Neko rig bass fishing has quickly become one of the most popular strategies, and has already won lots of tournaments.
And us anglers are always looking to maximize our success with every lure and rig we tie on.
So let’s look at the best Neko rig baits so that you can catch more bass.
There are three main styles of baits that work very well on the Neko rig.
These are finesse worms, stick baits, and fluke baits. For each of these three groups, we will give out top 2 performing bait options.
Finesse worms are my personal favorite Neko rig bait. They have the more action that the other baits.
Their thin body and bulbous tail move like crazy as you shake it around.
The finesse worm is perfect for clearer water fishing, or if you are targeting smallmouth and spotted bass.
The Roboworm Straight Tail Worms are essential for finesse fishing, reminiscent of the ‘hand poured’ worms popular on the West Coast.
They are especially effective in warmer months with high fish pressure and boat traffic.
Using advanced robotic technology, Roboworm produces consistent and unique color combinations.
Made from super soft plastic, these worms have a sensitive action and a Salt Release System that releases salt when a fish bites, encouraging longer holds for solid hooksets.
The Zoom Trick worm is a classic finesse worm and sets the standard the standard for other companies.
The Trick worm is the first finesse worm I ever used on the Neko rig, and I had instant success with it.
The only downside is the pointed nose, but you can just cut off the first 1/4 inch of the worm to flatten in out.
This will help the nail weight to easily slide into the worm. Another great thing about the Zoom Trick worm is the price.
It is probably the cheapest soft plastic you can get. A 20 pack of these is only about 6 bucks, and will catch you loads of bass.
Stick worm style baits were the first baits that guys were rigging on the Neko rig.
They wanted to get these baits a bit deeper when wacky rigging them, and the Neko rig was born.
Stick bait style worms are thicker, have a bit less action, and a bit more drawing power. I usually use these more in stained to muddy water.
The Berkley Powerbait Flute Worm is an extremely versatile finesse style worm designed by the 2003 Bassmaster Classic Champion, Michael “Ike” Iaconelli.
Crafted with a tapered body shape and a flute style tail, the Berkley Powerbait Flute Worm produces a lively twitching action with the most subtle movements from the rod.
It is also molded with three o-ring locations for customizing your neko rigs and wacky rigs.
The blunt nose features an integrated location to insert nail weights a flat surface that stomps the bottom to create more disturbance that attracts more fish as well.
Lastly, it is finished with a strong dose of Powerbait scent and flavor that makes fish hold on up to 18x longer giving you more time to set the hook.
To be honest, there are tons of stick baits just like this one, and they all work great.
The two main advantages the Yum Dinger has is the durability and the price.
The Senko is the most popular stick bait, but the high salt concentration makes it very fragile.
This becomes more of an issue with the Neko rig because the nail weight creates extra tension and abrasion.
And every time you lose a worm with the Neko rig, you also lose your nail weight.
The Dinger is much more durable and will give you a couple extra fish per worm.
The Dinger is also extremely cheap. You can get two or three packs of dingers for the same price as 1 pack of other stick baits.
I haven’t noticed any difference in performance between the variety of stick baits, so durability and price are the biggest factors.
Fluke or minnow style plastics are not as popular, but trust me, they work like crazy.
They have a much more natural profile that mimics specific baitfish that the bass are feeding on.
During the fall season, when bass are honing in on baitfish, the fluke style plastics seem to out perform all others.
6th Sense has started to take control of the soft plastic industry in the last couple of years.
More than just your average soft plastic jerkbait, the 6th sense Flush Soft Jerkbait is packed with a number of details and realistic features that separate it from the competition.
Measuring at 5.2” in length, this fluke style bait features a split belly and fork tail, but also includes matching pectoral fins, a dorsal fin, and keeled belly that allow the bait to remain in a balanced, upright position when fishing.
The forked tail fin incorporates a small ball at the base of the tail and adds unbelievable action and stability.
To top it off, the dorsal fin is equally separated providing a built in weed guard for you exposed hook, hence the name Flush.
This was actually the first baitfish style bait that I used on the Neko rig.
This bait bas a lot going for it, and will always be at the top of my list.
The Strike King Caffeine Shad has a unique bubble tail to give this shad bait awesome action.
The soft plastic design allows the use of large amounts of salt yet keeps the bait soft and pliable.
The coffee scent masks human scents and oils providing longer hold times and increasing your hook-up chances.
The flat bottom tail also helps when skipping the bait up under docks or trees.
You’re going to be fishing the Neko rig on a spinning setup.
As with other finesse rigs, a spinning rod and reel are much better for the lighter and more subtle fishing technique.
I like a 7′ medium or medium-heavy rod. You want a fast tip for the extra sensitivity.
And your rod should have some backbone so that you can drive the hook in the the bass’ mouth on the lighter line.
The Neko rig shines with finesse worms, stick baits, and fluke baits, each excelling in different conditions.
Finesse worms like Roboworm Straight Tail Worm and Zoom Trick Worm work well in clear water, while stick baits such as Berkley Powerbait Flute Worm and Yum Dinger are great for stained waters due to their durability.
Fluke baits like the 6th Sense Flush and Strike King Caffeine Shad offer realistic action.
Using a 7′ medium or medium-heavy spinning rod with a fast tip enhances sensitivity and control, optimizing your Neko rig fishing success.
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