Neko Rig Cheat Sheet

The Neko rig is one of the best bass finesse presentations, and a must-have when fishing for largemouth and smallmouth abiding in clear and pressured fisheries. Here are some tips to get the most from this versatile bass rig.

• A stickbait, like the 5-inch CrushCity Pigstick, along with a straight-tail worm are popular for Neko rigging, but crayfish, minnow, and other profiles can also be effective.

• VMC RedLine Series Wacky Neko or WeedLess Wacky Neko Hook (1/0 to 2 sizes) is run lengthwise in the plastic from head to tail, finishing with hook point up.

• VMC Crossover Ring (highly recommended) ensures perfect hook placement for superior hook-sets, increases the rig’s durability, and extends the lifespan of the Pigstick and other plastics. Apply using Crossover Pliers.

• VMC Neko or Half Moon Wacky Weight (1/32 to 3/16 oz) is inserted into the head of the Pigstick.

In many instances, using the lightest Neko weight you can get away with is a good approach. This encourages more action when the bait falls. It also reduces snags.

Yet, there are situations when a heavy Neko rig is advantageous, such as when targeting deep bass or when fish are positioned tight to the bottom. An aggressive Neko rig retrieve can also benefit from a heavier weight.

Positioning the hook at the midpoint of a plastic is commonly recommended as it ensures an enticing action that will catch scores of big bass. This said, there’s room for experimentation. For example, placing the hook about one-third of the way up from the weighted head can alter a bait’s action and, in some cases, modify its movement enough to help you get more bites from selective and inactive bass.

The 19-piece Neko Rigging Kit includes a variety of Neko rigging goodies, and is worth having in your tackle collection. Using one of the Kit’s 1/16-ounce Neko Skirt Weights, for example, is a great way to give a soft plastic more secondary, strike-inducing action. DIYers wanting to take it further can create “dice-style” Neko presentations using a threader tool or large sewing needle to run silicone skirt strands through a soft plastic.

Having a small portion of a Neko Weight sticking out of the plastic can enhance sensitivity and improve feel when fishing on hard bottoms. This exposed weight also produces fish-attracting sounds as it bumps and ticks along rocks. For even better results, use the Half Moon Wacky Weight.

To get the best action from a Neko rig, the right rod is crucial. A great all-around choice is a medium-light, fast-spinning rod like a 13 Fishing 6’10” or 7’4” Myth, or a 7’6” Oath. These rods feature a responsive tip and a soft top-blank section, allowing the angler to shake the Neko rig effectively and efficiently.

Using a longer rod increases casting distance, improves line recovery during the hook set, and provides added leverage and reach, keeping you in control. A 3000-size reel, such as a 13 Fishing Shyft (COMING SOON IN 2027), will also enhance line retrieval.

A tough, no-stretch, thin 10- or 12-pound braid like Sufix Revolve or 832, tied to an 8-pound Advance Fluorocarbon Leader, is an excellent line setup for Neko rigging. Naturally, adjusting line strength to best match the specific conditions you’re fishing is part of the game.

A Neko rig is an excellent presentation when bass are eating their meals off the floor. The rig’s head-down, tail-up position mimics a baitfish feeding along the bottom. Matching forage is easy using CrushCity’s lifelike baitfish colours, including Goby, Electric Shad, Baby Bass, and Perch.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass are easily fooled by the lifelike action of a Neko-rigged CrushCity Cleanup Craw. The weight in the tail causes the Cleanup Craw to assume a pincher-up position. Snap, hop, and drag the bait along the bottom to mimic a crayfish, and make bass come unglued.

A Neko-rigged Pigstick skips exceptionally well across the water, allowing you to reach bass hiding deep in cover. Docks, overhanging trees, gnarly brush, and undercuts are just a few places where you’ll catch giant bass skipping a Neko rig. When fishing around cover, using a RedLine Series Weedless Wacky Neko Hook goes a long way to preventing snags and other issues.

A Neko rig is an excellent choice when a finesse approach is needed to catch bass from weedlines. Making a long cast, then shaking and dragging the rig along an inside weedline, is a great tactic for catching skinny-water bass.

Use short casts for dissecting a deep, irregular weedline. Pitching into the cover slightly, then working the Neko rig out past the weed edge, is effective for catching largemouth and smallmouth relating to the cover.

Steady shakes create a tantalizing display from a Neko-rigged plastic. For example, when oriented tail-up, with the nail weight keeping a Pigstick’s head down on the bottom, shakes produce an enticing tail-wagging, wiggling motion bass can’t resist. Shaking the bait without pulling it forward keeps it in the strike zone longer and is a great tactic for triggering strikes from inactive bass holding tight to cover, like a largemouth on a stump or a smallmouth on an isolated boulder.

Using a lift-drop or hopping retrieve is an effective tactic to work a Neko rig through a spot and get the attention of bass lurking in the area. Another potent Neko-rigging technique for catching bottom-dwelling bass is the drag-shake-pause retrieve.

While the Neko rig is a finesse presentation, it can also catch bass when fished aggressively. A retrieve comprised of hard snaps and quick hops can mimic injured or panicked prey and trigger strikes. Increasing the rig’s weight to speed up its drop can be important when employing this type of power-finesse approach.

CrushCity Boost adds powerful scent and flavour to Neko-rigged plastic. The scent lingers in the water, drawing fish from far and wide. Once fish bite, the 100% natural ingredients in CrushCity’s formula continue to stimulate their senses, encouraging bass to hold on longer.

The Neko rig is a proven bass finesse tactic, effective from the season opener to the final trip of the year. Try rigging a Pigstick, Cleanup Craw, or another soft plastic and see for yourself how this reliable rig can catch big smallmouth and largemouth bass when other techniques fall short.