The Neko Rig
The Neko rig is a versatile rig that is closely related to a Wacky Rig. The Neko rig can be fished similarly to a Wacky Rig, except its added weight allows the bait to be fished in a way that maintains contact with the bottom. Read on to learn how to rig the Neko rig as well as how to fish it.
How to Rig the Neko Rig
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What you will need:
• Straight tail or Finesse worm • Tungsten Nail Weight (1/32 or 1/16 oz are best to start) • Hook (Weedless Neko or Wacky Weedless ST Hooks work great!) • Harmony Wacky Tool & Wacky Ring |
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1. Begin by installing a Wacky Ring on the worm, favoring the head (fat side) of the worm. The Wacky Ring should be placed on the worm in a position that about 1/3 of the worm is ahead of the Wacky Ring and 2/3 of the worm is behind the Wacky Ring.
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2. Next, if your worm has as pointed or rounded tip, bite or cut the top 1/8" to 1/4" off of the worm, so that it leaves a flat side exposed as the head. You can then insert the nail weight into the center of the flat head of the worm. 1/32oz is ideal for fishing 4-6" worms in 2 to 6 feet of water with very little or no current. Heavier weight can be used for fishing deeper water, larger worms, and/or more current.
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3. Now that the worm has a Wacky Ring and Nail Weight installed, you can slip the hook between the worm and Wacky Ring as pictured below. The weighted end of the worm will sink and contact the bottom. When fished with a semi-tight line, the tail and hooked area of the worm will remain off the bottom.
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4. (Optional) Install a Wacky Skirt on your worm/senko to give it a bulkier profile that pulsates on every twitch.
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How to Fish the Neko Rig
As mentioned above, the Neko Rig can be fished in many of the same instances that a Wacky Rig can be fished. The main difference is that the Neko Rig is designed to maintain contact with the bottom.
Equipment: The Neko Rig should be fished on similar equipment as a Wacky Rig. A medium-light to medium action spinning rod with 6-8 lb monofilament, flourocarbon, or copolymer can be used. You can also use 10-15 lb braid with a 6-8 lb mono, flouro, or copolymer leader.
Working the Neko Rig: The Neko Rig is best fished by allowing it to sink to the bottom on a semi-slack line. Since the rig still has the enticing fall of a Wacky Rig, you will often get bit upon the initial fall. Pay attention to where your line meets the water during the fall. If you see a sudden jump in the line, reel in the slack until you feel the weight of the fish and set the hook. Once the lure has reached the bottom, tighten the line to semi-tight while making sure that the weight of the worm is still in contact with the bottom. The semi-tight line will keep the tail of the worm up off the bottom to better attract nearby bass. To move the lure, you can drag/twitch or hop it across the bottom. Active fish may want the lure to hop and fall repeatedly, while inactive or neutral fish are more likely to investigate the lure while it is slowly twitching as it progresses back to the boat/bank. Any time you feel the worm make contact with an object or piece of cover (rocks, stumps, etc), stop the lure against the cover and twitch it in place for at least a few seconds. This is where many of your strikes will come from, as bass may be using that piece of cover and the squirming Neko Rig will be irresistible.
The Neko Rig does not require a hard hook-set. Since the hook is exposed, a simple sweep of the rod upward or to the side will provide plenty of hook-set.
The Neko Rig does not require a hard hook-set. Since the hook is exposed, a simple sweep of the rod upward or to the side will provide plenty of hook-set.
Fishing the Neko Rig during different seasons: The Neko Rig can be fished year round. Below are some techniques that you can adapt year-round to catch bass with the Neko Rig.
Winter: In natural lakes and reservoirs, bass will be relating to steeper sloping structure, such as bluffs, channel drop-offs, standing timber, or steep 45+ degree banks when water temperature is below 48 degrees. Cast the Neko Rig into these areas and slowly work it across the bottom. Bites will be subtle in colder water, so pay attention where your line meets the water for sudden line movements. The key to winter is to slow down. Move the bait slower, twitch it slower, and incorporate pauses, anywhere from a couple seconds to a whole minute, into your retrieve.
Prespawn: Bass will begin their movement from deeper, steeper areas to their spawning areas. Fish steeper drop-offs that are located near shallower 2-8' deep flats (spawning flats). Bass will begin on the steeper areas earlier in the prespawn (48-52 degree water), but will eventually work their way up to these flats as the water warms. Target any pieces of cover that lay in this area between the deeper winter areas and the shallower spawning areas, as bass will stage on these pieces of cover during their seasonal movement. This is an excellent time to twitch the Neko Rig near these pieces of cover.
Spawn: Once the water reaches 55-65 degrees (warmer down south, colder up north), bass will for the most part be found on shallower flats that are protected from wind and current. These areas will often be less than 10' deep (often 2-8'), but can be up to 20' deep in clear water. During the spawn, the Neko Rig is an excellent sight-fishing bait. Cruise the shallows in a boat or on the bank and looking for spawning beds, which are often visibly lighter, circular areas about 1-2' in diameter seen on the bottom. Sight fishing involves finding beds like these that have bass sitting on them. Cast the Neko Rig beyond the bed, and drag it near the bass. Once within the strike zone of the bass, you can twitch the lure for a tempting presentation.
Post Spawn: As the water creeps into the 70-75 range, most bass will be finished spawning. Bass will leave their beds in the shallow flats. Some will hang around these flats for a while, finding shallow cover, and others will retreat to deeper water, using the same transition areas and pieces of cover that were used in the prespawn. While many fish are less active at this time, there are still fish to be caught.
