Z man jigs and NED rigs---anyone tried these?

[SirCranksalot]

 

 

These seem to be all over the net. Why so popular? I see anything too special about the jigs apart from the barbs. Does the shape of the jighead---more or less spherical like a normal jig, or more like a hemisphere as these are---really make much diff?

I can see the point of the  NED rig in letting one end of a Senko worm, or similar, sit in the bottom. The other similar rig I've seen has a special screw(no doubt at a special price if you'll excuse my cynicism) inserted into one end of a Senko, again to let one end sit on the bottom. 

 

Have any of you tried these? Comments?

 

 

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/z-man-finesse-shroomz-jigheadz

 

[David Chong]

The Ned Rig is not just half a Senko on a jighead. The Ned Rig involves a Z-Man TRD bait which is made of ElaZtech which is extremely buoyant, soft & supple. Rigged on a ShroomZ jighead this property enables the bait to stand straight up and quiver off the bottom.  Watch this video and you'll see the difference! https://zmanfishing.com/cms/zman_tv.php

[OhioFisherman]

David, I seem to recall that some years back they came out with a floating plastic that wasn't compatible with other types of plastics? Same stuff?

[OhioFisherman]

Sir, I used these for a long time, not weedless though.

http://www.gophertackle.com/mushroomjig.html

[David Chong]

8 hours ago, OhioFisherman said:

David, I seem to recall that some years back they came out with a floating plastic that wasn't compatible with other types of plastics? Same stuff?

Similar, if not the same! You definitely don't want to mix an ElaZtech plastics with any other type of plastic. You also don't want to put them in a Plano-type box, just keep them in the original package. Don't put a used one back in either but they last so long, not sure why you would have to. LOL I sort my Z-Man plastics in Bass Mafia Money Bags, one for my dropshot baits, one for my punch baits, etc. 

[msp]

I started experimenting with the Ned rid this season. As mentioned above, the original Z mans TRD performs much better than half a senko or dinger due to its buoyancy.

I have had moderate success on highly pressured fish or during post front finicky fish.

I have been using a medium light rod with 10 pound braid with a 10 pound flouro leader. The light jig head provides a super slow fall fish cant resist.

Works well in my opinion.

[AKRISONER]

Z man came out with a craw specifcally made for the ned at ICAST, it looks friggin incredible for smallies.

[SirCranksalot]

thx, guys-I'll need to do a bit more watching and reading. I think it was the the screws I saw used with Senkos.

[AKRISONER]

3 minutes ago, SirCranksalot said:

thx, guys-I'll need to do a bit more watching and reading. I think it was the the screws I saw used with Senkos.

you are thinking of the Neko Rig then.

 

That involes a nail weight with basically a senko whacky rigged.

 

[OhioFisherman]

2 hours ago, David Chong said:

Similar, if not the same! You definitely don't want to mix an ElaZtech plastics with any other type of plastic. You also don't want to put them in a Plano-type box, just keep them in the original package. Don't put a used one back in either but they last so long, not sure why you would have to. LOL I sort my Z-Man plastics in Bass Mafia Money Bags, one for my dropshot baits, one for my punch baits, etc. 

What's old is new again! Ya, as I recall that was the issue, I remember craw tubes too, they looked like a crayfish.

I started fishing area bass tournaments in the 70's and I used and saw a lot of other guys throwing soft plastics on light jigheads, they could still be productive when I had to stop fishing.

[riddickulous]

Why special? It's because sometimes finesse fishing works best when the bite is off. Its a combination of a do-nothing baits like senkos + small plastic on jig + shakeyhead.

The difference with a special ned jig is that it's 1) light, like 1/15 oz or even lighter and 2) thin gauge and large (for the weight) hook for rigging 3 inch baits.

I've tried this year on a tough bite and it got me fish when other techniques weren't working. I tried with a senko, but the Z man plastics that float are supposed to make a big difference. Those new iCAST TRD CrawZ look amazing.

[bobowski]

Anyone know if Bass Pro or Cabelas stock these baits?

[OhioFisherman]

36 minutes ago, bobowski said:

Anyone know if Bass Pro or Cabelas stock these baits?

the bass pro in vaughan shows them.

[Chuck Enwinde]

Sail carries them if you don't find what you're looking for at BPS.  

[singingdog]

I wasn't prepared to buy into the ned rig mania, but have become a bit of a convert. Does it outfish 1/2 a senko on any decent jighead? Only if you are fishing it on the bottom, which I rarely do. The big benefit to the Zman plastics is the durability: 20+ fish on one plastic is common if you do a good jog of glueing on the plastic. That makes a huge difference when the rockbass are trying to pull the plastic off of every jig you throw in the water. I prefer other jigheads to the gopher head, but it's tough to find quality hooks on such light heads. I rarely use the TRD, prefer the hula sticks.

I mainly use it as a slow mid-column presentation, or as a river presentation. It catches fish, and not just bass. On a couple of local rivers, I routinely go out with nothing but ned rigs: rainbows, 'eyes, smallies, carp, and musky (biteoffs) all fall for it. This spring, it was one of my best 'eye lures, outfishing any hand-tied jig I tried. Fall smallies: best thing I have ever tried, which is hard to say since I love tieing and fishing hare/hair jigs.

Edited July 22, 2018 by singingdog

[bobowski]

10 hours ago, OhioFisherman said:

the bass pro in vaughan shows them.

 

2 hours ago, Chuck Enwinde said:

Sail carries them if you don't find what you're looking for at BPS.  

Thanks guys

[Dutch01]

Solely Outdoors in the old LeBaron location in Markham also carries Zman.

[riddickulous]

Can be found also on Amazon (price not so good but convenient). Locally - Gagnons is a good place to go.

[PUMP KNOWS]

On 7/17/2018 at 7:34 AM, David Chong said:

Similar, if not the same! You definitely don't want to mix an ElaZtech plastics with any other type of plastic. You also don't want to put them in a Plano-type box, just keep them in the original package. Don't put a used one back in either but they last so long, not sure why you would have to. LOL I sort my Z-Man plastics in Bass Mafia Money Bags, one for my dropshot baits, one for my punch baits, etc. 

I've experienced Elaztech melting my other platics before but what happens when you put a used one back in the original bag?

I have a bunch of Elaztech plastics but I haven't used them much. 

[Old Ironmaker]

Looks familiar to something we used in the late 70's. A do nothing jig that worked great for Northerns believe it or not. We lost many a jig and fish because they did not work on one of those 2 ton steel cables called leaders back then. We experienced a glob of plastics in the trays of our Steel and Aluminum tackle boxes. They could melt the compartments right through. What a mess you would find in the spring.