Neko Rig is Something All Bass Anglers Should Have In Their Arsenal

FryDog62 wrote:

Hmmm, wonder if a slightly smaller hook would help like a size 1 or 2? Maybe a 1/0 is larger and just long enough to get further down the throat when hooking??

Possibly. I kind of thought the bigger hook would help, that is why I use the bigger one. I have some smaller ones I may try. A lot of the people who I talk with use the largest size VMC sells ( I think a 2/0 ) I will also have to try the weedless version. I have never been a fan of weedguards on hooks but it may get hung up a little less. Even the exposed hook ones seem to come through light weeds fairly well.

I use a #2 and almost always stick them in the roof of the mouth. That little hook is a beast. So sticky I have to use pliers to pull it out.

I like the smaller size. Can’t remember the last time I hooked one in the tongue.

How are you setting the hook? I lift straight up with a steady lift, not a sharp set. These VMC neko hooks don’t need much energy to stick.

mahtofire14 wrote:

I use a #2 and almost always stick them in the roof of the mouth. That little hook is a beast. So sticky I have to use pliers to pull it out.

I like the smaller size. Can’t remember the last time I hooked one in the tongue.

I like the #2 as well. I accidentally bought the 2/0 one time and used those and they worked fine too even though they kinda “look” too big for the application. I use them wacky rigging skipping docks now too.

Well it took until July but I finally had a solid day of bass fishing this year. Went to the south side of the metro and put a solid morning together. Started off slow with a couple fish on a plopper, then threw a chatterbait around weedlines for a bit without much action.

Then switched the the neko and started catching them but not much size. Went into a little protected bay with pads and threw the plopper again on the edges and picked up a 3 lber.

Then went to a point with a really defined weedline and started to hammer 2.5-3 lbers. Must’ve caught 20. All on the neko. I switched to Frydogs favorite, the Yum Genie and it upped my fish quality. Somewhere in the middle of all that I hooked into what most likely would’ve been my PB. It jumped and looked like the biggest bass I’d seen on the end of my line. Got her boatside and she took one more big run, straight down and snapped my fluoro leader just above the knot. I’m guessing it was mid 5’s but who really knows. Never been that upset over losing a fish…..

Still nice to put a solid trip together finally. It’s been a painful year until today. Finished with over 13 lbs for the best 5 and that big one probably would’ve had me over 16.

Nice work. Maybe the cool front will trigger a better bite since its been hellacious hot lately.

Water temps on this lake were still 78-80. Still not much on moving baits. But the neko finally crushed.

That’s a nice outing mahtofire14. Losing big fish hurts. Last outing I lost a big one as well. Made a big Jump and I said ” OH MY ” quickly followed by ” NO !!!! ”
Even though I caught several other really nice fish I was still thinking about that fish the rest of the outing and even all the way home. I guess its those moments that keep us wanting to get back out there as soon as possible. The Niko rig has played BIG for me this Season as well. Not a great search bait but its the first thing I pick up one we have a school of fish located. or after the bite shows down after catching a few on other baits.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Water temps on this lake were still 78-80. Still not much on moving baits. But the neko finally crushed.

Those would be cooler water temps around where I’ve been fishing. Hopefully the rain and a few cooler nights will drop the surface temps back down some. I have not even tried any moving baits in a few weeks now. Unless a jig worm fished painfully slow is a moving bait.

“I switched to Frydogs favorite, the Yum Genie and it upped my fish quality.”

The Genie is a good worm, but I really have switched over to the GB Airtails now. Couple guys on this site are trying them out, will be interesting to hear if they (or more importantly) the fish like them too.

“Somewhere in the middle of all that I hooked into what most likely would’ve been my PB. Never been that upset over losing a fish…..”

I hear ya – I snapped one off on a dock post about 10 days ago… I really didn’t get a look at it until it snapped and swam sideways. Thought it was a 6-7 lb pike up til that point and I forced it instead of easing it off the post. After I saw how big it was as it swam away I slumped over for a good 3-4 minutes. Glad the Scotch wasn’t anywhere nearby, it wasn’t even Noon yet..

FryDog62 wrote:

“Somewhere in the middle of all that I hooked into what most likely would’ve been my PB. Never been that upset over losing a fish…..”

Yep. I rarely get upset over losing a fish, but this one was over 5 for sure and may have been my first shot at touching six. I think I got it on camera but I’m not sure I can stomach watching it.
HA. Won’t ever know. Guess I’ll have to go back and catch him and get my nail weight back….

