Drop Shot vs Ned Rig: Which Finesse Technique to Use

Both the drop shot and Ned rig are finesse techniques that consistently catch bass when reaction baits fail. They dominate tournament circuits on heavily pressured lakes and excel in clear water situations where bass can inspect a bait before committing. Choosing between them comes down to depth, fish location in the water column, and where in the season you are fishing.

Quick Comparison

The Drop Shot Rig

How It Works

The drop shot rig places the weight below the hook, suspending the bait at a precise distance off the bottom (typically 6-18 inches, adjustable). Because the weight is on the bottom and the bait floats above it, the bait stays in the strike zone without moving — even in moderate current. This lets you target bass that are “relating to structure” at a specific depth without constantly repositioning the bait.

On sonar, if you can see fish holding at 18 feet in 22 feet of water, you can lower the drop shot until the weight touches bottom and your bait sits exactly at 18 feet — where the fish are.

Rigging a Drop Shot

Gear:

• Rod: 6'10" to 7'4" medium-light, fast action spinning rod
• Reel: 2500-3000 series spinning reel
• Main line: 10-15lb braid
• Leader: 6-8lb fluorocarbon, 24-36 inches, connected with FG Knot
• Hook: #1 or #2 drop shot hook (Gamakatsu or Owner)
• Weight: 3/16 to 3/8 oz drop shot weight (tear drop, cylinder, or round style)
• Bait: 3-4 inch finesse worm (Roboworm, Zoom Finesse Worm, Strike King Dream Shot)

Tying the Drop Shot Hook:

Use the Palomar Knot — it is the only knot that exits the hook eye correctly for a drop shot:

1. Double 8-10 inches of line and pass the loop through the hook eye from the front
2. Tie an overhand knot with the doubled line below the eye
3. Pass the hook through the loop
4. Pull both the standing line and the tag end to cinch — the hook seats horizontally
5. Leave the tag end 12-18 inches long below the hook for the weight

Attaching the Weight:

Drop shot weights have a built-in clamp or pinch mechanism — simply insert the tag end tip into the weight clip and fold back to lock. Most anglers use 3/16 oz in water under 20 feet and 3/8 oz in 20-40 feet. In strong current or very deep water (40+ feet), use up to 1/2 oz.

Hooking the Bait:

• Texas-rig style (weedless): Insert the hook point into the nose of the worm 1/4 inch, exit, rotate, and bury the hook point in the plastic — best around rocks and cover where an exposed hook would snag
• Nose hook (standard): Insert the hook through just the tip of the nose — provides maximum action and is the most common method in open water

Drop Shot Technique

Deep water (10+ feet): Lower the bait straight down under the rod tip or to a target on sonar. Let the weight hit bottom. Shake the rod tip gently with small 1-2 inch twitches while keeping the line semi-slack — the bait shakes in place while the weight stays on the bottom. Hold for 10-15 seconds, then slowly reel up 6 inches and repeat.

Casting drop shot: Cast to visible structure (dock piling, rockpile, laydown), let the weight fall to the bottom, and drag slowly with 6-inch pulls while shaking the rod tip on each pause. Reels the bait along the bottom without the bait ever touching it.

Current situations: Drop shot excels in current because the weight stays on the bottom while the bait floats and drifts naturally. Use heavier weights in current.

The Ned Rig

How It Works

The Ned rig is a small mushroom-head jig (1/10 to 3/8 oz) with a short ElaZtech soft plastic. Z-Man ElaZtech is the defining material — it is nearly neutrally buoyant, extremely durable (doesn’t tear off the hook), and has subtle action on the fall and pause. When the Ned rig rests on the bottom, the ElaZtech tail floats upward into a vertical position — this is the pose that triggers strikes. Bass pick up the rig off the bottom without forward motion; the hookset window is wide because the hook is exposed.

Rigging a Ned Rig

Gear:

• Rod: 6'8" to 7'2" medium-light, fast action spinning rod
• Reel: 2500-3000 series spinning reel
• Main line: 10lb braid
• Leader: 6-10lb fluorocarbon, 8-10 feet, connected with FG Knot
• Jig head: 1/10 to 3/8 oz Ned rig mushroom head (Tightlines UV, Z-Man ShroomZ, Elaztech Jig)
• Bait: Z-Man TRD (2.75"), Z-Man Finesse TRD, Midwest Finesse Worm, Z-Man TicklerZ

Tying the Ned Rig:

Tie the fluorocarbon leader directly to the jig head with a Palomar Knot:

1. Double 5-6 inches of leader and pass the loop through the jig eye
2. Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled section below the eye
3. Pass the jig head through the loop
4. Wet and pull the standing line to cinch — trim the tag end to 1/8 inch

Mounting the Plastic:

Insert the jig hook point into the flat end of the ElaZtech plastic, run it up through the center of the bait, and out the belly about 1 inch from the back. The short plastic should be straight on the hook with a small tail section behind the bend. Do not Texas rig ElaZtech — the hook stays exposed.

Ned Rig Technique

Standard retrieve: Cast to a target. Let the bait fall on a semi-slack line — watch the line for the small tick of a strike on the fall. When the bait touches bottom, hold for 3-5 seconds (the tail stands up). Slowly drag 8-12 inches with the rod, let fall again, pause. Repeat. Most strikes come on the pause.

Swim the Ned: Wind slowly just above bottom for suspended or aggressive fish — the rotating tail and subtle bait action trigger active fish.

Skipping: The small, compact profile of the Ned rig skips well under docks with a side-arm cast — put it into spots where no other rig can reach.

Head-to-Head Decision Guide

Line and Knot Setups

Drop Shot Setup

Ned Rig Setup

In clear water or heavily pressured fisheries, the longer fluorocarbon leader on the Ned rig (8-10 feet vs. 24-36 inches for drop shot) reduces visibility near the bait.

Related Guides

• Carolina Rig vs Texas Rig — two more essential bass rigs compared side by side
• Palomar Knot — the primary knot for both rigs
• FG Knot — braid-to-fluorocarbon leader connection for both setups
• How to Rig a Jig — complete jig rigging guide covering Ned, football, swim jig, and finesse jigs