worm- Roboworm 3" Ned: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

Favorite Colors: Green Pumpkin, Morning Dawn, Old Ugly, Margarita Mutilator

Best "Bang For The Buck" Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2osaj3q

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Great Budget-Friendly Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Daiwa AirdX 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2P7Z3Vu

Reel- Daiwa Revros 2000: http://bit.ly/34nCGCj

Line- Sunline Sniper 8 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Simple Trick To Catch More Bass This Winter!

Still struggling to catch bass this Winter? This trick will change that! If you prefer to fish slowly and methodically during the cold months and are struggling, learning to fish the "extremes" will change your fishing experience. Most anglers that struggle in the cold are fishing the "middle" and don't even realize they're doing something wrong. Don't understand what we mean? Check out the video... 

The key to consistent Winter success with slow moving baits is to fish the extremes. You either need to commit to throwing a BIG bait or commit to throwing a TINY bait. This ins't the time to be throwing shaky heads, big jigs, texas rigs, etc. If you're going to throw the worm, make it a small ned or tiny dropshot. If you're looking for the big bite, go all the way and focus on 8" to 10" swimbaits!

The idea is that bass are struggling for survival during cold water periods. You're fishing for very few bites each day. By embracing the conditions and sticking to the 2 extremes, your odds of getting bit at all, as well as your odds of getting a giant bite, both go up. Below we'll link the baits we recommend at both ends of the spectrum as well as our favorite rod/reel combo for each technique. 

Big Baits... 

-Savage Gear Pulse Tail 8" and 10" Swimbait: http://bit.ly/399bx97

-Trash Fish 8" Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2hmXtg1

-Huddleston 8" ROF 12 Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2azFTon

-Huddleston 10" ROF 12 Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2nztmdj

Ned Worms and Hooks... 

-Roboworm Ned Worm 3": http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

-Z Man Finesse TRD: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

-Swagger Tungsten 1/5 oz Ned Head: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Dropshot Worms and hooks... 

-Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

-Roboworm 4.5" Straight Tail: http://bit.ly/2asZyH3

-Owner Mosquito Light Hook Size 2: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

-Swagger Tungsten 3/16 oz Dropshot Weight: http://bit.ly/2V2B63h

Matt's Favorite Finesse Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis NRX 852S JWR: http://bit.ly/2dX9zjv

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000 Spinning: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- 10 lb Power Pro: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 5 lb Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Matt's Favorite Swimbait Combo...

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 956 Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2x9kxuS

Reel- Shimano Tranx 300 HG: http://bit.ly/2kYsvRw

Line- 80 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 35 lb Sunline FC100 System Leader: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Finesse Rod... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano NASCI 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 20 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 6 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Buyer's Guide: Ned Rig Baits and Tricks For All Seasons

The ned rig is one of the most effective lures ever created for bass fishing! Its fish catching power rivals the senko, chatterbait, and whopper plopper. You may not catch the biggest bass of your life with a ned rig but you're sure to catch a few fish when you pick it up. Its so effective in fact that it deserved a dedicated buyer's guide. Today we're simplifying Ned Rig fishing with a look at some of our favorite baits, hooks, and equipment.

The Ned Rig has been around a few years now but it exploded in 2019! Virtually every major brand in bass fishing introduced a "ned" worm or creature of some kind at ICAST. With all of the worms, creatures, craws, and heads on the market its hard to know which ones are worth the time. Today's buyer's guide is geared at simplifying the whole mess so that when you're on the water, you know you're throwing your best option. 

Below is a breakdown of the baits, hooks, and equipment Tim recommends for fishing the Ned Rig. Because this is a buyer's guide every product includes a link to the exact bait on Tackle Warehouse where you can see close up pictures, information, and color samples. In addition to the link we've included Tim's favorite color choices for each worm.  

Tim's Favorite Combo #1... 

Rod- Megabass Destroyer Flyssa: http://bit.ly/2B7NyFj

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 5 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Tim's Favorite Combo #2... 