Hey at least you guys are hooking into some real tanks. If anything you have the neighborhood they live in.

Anyone still using the Neko? Besides skipping docks with them, I put it away by end of July..

Nope. Bite dropped off a cliff by mid July.

I still have one rigged up and ready, just hasn’t been effective. Still picks up a couple hear and there, but I’d rather use the jig

I agree with you guys. The neko bite has died off. Im not sure what causes the change but I have definitely noticed a lack of bites compared to earlier this summer. I actually re-rigged my neko rig rod on Sunday. It’ll probably be rigged with a jig/ paddle tail combo for the remainder of the season.

Yeah they’re eating a jig better than a neko or even a wacky right now. 3/8oz Stealth feider stays on deck

The Neko has fallen off for me as well. Did do real well on it this year though. Something I’ll have tied on every time next spring and early summer for sure. Have taken a slight break from fishing for the last few weeks. Fishing partner has been out of town on Vacation and have lots of long hard days of fishing in Canada coming up in early Sept. Good time to get some honey do list things done around the home. Fishing partner returns today so I’m sure we will get out a few times in the next week.

Dropped off early this year for sure. Usually still good into august but I’m guessing the early warm up has effected everything for the whole season. Offshore spots I usually can pull 5 or so fish off of are one and done. Been tough for a ton of good anglers I know for about a month now. Wonder if the heat spread the forage out or has them going to new places causing the bass to spread out as well. The schools just don’t seem to be there this year.

A Neko is a lot like a jig worm, those also drop off this time of year, bass start to want heavy creature stuff. Most of what you caught before the Neko was caught on a jig worm, most of what you now get on a Neko would also slurp up a jig worm. I tend to believe that you use the lightest weight to do the job but the reality is the heavier stuff is a trigger because of the speed or impact or it punches threw the heavy weeds we have this time of year, really do not like throwing heavy jigs but they do have their place.

tim hurley wrote:

A Neko is a lot like a jig worm, those also drop off this time of year, bass start to want heavy creature stuff. Most of what you caught before the Neko was caught on a jig worm, most of what you now get on a Neko would also slurp up a jig worm. I tend to believe that you use the lightest weight to do the job but the reality is the heavier stuff is a trigger because of the speed or impact or it punches threw the heavy weeds we have this time of year, really do not like throwing heavy jigs but they do have their place.

The jig worm has still been fire, some of my bigger recent fish have come from jig worm, so I have to say I disagree with that. It’s the difference in presentation that keeps the worm going.
And now that I have forced my self to fish a jig and trailer, I will never not have one tied on. Grubson showed me the ropes on that multiple times now. And it’s forced me to keep trying. Which has paid off big.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tim hurley wrote:</div>
A Neko is a lot like a jig worm, those also drop off this time of year, bass start to want heavy creature stuff. Most of what you caught before the Neko was caught on a jig worm, most of what you now get on a Neko would also slurp up a jig worm. I tend to believe that you use the lightest weight to do the job but the reality is the heavier stuff is a trigger because of the speed or impact or it punches threw the heavy weeds we have this time of year, really do not like throwing heavy jigs but they do have their place.

The jig worm has still been fire, some of my bigger recent fish have come from jig worm, so I have to say I disagree with that. It’s the difference in presentation that keeps the worm going.
And now that I have forced my self to fish a jig and trailer, I will never not have one tied on. Grubson showed me the ropes on that multiple times now. And it’s forced me to keep trying. Which has paid off big.

I agree with this. While I’m still trying to figure it out the jigworm has still been crushing it for some of my friends. One just caught a 6.9 on it over the weekend. Fishing has been so bad for me this summer I’ve just been going out with the jigworm and jig tied on forcing myself to learn it.

For me the Jig worm stays tied on and gets fished all the way till the Fall bite kicks in. It seems like in the fall there is a period when there are still some fish in the normal summer locations while at the same time other fish have made the change to their normal fall location and patterns. I always start each outing searching the same locations as the fish were in the previous outing with a Jigworm. If that doesn’t work I start searching the transition locations to shallower water ( rattletrap is my go to search bait ) . If nothing there it into the shallower water locations with Spinnerbaits, Buzzbaits. Its not uncommon for a short time to find fish in all three locations in late summer/early fall