TackleTour

I've had great success fishing Z-Man TRDs for both small and largemouth on BFS gear. Best hookup rates for me come when using it as a traditional Ned rig with a 1/15 oz mushroom jig, exposed hook. However, that's anything but weedless.

When I need to go weedless, I put the TRD on a sz. 1 EWG with a 2 g (approx. 1/16 oz) Cheburashka weight. The sz. 1 hook is pretty critical as larger EWGs kill the floating action. Using it with a Cheb, vs standard Texas rigging or with a weighted EWG makes all the difference. One day I ran out of Chebs and tried the other two options and my catch rates plummeted. I also spent a few days kayak fishing with a buddy, who was using the alternate riggings, and out fished him by a large margin, as much as 10:1. Then I set him with with a Cheb and suddenly we were on par.

For those who don't know it, a Cheburashka is named after a Russian cartoon bear, with large ears, that it resembles. The weight attaches to the eye of a hook and is free to move around, improving the action of the bait.



I think the rig needs it's own name. Something less tedious than saying "a Texas rigged TRD with a Cheburashka weight."

How about the Nedski rig? The suffix providing an eastern block impression yet still giving tribute to Ned Kehde.

Cheb-Ned? Descriptive but boring.

Ideas? Maybe it just is a Cheb rigged TRD. End of story.

Would also love to hear impressions from others who fish this.

Hmmm...this is a tough one. I would have to say 1/15oz Ned Rig using Zman TubeZ. Just so versatile. Catch bass, panfish, trout. Light enough to swim, twitch like a dying baitfish or just hop on bottom like a craw.

First time I hooked a bass on a Cheb rig, it jumped, shook its head and the cheb weight shot up the line, leaving me attached via an unsupported wire loop. Luckily it was a dink so no harm done. How do you prevent this happening? Thanks!

Allsorts wrote: ↑

Fri May 28, 2021 6:08 am

First time I hooked a bass on a Cheb rig, it jumped, shook its head and the cheb weight shot up the line, leaving me attached via an unsupported wire loop. Luckily it was a dink so no harm done. How do you prevent this happening? Thanks!

Don't know. Never had that happen despite using the rig extensively. Did you rig it like in this Youtube? I know I was doing it wrong until I saw this video.

https://youtu.be/CmZMp9Wht_w

Some of my preferred “Ned” ways. Always a pleasure to work with Ned on such.

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/ ... ore/373022

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/ ... r-d/155887

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/ ... igs/154802

Though there’s no “bait” in my finesse system. Just your typical conquest/poison ultima spins and Stella fj’s.

Thanks, I checked the video out, my rigging was ok, might have been a poor quality cheb with weak wire. Still, if you can slide the weight off relatively easily then a bass is going to do it at some point with a head shake....

I just ordered some swing-head jigs from Flatland Custom Tackle. They use a #01 hook and in my mind they should work like a Cheb only less fiddly. I guess we'll see.

https://www.flatlandscustomtackle.com/s ... Heads.html

Smalleyez wrote: ↑

Sun May 30, 2021 3:46 am

I just ordered some swing-head jigs from Flatland Custom Tackle. They use a #01 hook and in my mind they should work like a Chef only less fiddly. I guess we'll see.

https://www.flatlandscustomtackle.com/s ... Heads.html

Never saw those before but I'd say they should perform much like the Cheb because the weight is free to move on the hook eye. Nice find.

The swinging head jig has been around for a long time in the US. It is typically paired to a curly tail grub and the free swing hook allows for some body roll in the grub and weedles hook prevents snags. I've used it in the ozark highland reservoirs on long gravel points targeting spots and smallies.

Also how do you like the MC Days rod? I imagine it is night and day make powerful than a trout or panfish stick. If its anything like my Volkey 68L then its somewhat narrow in range for what it can throw but 90% of what I throw falls within that range so it's fine.

LowRange wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:50 am

Also how do you like the MC Days rod? I imagine it is night and day make powerful than a trout or panfish stick. If its anything like my Volkey 68L then its somewhat narrow in range for what it can throw but 90% of what I throw falls within that range so it's fine.

I have the 6'5" UL days bfs stick and it's much more powerful than a true trout stick. 3.25oz, tip light when handling, it has enough power to set the hook in small t-rig setups with thin wire size 1 hooks and yum sharp shooters when my trout rods are open hook only setups. I like that so I can run weedless setups down here where grass is everywhere.

LowRange wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:50 am

Also how do you like the MC Days rod? I imagine it is night and day make powerful than a trout or panfish stick. If its anything like my Volkey 68L then its somewhat narrow in range for what it can throw but 90% of what I throw falls within that range so it's fine.

I love the Days rod. Way different than my slow Kuying Tetons (trout rods, really) but also way different than my ajing rods, which go from a 1 mm extra fast solid tip to a thick butt section.The Days is rated 1-10 g (similar to some of my ajing) but I'd say 2-8 is more accurate. 2.5-6 g is the sweet spot. A true BFS bass rod but I can still use it for panfish. As this thread shows, I tend to fish Ned rigs with it. I like rods that let me fish many different ways because I'm mostly on the bank with one rod or in a kayak with two.

I throw some micro frogs and really enjoy them, besides that is probably some micro glide baits

eklikewhoa wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 04, 2021 4:31 am

micro glide baits

Tell me more...

A lot of companies make weedless Ned rig heads. I use them almost exclusively for the Ned rig because I am usually throwing them at or around something. We don't have a lot of open water areas on the lakes that I fish where we can get away with throwing an open hook. Also, the micro Texas rigs are cool, but they tend to get covered in algae this time of year. The weedless splitshot rig is usually what we throw the micro baits on this time of year. The 2 inch reepers and the Flutter Craft worms are what I throw if I have to get a bite around small bait. I have stashes of both baits from decades ago.