Does the Neko Rig Work in Dirty Water?

With all of the recent heavy rains across the country many of our rivers, lakes, and ponds are looking like chocolate milk! This can make fishing a bit more difficult for many anglers who are not used to fishing this type of water. Of course, there are a multitude of presentations one can use. Today’s focus is on the Neko rig in dirty water.

The Neko rig can catch bass in chocolate milk-colored water but it would be more considered a power finesse bait in these conditions. Here’s why, even in muddy water, bass don’t rely solely on sight. They use their lateral line to detect vibration and any movement given by the prey nearby. Water displacement is created when these creatures or small fish are moving in the water column. One advantage of the Neko rig is that it stays in the strike zone longer, giving the bass a better chance to locate it.

How to Increase Your Success

The first thing you can do is upsize your bait from a four inch worm to a five or six inch worm. Maybe a bit bulkier and with the new Coike craze going on something that creates a huge wake. Adding strands of jig skirt material and increase the volume of water displaced by the Neko rigged worm. Even when the bait is sitting still those little strands are moving creating a small bit of vibration for the bass to detect.

High contrasting colors like Black/Blue, Junebug, Black Neon, or Black with Blue Flake are great colors. I still prefer the dark green pumpkin color with an orange or chartreuse colored Neko button head weight. It’s all about the silhouette and once the bass detects it their reaction is usually to eat it.

Another successful tactic is to add more movement to your Neko rig. You can hop it, shake it, or even pause it. I like to use vigorous movements once the bait has landed on the bottom. Pitching it near laydowns, rock crevices, and edges of flooded vegetation can produce great results. Sometimes, like today when I was fishing at a Kansas lake that was like chocolate milk the bass are right up against the shoreline in ambush mode. You will usually get bit right away when the bait lands in the water. Remember too that the weighted end can make thumping noises when hitting up against rock so upsizing your weight can help as well. Scent can also be added to encourage bass to hold on to the bait longer.

Most of all, slow down your fishing. There is a much smaller strike zone in very muddy water and your bait needs to come almost directly to them to draw a strike. Making repeated casts to the same area helps greatly.

The Neko rig really shines in dirty water when you are fishing defined targest such as laydowns, rip rap, flooded vegetation, or other structures. The bass will usually hold on a specific piece of cover when the water is dirty. A lot of times, the first cast gets their attention and a second or third cast to the same spot will usually get a bite if a bass is present.

You can also “cane pole” the shoreline when vegetation is flooded. I love to use this technique with the kayak as it is a very stealthy way to fish. See the video below on how I move along the shoreline dipping my Neko rig into the water along the way. We like to call this method “dinking and dunking.” I’ve caught a lot of big fish with this technique.

We hope this helps you gain confidence fishing the Neko Rig in dirty water.