WHAT IS IT?
VMC Swingin’ Ned Rig
WHAT SETS IT APART?
The VMC Swingin’ Ned Rig combines the hinged feature of a swing head (or wobble head) with the fish-catching smaller frame of a Ned rig. Depending on how you look at it, this gives anglers a bite-size version of a swing head or a more versatile Ned rig. The VMC Swingin’ Ned Rig is more versatile than traditional Ned rigs. It can be rigged weedless or with the hook exposed, and it also has more action as it is dragged or reeled along the bottom.
HOW DO I USE IT?
Though you can rig a small soft plastic on the Swingin’ Ned with the hook exposed (like a traditional Ned rig), this piece of terminal tackle really sets itself apart when rigged weedless. Slip the hook point into the tip of your preferred plastic and back out, then slide that portion of the bait up over the flexible dual-pronged fluorocarbon bait keeper. Then, stick the point of the hook through the bottom of the bait, finally skin hooking the point in the top of the bait to make it weedless. This creates a snag resistant Ned-rig-size presentation for fishing through thick cover.
HOW MUCH?
$5.49 (pack of three)
MORE INFORMATION:
ANGLER’S INSIGHT:
If you rig this as a traditional Ned rig with the hook exposed, you’ll obviously want to fish it out in open water along smooth or gravel bottoms. This is a neat option, as the hinged head no doubt allows the bait to wash around a little more than a traditional Ned rig would with a fixed hook. But, considering how light Ned rigs generally are, the bait probably doesn’t wash much more than a regular Ned rig.
The real aim of this design is to give anglers a downsized presentation on the Ned rig frame that can be fished in thicker cover than even the Ned rigs with weedguards. As long as you slip your hook all the way through the bait and then skin hook the hook point back into the soft plastic, this is a weedless presentation capable of sneaking through some sticky cover.
One last tip to try. Instead of using a traditional straight tail Ned rig bait, go with a small swimbait or small craw with the hook exposed, and then reel it along the bottom. This will take advantage of the hinged head design and create a presentation the bass aren’t used to seeing from an artificial lure this size.