(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
While many of his peers may prefer straight braid and flipping sticks, 2019 Elite Series winner Paul Mueller believes that his competitive advantage grows when fish are deep, finicky and looking for smaller meals.
“Any time you can finesse-fish with multiple spinning rods on the deck, that’s my type of fishing,” he said. Some may believe that little baits and “wimpy rods” are only good for filling out limits, but the Connecticut pro knows that they can catch some big fish, and while he loves to dropshot and throw a hair jig, there’s one newly-popular technique that he’s recently added to his repertoire. “The Ned Rig has taken the world by storm ... It kind of fits the same deal as a hair jig.”
A small, stubby worm is the most common Ned Rig soft plastic, and Mueller likes the Reins 3-inch Mr. Ned because it’s so buoyant. “You want that bait to stand up,” he explained. Additionally, he’ll use a crawfish at times. There is, he explained, a “time and a place for both.” When bass are feeding on baitfish, he likes the worm, and when they turn their attention to craws he does the same.
Reins already made 3-inch and 4-inch versions of its popular Ring Craw, but as this technique has become more popular it's added a 2.5-inch version as well. It’s perfect for this technique relatively early in the season, Mueller said, because “It looks like a crawfish scooting on the bottom.” Later in the year, when the water is warmer and the fish are more aggressive, he often turns to the larger craw on a magnum Ned head.
No matter what the weight, he prefers the tungsten head from Reins. “What makes it special is that it has the right hook,” he said. If your hook is too heavy, you won’t be able to get a solid hookset with light line, particularly in deeper water. If it’s too light, it’ll flex on the hookset or during the fight.
He’s also exceptionally picky about line. He knows that light fluorocarbon will get him more bites, especially in clear water, but that braid will provide better feel and more solid hooksets. Accordingly, his most common combination is a main line of 6-pound Gamma Torque braid with a long leader of 6-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon. If the water is gin-clear and the bass are super spooky, he’ll drop down to the ultimate finesse presentation – 5-pound Gamma Touch.
This is a technique that excels in the pre-spawn on Mueller’s home waters in Connecticut and he’ll tailor his bait choices to the ever-changing forage as the season progresses, but it’s not a spring-only technique. It stays tied on and ready all year long.
If you want more insight into how the 2019 Lake Lanier Elite Series champion maximizes the benefits of this radically simple technique, check out his video, filmed live at ICAST, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
