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  1. #1
    Ranger Boats Moderator jc2bg's Avatar
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    Worm for Neko Rig

    What worm do you like/use for Neko Rig fishing? I have Zoom Trick Worms in several colors [7 inch] and have had good success with them on shakey heads. But they are a little thin through the body for even my smaller o-rings, so that I’m afraid I will lose the worm while landing fish, and thus lose a valuable tungsten nail weight. I haven’t done much with the Neko Rig so far, only caught a few bass in my pond, but when testing it, I notice that I almost lost the worm several times when it slid down the o-ring. And of course, it also wouldn’t hurt to have some advice on types/models of worms more likely to be successful at catching fish. TIA for any guidance you can provide. I have o-rings sized for 4-inch senkos, but those still seem a bit too loose for comfort.
    John Clark — Findlay, Ohio

  2. Member
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    #2
    I like the 4 and 5" senkos for neko

  3. Scraps
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    #3
    My first experience with the neko was with a Zoom fat baby finesses. Did really well. The fatter tail takes an insert worm well and they skip phenomenally. I just use the old LEAD Lunker City nail weights. Just like a ring shank nail.
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    #4
    Check out the Doomsday Roku worms. Thicker than a truck worm but thinner than a senko. Very durable, and the more I use doomsday stuff the bigger fan I become
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  5. Member Quillback's Avatar
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    #5
    Z-man Zinker. Z-man has put out a nail weight that will work with the Zinker.

  6. Member eyra_kid's Avatar
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    #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Quillback View Post
    Z-man Zinker. Z-man has put out a nail weight that will work with the Zinker.
    Agreed. Although the new BangStickZ is designed for Neko rigging. It's basically an upsized Hula StickZ. FattyZ and Mag FattyZ work really well also. ZinkerZ will have the most salt of any of these, so they won't be as buoyant.

  7. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #7
    Trick Worm has been my go-to, though I'm always experimenting.
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    #8
    Berkley MaxScent Hit Worm and magnum Hit worm. The bulb on the tail just dances on a Neko.

  9. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by M1RT View Post
    Berkley MaxScent Hit Worm and magnum Hit worm. The bulb on the tail just dances on a Neko.
    That's one that's been on my list to try! I fished the Hit Worm on a drop shot a bit last year with some success, but didn't like the meaty head as I think it interferes with hookups on the relatively small hooks I've always used on a drop shot. Then over the off season realized that it would be the a great Neko bait. Then the magnum version came out and the lightbulb really went off! I bought some and haven't thrown them yet, but glad to hear that thought is on the right track.

    Also bought some Grande Bass Air Tail Wigglers in the offseason when Academy had a big sale on them to try Neko rigging. Another I've yet to try that should make a nice presentation.

    I've thrown the Reins Bubbling Shaker with success, but they're expensive which makes it tough for me to commit to throwing them. I've also had a lot of luck Neko rigging a regular Senko which no one seems to do, or at least talk about for whatever reason.

    As I'm typing here, more stuff keeps coming to mind so apologies for the rambling, all-over-the-place reply.... Eyra Kid's comments about Z-Man stuff reminds me that I did pick up some of their new Neko weights recently to try after a bunch of failed attempts at Neko rigging Elaztech last year. The closest I came to success was by making a "pilot hole" with a hook point to insert a nail weight, gluing the bait closed behind it, and throwing it with the FattyZ. One thing I learned in those failed attempts is that their bouyancy means they require more weight than a similarly sized normal soft plastic to get down. That point and the lack of availability of heavier nail weights combined with me not having the patience to wait for it to get down is what made me give up. The new options mean I will be giving it another shot. The Mag FattyZ would be really interesting if fish are on bigger bait profiles and you could get a heavy enough weight in it. Haven't seen the Bang StickZ in stores yet though I've planned to pick up a pack when they start showing up.

    EDIT: 5,000th post. Ha! That's a whole lot of time wasting, bloviating, and giving the bass way too much credit!
    2011 Skeeter ZX225
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  10. Ranger Boats Moderator jc2bg's Avatar
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    #10
    Thanks for replies, gents. Keep up the good fight.
    John Clark — Findlay, Ohio

  11. Lead sled driver 11pounder's Avatar
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    #11
    I use the Zoom magnum trick worm.

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    #12
    Yum Dingers, can buy them in bulk packs and they have a great color selection and you can get them in 3",4",&5".

