THE NOVA NED

April 12, 2026|Ryan Hanks

THE NOVA NED

I’m going to be totally honest with you guys, fishing a Ned rig has never really been my deal.

For the longest time, I felt like I could go to the lake, open a pack, and just dump them straight in and get the same result. All I ever seemed to do was stay hung up and break them off one after another.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was fully aware of how effective the Ned rig can be, especially when the bite gets tough. It’s one of the best ways to catch numbers. I just needed to make a few key adjustments to make it work consistently for me and the fisheries I fish.

That all came together on a recent trip to Georgia and Tennessee.

The conditions lined up perfectly for a Ned rig, and once everything clicked, the results followed in a big way.

A NEW SETUP

We’re always working hard to bring you guys the best possible gear to help you be successful on the water.

Right before I left for this trip, we got our first shipment of BKK terminal tackle in, and it was something we were really excited to pair with the new 4.5" Nova.

In that shipment was the BKK Silent Chaser Draggin’ Ned Jig Head, and I made sure to throw a few packs in my bag.

I knew this time of year sets up perfectly for a Ned rig bite, and I was going to dial it in!

WHY WEEDLESS?

The real difference for me, and what I figured out quickly, was using the right style of Ned.

Unlike a lot of fisheries where a traditional exposed hook works just fine, the lakes and rivers I fish are full of brush, rock piles, and places that will eat your bait alive.

Switching to a weedless Ned completely changed things for me.

I was able to fish the same setup all day without constantly getting hung up and breaking off. Instead of worrying about losing baits, I could focus on actually fishing the bait the way it’s supposed to be fished.

I had the opportunity to fish with some great anglers across multiple highland reservoirs in North Georgia and on the Tennessee River, and we had some serious success with this setup.

Here’s what I learned that really increased my success.

1. CREATE AN EASY MEAL

One of the biggest things we did was downsize the profile.

For each rig, we cut roughly 1/4" off the Nova to create a more compact, finesse-style presentation. This gave the fish an easy-to-eat morsel, especially in tough conditions.

That smaller size, combined with the embedded glass rattle, served two main purposes. First, it triggered more bites. Second, the added sound increased our strike rate, especially when targeting spawning fish we couldn’t visually see.

2. LIGHTEST WEIGHT POSSIBLE

This was a huge key.

Fishing the lightest weight you can get away with reduces hang ups and gives the bait a much more natural presentation.

For example, when we were targeting smallmouth on the Tennessee River in 4 to 8 feet of water with minimal current, a 1/16 oz got the most bites.

That said, when the wind picked up, we had to adjust to a 1/8 oz just to maintain bottom contact.

On Lake Lanier and Carters Lake, we were fishing deeper open water with wind, and that’s where a heavier 3/16 oz was the deal.

If your weight is too light, you’re not staying on bottom and you won’t get bites. If it’s too heavy, you’re going to stay hung up.

Matching your weight to the depth, wind, and current is the key to dialing this bite in.

3. DIAL IN THE RIGHT GEAR

Your setup matters more than you think with a Ned rig.

I was throwing this on a 7’2” Medium Light spinning rod paired with a 3000 size spinning reel, spooled with 12 lb X12 braid to a short 8 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Every part of this setup plays a role.

The longer Medium Light rod helps launch lighter weights a long distance. It also makes it easier to impart subtle shakes and prevents you from tearing out small hooks once you hook a fish.

I’ve also found that stepping up from a 2500 to a 3000 size reel noticeably increases casting distance with finesse presentations like this.

Running 12 lb X12, or even 10 lb CAST BFS braid, allows for longer casts, cuts through current, and helps keep the Ned in contact with the bottom longer. It also increases sensitivity and improves hooksets since there’s very little stretch.

4. HOW TO FISH THE NOVA NED

This is where everything came together for me.

This is a technique where slowing down will dramatically increase your chances of getting bit.

Start by making a long cast and give the bait plenty of time to fall all the way to the bottom.

Once you know you’re on bottom, keep your rod tip up and incorporate light shakes. You want the Nova to make contact with structure like rocks, brush, and stumps, because a lot of your bites will come right around those areas.

I like to use more of a drag and lift, then let it fall, and slowly take up slack.

This keeps the bait in contact with the bottom and in the strike zone longer, which is critical.

When you get a bite, don’t swing hard.

Simply reel down and let the rod do the work. Big hooksets will introduce slack and cause you to miss fish with this technique.

FINAL THOUGHTS

After fishing the Nova on the BKK Draggin NED during this recent trip, I have a whole new appreciation for this technique. It helped me land some incredible Tennessee smallmouth and some really solid spotted bass along the way.

Big shoutout to my buddies Greg Worsham, Mikey Ballz, and Mark Badham for some awesome days on the water putting this combo to work.

I hope you guys can take something from this and apply it to your own fisheries with success. As always, good luck on the water,
Ryan