The Neko rig has become a dominant player in the world of finesse bass fishing. It’s similar to the wacky rig in that a soft stick bait is usually hooked somewhere in the middle, producing a seductive undulating effect bass find irresistible. But it differs from the wacky rig in two main ways: 1) the hook is generally inline with the worm, and, 2) a nail weight is inserted into one end, making the worm rocket to the bottom and stand up vertically on the retrieve – think of it as a bottom-based standup wacky rig.
Like the drop shot, the Neko rig opens up a whole new world of experimentation. You can add more or less weight, rig about any type of plastic from conventional stick worms, ribbontail worms or even creature baits. One often overlooked rigging variable is hook position. In this “What it Looks Like,” we locate our o-ring in 3 different positions: near the bottom (next to nail weight), in the middle and toward the top of the worm. Hook placement has a big impact on overall worm action, with bass often showing a preference for one position over the others. Hook/o-ring placement is just another factor to consider when experimenting with this deadly finesse system.
