Bluegill beds are a bull’s eye for actively feeding post-spawn bass. Kobie Koenig explores a new lake with the use of mapping and sonar to locate bluegill beds, then puts a weedless Neko rig to work. With water temperatures around 70°F, this video takes you through a day of strategic fishing, starting with post-spawn bass location on clear, natural lakes to how to fish a Neko rig for quality largemouth bass.
FEATURED PRODUCT (retail links)
- WORM – Zoom Zlinky Stick Worm, color – Motor Oil Chartreuse: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- HOOK – VMC RedLine Series Weedless Wacky Neko Hook, size #1: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- BAND – VMC Crossover Ring: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at FishUSA | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- WEIGHT – VMC Neko Weight, 1/8-ounce: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at FishUSA | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- ROD – Fenwick HMX Spinning Rod, 7′ Medium: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- REEL – Abu Garcia Revo3 X Spinning Reel, 6.2:1: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE (Braid) – Berkley x9 Braid, 15-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE (Fluorocarbon) – Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, 12-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at FishUSA | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
*Boat-related links at the bottom.
THE SETTING: A CLEAR NATURAL LAKE
The day begins with Koenig assessing the lake structure using mapping and side imaging. He gravitates towards areas with extensive shoreline flats extending into the lake with a mix of grass and hard bottom–prime bluegill spawning habitat. Side imaging excels in revealing bottom composition such as grass, rocks, and the tell-tale honeycomb trademark of bluegill colonies. Koenig drops waypoints on the numerous bluegill beds then hits the bow, where waypoint share along with MEGA 360 Imaging direct accurate casts to fish.
STRATEGY: UTILIZING THE NEKO RIG
Koenig’s choice of the Neko rig is not arbitrary. He opts for this finesse-driven rig for its proven effectiveness in attracting both smallmouth and largemouth bass, especially in post-spawn conditions. The Neko rig’s unique bottom-pecking action is an excellent mimic of threatening/feeding forage, which draws the attention of both nest-guarding bluegills and bass. Concerning terminal tackle, a weedless Neko hook fishes clean through mixed cover bottoms. At the same time, an exposed nail weight excels at transmitting bottom hardness versus a nail weight embedded in the plastic.
ROD SETUP FOR NEKO RIGGING
One of the benefits of the Neko rig is that it doesn’t require a specialized rod setup. That said, Koenig shares his specific setup, including rod, reel, and line, and the reasoning behind each.
ELECTRONICS & BOAT (retail links)
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST, 112lb, 36V, 52″: Check out at Minn Kota
- FISH FINDERS (bow stack) – Humminbird APEX 13 MEGA SI+ Fishfinder/Chartplotter: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FISH FINDER (console) – Humminbird APEX 16 CHIRP MEGA SI+: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LIVE SONAR – Humminbird MEGA Live TargetLock: Buy at Humminbird
- MAPPING – Humminbird LakeMaster Premium VX Digital Map Chart Card (Great Lakes): Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Humminbird
- BASS BOAT – Lund 2075 Pro-V Bass XS: Check out at Lund Boats
- MOTOR – Mercury 250hp Pro XS: Check out at Mercury
- TOW VEHICLE – Toyota Tundra Platinum: Check out at Toyota
