What Is The Best Ned Rig Rod?
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Polish Pete talks about some of the best and most popular rods for Ned Rigging!
Video Transcript
Introduction to Ned Rig Rods
Alright, another one by popular demand, Ned Rig rods. Doesn't sound that fun to me, but it is a massively important technique that doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. That's right, a lot, a lot of anglers find a ton of success in the Ned Rig. So much so that even some of the people I know on my circle have found it to be almost a replacement for how much they used to use a wacky Rig Sanco. Like that much they're using in Ned Rig. Like it's just becoming a staple technique because it just flat out catches them.
So the question would be what rod would I want to use for a Ned Rig? Once again, we have to be the way we are as an industry, right? And let's confuse things a little bit. There's different schools thought on a Ned Rig. Just like other stuff going on with scoping, I think they're very much one in the same in the sense that a lot of scopers that are using the short stuff are using that for a reason. And a lot of sense why not have a longer rod for it. It all comes down to we all could use a whole bunch of rods for every single technique, but it's not feasible all the time. So let's just go right into what some of our most popular Ned Rig rods are and why we think they're so popular.
Chris Johnston's Daiwa Tattula Elite AGS Ned Rig Rod
I'm going to start with this one because since it came out, it's beginning to have more and more of a reputation of being a very, very good Ned Rig rod. And this happens to be Chris Johnston from the Daiwa team, this is his Tattula Elite AGS Ned Rig rod. This rod is a 7'1", it is a 7'1" medium extra fast AGS. So 7'1" medium to be exact. I thought it was a medium light, but it is stouter feeling. So that's why I was taking a second look at it there.
The tip is wild on this. It almost feels like a quick tip with just a line on it when you're just bending it like this because it's really, really sharp. And this thing with those AGS guides has extremely lightweight to the tip portion of the rod. So fishing the rod tip up, this would be a perfect rod for that. What I like is the fact that this thing's still got a ton of power. So if you're Ned Rigging the way I have success doing that and that's with a little bit bigger than the Finesse TRD like a four inch style bait around some vegetation, you have power to get that fish out and away from any of that cover with this rod, but you have still a light enough, crazy enough tip to feel those fish.
I did weigh this rod. It's 3.7 ounces. Don't want you to pay that much attention to the number on this one because I promise you if you pick it up and put a reel on it, you'll see why the AGS guides are so popular with a lot of Finesse applications and spinning because they're really light. You don't feel the blank out in front of you, which is really wild. There's going to be a very sensitive rod for this application. Love the cork four grip as well.
I'm going to go bend the Tattula Elite AGS Chris Johnson, Ned Rig rod. Chris Johnson's Ned Rig rod. We're going to load it up. Yeah, just like I thought before, I had some line wrap there, so hang on here. The tip on this rod is really, really extra fast. It is. It looks just kind of fast on the bend board there, but I'm not kidding you. You start even moving your wrists a little bit and the tip just was a bend over on this thing. It's perfect for really lightweight stuff. Now, how lightweight? That's the argument. I think some of your purist Ned riggers that want to throw the 1/16 stuff in even smaller than that at times. This rod might be a little stout for that. This is more of like a bottom contact Ned Rig rod, in my opinion. If you're really making a decent cast out there or closer to the boat, I guess that doesn't matter, but you're on the bottom. Your a-thousand up kind of stuff maybe. Obviously, you can fish the lighter because on the fault, this rod's plenty sensitive and versatile enough that you can fish the lighter stuff too.
I like this one because it gives me the ability to be a little bit more versatile and fish a shaky head. It's a whole bunch of different applications and I don't have to have a whole bunch of rods for, let's face it, fish in a little jig head and a worm of some sort. I would categorize as an extremely versatile high-end Ned Rig rod. If you're looking for Ned Rig rod to cover all your bases and use for some other applications as well, check out this Chris Johnson Ned Rig rod from Daiwa.
Z-Man Drew's Ultimate Ned Rig Rod
Alright. Like I said, this could be a controversial subject like a lot of different technique-specific stuff. What is the best Ned Rig rod? Well, I think these guys have a little bit of a say in that. This is the Z-Man rod here. This is the Drew's Ned Rig rod from Z-Man. We've turned these things every time we've touched them. Unique thing about them right away. I just got some rubber bands on here because this one's going to go back in inventory, but you would electrical tape this on or use some of the real tapes, different options, hockey tape, whatever you want to do. But this is a Tennessee style handle where you don't have a reel seat. You can position the reel wherever you want on the handle to get the ultimate balance for you because what you're looking for and their theory in this is the ultimate insensitivity.
This rod is a rod that worked on a lot. I was surprised when I talked to them about this. This rod is mocked up off an old G-Loomis style blank from the old G-Loomis days that they were using Ned Rig rod with initially. It's not a G-Loomis blank, but I don't know where they're getting the blank from, but it's similar in action and power and feel to that blank. This rod is only 5'10" and it's a medium light and it feels like nothing. I'm going to weigh it once we take the reel after we bend it on the wall here and I'll let you know what the weight is here. But this thing is designed to be insanely ultra-sensitive.