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 902: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Shimano Stella 2500: http://bit.ly/2U8Pkzg

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 5 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'6" Light: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- Sniper Fluorocarbon 6 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Ned Rig Baits... 

-Z Man Finesse T.R.D: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

(Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Goby, Meat Dog)

-Z Man TRD BugZ: http://bit.ly/2oiavEE

(Canada Craw, Mud Bug, California Craw)

-Z Man TicklerZ: http://bit.ly/2mGyDAC

(Canada Craw, Green Pumpkin, Sprayed Grass)

-Robo Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

(Desert Craw, TW Black Blue Pumpkin)

-Missile Baits Ned Bomb: http://bit.ly/2XCOGwd

(Fishalicious, Super Bug, Green Pumpkin)

-XZone Ned Zone Stick: http://bit.ly/2mRiYhF

(309, Green Pumpkin Purple, Minnow Magic)

Ned Heads... 

-Swagger Tungsten Flanders Head: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

-Owner Block Head Jighead: http://bit.ly/2qL0A8n

-Z Man HD Lockz: http://bit.ly/2kIgRYK

Underwater Footage of 9 NEW Ned Rig Baits | Which Ones Work The Best?

With all these new NED baits, which ones actually catch fish? There are so many new worms, creatures, and craws its hard to keep up! Today we're taking 9 of the most unique NED RIG baits underwater to see how they compare. Let's look at their actions and profiles so you can decide which ned rig worms you should be using on your next bass fishing trip!

Ned Rig baits were the talk of ICAST this year. Every company introduced a Ned Worm, some introduced entire lines of Ned products. So how do you know which are actually worth your time? These 9 offerings looked the best "on the shelf" to us. We always like to show the bass something different and each of these offerings had a unique feature. After gathering underwater footage of how they moved, we definitely found some favorites.

Which are your favorites? Do you like that traditional Ned profile with minimal action? Do you like a lot of movement? Do the craw and creature profiles seem like a solid option for your bass? There is so much information to be gained with just a few minutes spent underwater. Below you'll find links to all the baits (in order of appearance) as well as color recommendations, rod and reel recommendations, and more.

Today's Ned Baits...

-Strike King Rage Ned Cut R Worm: http://bit.ly/2nEEzdv

(Green Pumpkin, Blue Craw, Watermelon Red Flake)

-Yum Ned Minnow: http://bit.ly/2nHLdje

(Green Pumpkin Copper, Phantom, Pearl Blue Flake)

-Yum Ned Craw: http://bit.ly/2m90Gs4

(Brown Orange Flake, Soft Green Pumpkin)

-Z Man TRD BugZ: http://bit.ly/2oiavEE

(California Craw, Bama Bug, Mud Bug)

-Strike King Rage Ned Bug: http://bit.ly/2oome4R

(Blue Craw, Dirt, Green Pumpkin)

-Missile Baits Ned Bomb Worm: http://bit.ly/2XCOGwd

(GP Ghost Tail, Fishalicious, Super Bug, Green Pumpkin)

-Reins RND Fat Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2m4Y26y

(Muellers Madness, Watermelon Seed, Kito Kito Shad)

-Xzone Lures Ned Zone Stick Baits: http://bit.ly/2mRiYhF

(309, Minnow Magic, Watermelon Pearl Laminate)

-Z Man TRD TicklerZ: http://bit.ly/2mGyDAC

(Green Pumpkin, Drew's Craw, Canada Craw, Sprayed Grass)

Ned Heads...

Today's Head- Z Man Ned LockZ HD 1/10th oz: http://bit.ly/2kIgRYK

Tungsten Head- Swagger Flanders Head 1/10th oz: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Standard Ned Worms...

Z-Man TRD Finesse Worm: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

Roboworm Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

Favorite Ned Rig Combo...

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2osaj3q

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 1000: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Sunline XPlasma Asegai 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2OR5i2j

Leader- Sunline Sniper 7 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Ned Rig Combo...

Rod- Shimano SLX 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2AdvIC1

Reel- Shimano NASCI 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 8 lb Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju