Start Feeling (Bottom) Better With Tungsten Ned Rigs
The Ned Rig has become the rage of finesse bass fishing in recent years. Outdoor writer Ned Kehde invented the rig by pinching off a piece of a stickworm and sticking it on a small jighead to create a small bait that is irresistible to even the most finicky bass. Since then lure manufacturers have developed the mini-version of the stickworm, like the Sukoshi Bug and a jighead with a flat rear section for snugging the worm tight to the jighead to make a compact, streamlined Ned Rig.
The original Ned Rig jigheads were made from lead, but the new Heavy Metal Tungsten Jighead offers you a more sensitive alternative for a Ned Rig. The tungsten jighead has some key advantages over the lead jighead to help you catch more fish.
Advantages Of Using Tungsten
I have used the Ned Rig to catch smallmouth bass on Ozark streams close to my home and the guides on my home waters of Lake of the Ozarks frequently set up their clients with the finesse lure when the bass fishing gets tough. It is a great rig for beginners because it catches all kinds of fish including bass, sunfish, and trout. The rig is also ideal for fishing farm ponds, strip pits, creeks, and other small waters.
Tungsten steel is denser in weight than lead so the tungsten jighead can be made smaller yet weigh the same as a lead jighead. This allows you to fish an even smaller profile of a Ned Rig for tricking bass in heavily pressured waters. Tungsten produces more sound underwater than lead. So when your tungsten jighead bumps into a rocky bottom the sound will draw bass to your Ned Rig.
Tungsten During Tournaments
Many of the touring pros have switched to tungsten because its increased sensitivity over lead helps them feel bites better and determine whether they are fishing a hard or soft bottom. Match a Tungsten Ned Rig with a fluorocarbon leader and braid main line and you will have the most sensitive combination for detecting those mushy bites of pressured bass.
Tungsten Is Better For The Environment
Tungsten does not have the toxic characteristics of lead so you will be using a more environmentally friendly Ned Rig with the Tungsten Ned Head. Some states have banned the use of lead fishing tackle so you stay out of trouble with the law in those states if you fish a Ned Rig with the tungsten jighead.