Summer: After a few weeks of less active fish in the post spawn, summer will begin and bass will become more active. Docks, swim platforms, laydowns, weed edges, and lily pads are all areas that the Neko Rig will catch fish all summer long in shallower water. Twitch the Neko Rig underneath of boat docks and into the branches of lay-down trees, and hop it through grassy patches. You can also target points, drop-offs, and underwater humps in deeper water. In rivers, cast the Neko Rig up-river of stumps, rocks, docks, and other large objects that break the current. Crawl or hop the Neko Rig to the sheltered side of the rock where smallmouth often wait for an easy meal.
Fall: Once the water cools about 10-12 degrees below its hottest point of the summer (this can vary from lake to lake), fall will begin to set in. Deeper bass will begin to move to shallower water this time of year. Fish the Neko Rig against wood cover and boat docks in tributary creeks, as well as any cover on shallower, slow-tapering points. As fall progresses, and many weeds recede, target any remaining live/green weeds.
Winter: In natural lakes and reservoirs, bass will be relating to steeper sloping structure, such as bluffs, channel drop-offs, standing timber, or steep 45+ degree banks when water temperature is below 48 degrees. Cast the Neko Rig into these areas and slowly work it across the bottom. Bites will be subtle in colder water, so pay attention where your line meets the water for sudden line movements. The key to winter is to slow down. Move the bait slower, twitch it slower, and incorporate pauses, anywhere from a couple seconds to a whole minute, into your retrieve.
Prespawn: Bass will begin their movement from deeper, steeper areas to their spawning areas. Fish steeper drop-offs that are located near shallower 2-8' deep flats (spawning flats). Bass will begin on the steeper areas earlier in the prespawn (48-52 degree water), but will eventually work their way up to these flats as the water warms. Target any pieces of cover that lay in this area between the deeper winter areas and the shallower spawning areas, as bass will stage on these pieces of cover during their seasonal movement. This is an excellent time to twitch the Neko Rig near these pieces of cover.
Spawn: Once the water reaches 55-65 degrees (warmer down south, colder up north), bass will for the most part be found on shallower flats that are protected from wind and current. These areas will often be less than 10' deep (often 2-8'), but can be up to 20' deep in clear water. During the spawn, the Neko Rig is an excellent sight-fishing bait. Cruise the shallows in a boat or on the bank and looking for spawning beds, which are often visibly lighter, circular areas about 1-2' in diameter seen on the bottom. Sight fishing involves finding beds like these that have bass sitting on them. Cast the Neko Rig beyond the bed, and drag it near the bass. Once within the strike zone of the bass, you can twitch the lure for a tempting presentation.
Post Spawn: As the water creeps into the 70-75 range, most bass will be finished spawning. Bass will leave their beds in the shallow flats. Some will hang around these flats for a while, finding shallow cover, and others will retreat to deeper water, using the same transition areas and pieces of cover that were used in the prespawn. While many fish are less active at this time, there are still fish to be caught.
Summer: After a few weeks of less active fish in the post spawn, summer will begin and bass will become more active. Docks, swim platforms, laydowns, weed edges, and lily pads are all areas that the Neko Rig will catch fish all summer long in shallower water. Twitch the Neko Rig underneath of boat docks and into the branches of lay-down trees, and hop it through grassy patches. You can also target points, drop-offs, and underwater humps in deeper water. In rivers, cast the Neko Rig up-river of stumps, rocks, docks, and other large objects that break the current. Crawl or hop the Neko Rig to the sheltered side of the rock where smallmouth often wait for an easy meal.
Fall: Once the water cools about 10-12 degrees below its hottest point of the summer (this can vary from lake to lake), fall will begin to set in. Deeper bass will begin to move to shallower water this time of year. Fish the Neko Rig against wood cover and boat docks in tributary creeks, as well as any cover on shallower, slow-tapering points. As fall progresses, and many weeds recede, target any remaining live/green weeds.
Pro-Grade Wacky Tool (Wacky Rig O-Ring Tool w/ 10 Wacky Rings for 4&5" Senkos)
$6.79
- Pro-Grade Aluminum Construction w/ Stainless Steel Screw won't rust like the other tools out there
- Fits Senkos up to 6+", as well as any soft plastic with a thickness/diameter up to 1/2"
- Compatible with all size Wacky Rings (3"/Finesse, 4-5", and 6").
- Fishing wacky style with an o-ring allows one soft plastic lure to last all day
- Light weight of o-ring allows the bait to fall naturally - the way fish want it
- Includes 10 o-rings for 4&5" senkos (available in black o-rings or green pumpkin o-rings)
Wacky Rings 4&5" [100 Pack, Select a Color]
$6.99 - $24.99
- Flip senkos under docks and into cover without fear of tearing/losing baits. Catch tons of fish on one senko bait, stop wasting your money losing bait every fish.
- Superior to the cheaper silicone hardware store o-rings sold by other companies. Wacky Rings are tougher and less flimsy, so your bait stays rigged tightly all day.
- Light weight allows bait to fall naturally
Wacky Skirts (10 Pack) [13 Colors Available]
$6.99
- (10 Pack) 5" Silicone Wacky Skirts & 10 Wacky Rings for 4-5" Senkos
- Adds additional action and flare to your senkos/worms
- Easily install on a worm using the Harmony Wacky Tool & Wacky Rings
- Can be fished Texas Rigged, Wacky Rigged, Neko Rigged, and more
