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How to Ned Rig for Great Lakes Smallmouth Bass

From the new Illinois state record smallmouth bass to scores of largemouth, the Ned Rig is one of the most productive bass fishing presentations. Wired2Fish shared the boat with captain Dale Stroschein for an in-depth lesson on how he fishes the Ned Rig for smallmouth bass on the legendary Bay of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Dale locates smallmouth on the extensive reef systems by starting on the tops then shifting down the edges until the right depth is determined. He then details his time-tested method for retrieving the Ned Rig on a long cast. This intriguing technique allows for detecting subtle bites and getting solid hooksets on long casts with light jigs.

A braided mainline gets Dale’s nod for castability, bite detection, and delivering hooksets with the light presentation. He also shares his favorite jighead and why he fishes the lightest jig the conditions allow.

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