There are a number of ways you can fish the Ned Rig but my preference is for the ‘twitch, twitch, pause’ technique. The secret to the success of this approach lies in the lures which are made from a buoyant material that makes the lure appear alive – especially when mounted on to a jig head and twitched along the bottom.
Most of the time I’ll cast my Ned Rig to the far bank, let it sink, then start the ‘twitch, twitch, pause’ retrieve. Every time you twitch the lure it kicks up dirt or silt which imitates a feeding baitfish and causes the perch to home in and investigate. When you pause the lure, the tail will waft enticingly upwards and I’ve found it’s at this moment when the lure is engulfed. It’s almost like feeder fishing because you can watch the tip pull round!
This technique has caught me countless perch from canals, rivers and stillwaters too.
HOW TO DO IT…
The lure has remained on the bottom for several seconds without a take. Time to give it a twitch.
The twitch causes the lure to ‘hop’ across the bottom before settling again a few inches from its starting point.
Time to twitch the lure again. You might wish to vary the strength of the twitch so the lure behaves a little differently.
Continue the ‘twitch, twitch, pause’ sequence until you get a bite. Remember, with the Ned Rig you are just as likely to get a bite when the lure is stationary as you are when it’s moving.
Big perch love the Ned rig!