What a lot of people feel, especially these guys, is that the reason why you're using such a light head and a buoyant bait like that TRD, that finesse TRD is that you're getting a lot of your bites on the fall and that you're wanting to pick that thing up off the bottom if they don't track it down, we're learning that on scope and eat it right away and get those bites on the fall a lot and a lot of times that's on a little bit of slackline there. With a shorter rod that's a little bit easier to mitigate that slackline there and you're able to feel absolutely everything. With your today's advanced lines like the super lines, you're able to feel really well and pick up all that line that's out there that could be slack.
So with a shorter rod, shouldn't be as much of a disadvantage out away from the boat. I think initially when these things were developed, it was for more closer presentations to where you are at the boat and I think with scope or learning to get out farther away. But with the super lines, you can mitigate that fear of being out far away from the boat with such a short rod. If you are in the market for the ultimate insensitivity in the Ned Rig game, you might want to listen to the guys at Z-Man. This is their thoughts on what the perfect Ned Rig rod is, a 5'10" medium light fast action Drew's Ultimate Ned Rod. Drew's Ultimate Ned Rod from Z-Man.
As you see here, we got a fast action. It's definitely pulling back. Once you get into the backbone since it's a medium light, I can get it into that moderate part of the blank. So if I've got a really light leader on here or I'm running just straight like six-pound or down fluorocarbon, this rod is not going to overpower any of those lines or any knots or really light line presentations. But if you're running a super line like I've got on here right now, you don't have to be worried about it. You're going to get it. You're using enough of the rod that you don't have to worry about overpowering it and breaking the tip because it'll get into the backbone there. But it is fast. It's fast enough. I think it shines with some braided line on it to be honest with you. I think that's where the action really shines in this rod. And it does feel super alive and it is kind of fun, right? This might not be the ultimate tournament rod for a Ned Rigger. But man, I'm going to tell you right now, if you're just an adventurous angler and you want to have some fun on the water, I don't see why this wouldn't be one of the funnest things in the world. This is to go make a technique like the Ned Rig a lot funner by trying to catch them all on a 5'10" light power rod. It's a cool rod, definitely different. And I like seeing that. And I like the fact that people keep buying these things. I'd love to hear some feedback from some of you that might own this rod, whether or not you think this thing would hack it for a money fishing rod as well. Because it's growing on me the more I play with it, even with this weird handle. But definitely something different.
Shimano X-Bride 7'6" Medium Light Rod
Alright, next rod up on the list of best Ned Rig rods would be the Shimano X-Bride 7'6" Medium Light. Now, this rod's not only a great Ned Rig rod, but it's one that was designed to be used in the application of fishing using LiveScope. The point of this rod is to be able to be used to cast at distance, handle long casts, and be able to detect bites when that bait’s falling, or when a fish is picking it up, right? And be able to set the hook. So this is designed to be used with live scanning and being able to track fish and cast a long distance, and also being able to keep that rod up with the sensitivity on it.
As far as weight, it's a medium light, but the sensitivity on this is incredible. I do have one complaint. This is a three-piece rod, so you're getting a little bit of action loss at the joints there. But the rod is really nice, really light, super sensitive. I love this for casting out at a distance. It also has a very nice balanced feel with this rod. So as you're doing a lot of casting and trying to work the bait with a little bit of slack line there, you're going to feel all those little details.
So overall, if you're in the market for something that's going to be more versatile and be able to handle casting at longer distances and tracking those fish, the Shimano X-Bride 7'6" Medium Light is definitely worth checking out.
Mega Bass P5 Destroyer Addermine 611 Medium Light Extra Fast
Alright, another great rod for the Ned Rig is the Mega Bass P5 Destroyer Addermine 611 Medium Light Extra Fast. This rod's a bit of a beast. It's a 6'11", extra fast action rod. The handle on this rod is incredible. It's super comfortable and offers excellent sensitivity. The extra fast tip is what really sets this rod apart for Ned Rig fishing. It allows you to feel every little movement and makes it easy to set the hook on those light bites.
The rod's lightweight but has a strong backbone, so you can still handle those big fish with ease. It’s designed to be extremely versatile. You can use it for other techniques as well, but it really shines when you're fishing with those lightweight Ned Rig baits.
If you're looking for something with a bit more sensitivity and versatility, the Mega Bass P5 Destroyer Addermine 611 is definitely worth considering. It’s a high-end rod that offers excellent performance and would be a great addition to any angler's arsenal.
Dobbins Champion XP 732 Medium Light Fast Action
Lastly, let’s talk about the Dobbins Champion XP 732 Medium Light Fast Action rod. This rod is 7'3" and offers a really nice fast action. It's got a lightweight, balanced feel, which is perfect for Ned Rig fishing. The medium light power gives you just enough backbone to handle those big fish while still offering the sensitivity needed for detecting light bites.
One thing to note is that this rod is very well balanced, and it feels comfortable in hand. The action on this rod is fantastic for the Ned Rig technique, and it also offers some versatility for other applications. It’s a solid choice if you're looking for a dependable Ned Rig rod that won't break the bank.
So, if you're considering adding a new rod to your collection, the Dobbins Champion XP 732 Medium Light Fast Action is definitely worth a look. It offers great performance and value for its price.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. A rundown of some of the best Ned Rig rods on the market today. Each of these rods has its unique features and strengths, so the best one for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you have any experiences with these rods or any other recommendations, feel free to share them. Happy fishing!
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