# Today's Ned Report



## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

LOL! Here's today's Ned Report. I fish the Z-man Ned shroom jigs & TRD on a 6'10" GLoomis IMX spinning drop shot rod, light action. This is perfect for the s-l-o-w sweeping hooksets that seem to work best with the Ned while still allowing long casts and great sensitivity when paired with braid (I use 45 pound) and a 6 or 8 lb floro leader. Anyhow, here is a smallie that Lake Erie gave up today to the Ned. When you stop to think about it, dragging tubes is the traditional, time tested way to catch Erie smallies and fishing the Ned isn't all that different, just smaller.

And for those who say Ned only catches small fish, Judy boated an 8 lb, 8 oz. drum today on Ned. What a sight that was! No pictures because she wouldn't touch it but it was just shy of 30 inches and bright golden color.


----------



## freshwaterexperience (May 23, 2014)

Awesome job! Those drum love the Ned rig I picked this guy off last week


----------



## KTkiff (Jul 30, 2004)

Great job! I don't get the whole small fish thing either. I have been catching a ton of big smallies on the Ned rig as well as sheep. I think that might pertain more to inland where you have a better mix of all sizes of fish. Rarely do I even catch dink smallies on Erie.


----------



## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

post deleted


----------



## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

streamstalker said:


> I'm not criticizing the technique, but it seems like a lot of brilliant marketing for half a Senko on a jig.


There is more than a grain of truth to this statement but the marketing behind the technique is interesting. Before outdoor writer Ned Kehde popularized the technique (primarily through blogs and YouTube videos which you can still find on the internet) the "do nothing" technique had been around in one form or the other for years (most commonly as a Carolina technique popular among southern bassers). 

When Ned refined the technique he specified that he got his light weight jigs from Gopher Tackle out of Minnesota. Gopher Tackle is a one-man operation passed from father to son. The son had the foresight to register the Mushroom Head Jig as a Trademark and makes it clear on his website that he will deal with violators (http://www.gophertackle.com/mushroomjig.html). Orders "mushroomed" (pun intended) and service of Gopher tackle declined. Whether its was the crush of orders or other issues the son has alluded to, his service continues to be haphazard at best. Place an order and find out for yourself and see how many follow-up phone calls and emails you have to make before you get your order, if ever.

Now Ned wrote about cutting a 5" Senko in half to use as the bait which he paired with the Mushroom Head. It worked but Senkos are (1) expensive and (2) tear up easy. You were lucky to get two fish per bait plus to keep them on the mushroom jig you had to glue them with magic glue.

Along comes Z-man and makes several improvements and (drum roll please) markets them perfectly. First, they make their jigs in slightly different weights, put on baitkeepers and then they name them " Shroomz" thereby deftly circumventing the Trademark issues. Next they make the 2.75" bait out of their "ElaZtech" material and this stuff simply is indestructible but it floats high like a Senko. Finally they price a bag of 8 at less than $4.00 and 2 bags will last you at least one season and probably longer. An order of jigs is less than $5.00. So now for less than $10 you can get yourself set up to give it try and all the stuff is available through reliable online vendors or your local tackle shop. 

The only guy left out in the cold MIGHT be Ned Kehde but I suspect even he is getting some "sponsorship" money (i.e. kickbacks) from Gopher, Z-man or both for reference the Ned Rig. That's pretty common in the fishing industry but what the heck. We now have a cheap and effective fish catching technique so ultimately we fishers are the beneficiaries.


----------



## freshwaterexperience (May 23, 2014)

Haha Buick what a very nice write up!!! Totally behind everything you said.


----------



## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

I overlooked the best Z-man marketing of all, naming their little 2.75" bait the TRD. Pronounce that with the vowel added and it sounds exactly like it looks. LOL!


----------



## Slikster (Jul 14, 2005)

I'm still using the same TRDs that I bought 2 years ago. You really have to want to tear one up to trash one. They also seem to get better the longer you use one. They soften up a bit, and quiver more after they "break in," but still tough as nails and hold up to many, many fish. 

I'm looking forward to the TRD Tubes they plan to release, if they haven't already.


----------



## freshwaterexperience (May 23, 2014)

I bet they do at icast


----------



## Paul Mac (Sep 20, 2014)

Buick Riviera said:


> I overlooked the best Z-man marketing of all, naming their little 2.75" bait the TRD. Pronounce that with the vowel added and it sounds exactly like it looks. LOL!


Does the "bumpy" end or smooth end go against the jig head?


----------



## Slikster (Jul 14, 2005)

I've always put smooth side against the jig head. I figure the bumpy textured end might provide a more realistic feel and make a fish hold on longer. I'm sure it's all a matter of preference.


----------



## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

Paul Mac said:


> Does the "bumpy" end or smooth end go against the jig head?


Hmmm....I never split that hair.


----------