    By the way,if you want to use trick worms, look at silicone tubing instead of o-rings. I switched to tubing this year and it is working well.
    2016 Ranger RT188, Yamaha 115 sho, dual console, 80# Ultrex, hotfoot, networked HB Solix 10 & Helix 9, Mega 360. Powertech NRS3 18p, Atlas 4" jack plate.

  13. Member Walkabout7781's Avatar
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    #13
    Pagregss beat me to it, tho I have not really used a Neko rig. They're lighter and float better than a GYCB Senko. I use them for reed beds in Spring...straight 15 lb braid or braid/swivel/leader (floating line & leader helps) and I add a Palco (sp?) foam strike indicator (fly fishing stuff) to float the swivel. Leader is 10 lb copolymer, hook 4/0 EWG for 5" or 3/0 for 4".

    Closest I have come to a Neko rig was what I called a "Dumbass Rig", which was a Zoom Trick Worm with a 3/0 EWG in the head and #8 x 1.25" decking screw in the tail. It floats straight up and down, with the hook up out of the snaggy stuff. It works well in reedbeds and rip-rap. Sometimes the tail gets snagged and you lose half a worm, but the hook almost never gets snagged up. I was fishing it on a 7'MH spinning rod with 20 lb braid straight to the hook, but it's easily heavy enough to cast with a baitcaster. Yes, the fish hit the hook end of the worm, which I was not confident would be the case. I just jiggle it a little, and it works.
    Don't bother me, I'm screwing for virginity.

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  14. Member Jesse-C's Avatar
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    #14
    5 3/4 kuttail. Also have good luck on the Savage gear armor crawler

  15. Member
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    #15
    Big TRD, don't even have to use an O-ring. You do have to find a weight that will work though. Zman makes one also a buddy poured some with a similar Zman friendly wire keeper.

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    #16
    Quote Originally Posted by DrewFlu33 View Post
    That's one that's been on my list to try! I fished the Hit Worm on a drop shot a bit last year with some success, but didn't like the meaty head as I think it interferes with hookups on the relatively small hooks I've always used on a drop shot. Then over the off season realized that it would be the a great Neko bait. Then the magnum version came out and the lightbulb really went off! I bought some and haven't thrown them yet, but glad to hear that thought is on the right track.

    Also bought some Grande Bass Air Tail Wigglers in the offseason when Academy had a big sale on them to try Neko rigging. Another I've yet to try that should make a nice presentation.

    I've thrown the Reins Bubbling Shaker with success, but they're expensive which makes it tough for me to commit to throwing them. I've also had a lot of luck Neko rigging a regular Senko which no one seems to do, or at least talk about for whatever reason.

    As I'm typing here, more stuff keeps coming to mind so apologies for the rambling, all-over-the-place reply.... Eyra Kid's comments about Z-Man stuff reminds me that I did pick up some of their new Neko weights recently to try after a bunch of failed attempts at Neko rigging Elaztech last year. The closest I came to success was by making a "pilot hole" with a hook point to insert a nail weight, gluing the bait closed behind it, and throwing it with the FattyZ. One thing I learned in those failed attempts is that their bouyancy means they require more weight than a similarly sized normal soft plastic to get down. That point and the lack of availability of heavier nail weights combined with me not having the patience to wait for it to get down is what made me give up. The new options mean I will be giving it another shot. The Mag FattyZ would be really interesting if fish are on bigger bait profiles and you could get a heavy enough weight in it. Haven't seen the Bang StickZ in stores yet though I've planned to pick up a pack when they start showing up.

    EDIT: 5,000th post. Ha! That's a whole lot of time wasting, bloviating, and giving the bass way too much credit!
    Same here with elastec stuff. I use an ice pick to make the initial hole then superglue the weight in.

  17. Moderator Luke's Avatar
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    #17
    threw a Neko with a 5" Senko this weekend and done pretty well on it.
    the Spotted bass really like them.

  18. Ranger Boats Moderator jc2bg's Avatar
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    #18
    Finesse fishing can be addictive. For years I’ve cleaned up using 2.5 inch tubes with little hooks [Arkie style sold in Walmart]. Then I upgraded to whacking them on Ned rigs. And now I’m looking to fine-tune the Neko rig. Problem is, I would predominantly throw all 3 setups in the same situations, which is a bit of an overlap. Too many baits, too little time.
    John Clark — Findlay, Ohio

  19. Member Walkabout7781's Avatar
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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by jc2bg View Post
    Finesse fishing can be addictive.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Yup! I've caught a big % of my largest fish on some kind of "sissy bait" and relatively few really nice fish on "bubba baits" as they're known locally.
    Don't bother me, I'm screwing for virginity.

    I killed a 12-pack just to watch it die.