Ned Rig Fishing on Alum Creek Lake
Alum Creek Lake · Ohio · Midwest
Alum Creek Lake sits about 20 miles north of Columbus in central Ohio, impounded by the Army Corps on Alum Creek for flood control in 1974. The reservoir blends clear-to-moderately-stained water depending on season and rainfall, with a mosaic of flat, brush-lined coves in the upper arms and harder main-lake structure down toward the dam face. Largemouth bass dominate, with a secondary population of smallmouth and decent numbers of saugeye and crappie sharing the same water column.
Ned Rig pairs a 3–4" ElaZtech-style floating plastic (TRD, Finesse TRD, or similar) on a 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom head jig. The bait's buoyancy causes it to stand upright on the bottom, creating a subtle action that triggers bites when nothing else will. Exceptional on hard bottom, gravel, and rock.
Ned Rig Setup for Alum Creek Lake
| Rod | 6'10"–7'2" medium-light spinning rod, moderate-fast action |
| Reel | 2500 size spinning reel |
| Line | 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluorocarbon leader |
| Weight | 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom jig head (Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ or similar) |
| Hook | Size 1 or 1/0 wide gap, built into jig head |
Seasonal Tactics on Alum Creek Lake
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth push into the upper creek arms as water temps climb through the low 50s, staging on the first hard points before fanning onto shallow flats in the 2–5 ft range to bed. The transition stretch between the Lewis Center boat ramp area and the upper forks concentrates fish early and gets overlooked by most weekend traffic.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Post-spawn bass retreat toward main-lake points, submerged roadbed edges, and the channel swing near the dam where depths reach 35–50 ft. Schooling activity over mid-depth brush piles (12–18 ft) picks up after sundown during July and August, especially on weeknights when recreational boat pressure eases.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Shad migrations pull both largemouth and smallmouth toward the upper flats through October, and topwater opportunities over brush in 6–12 ft of water rival anything the lake produces all year. Once water temps drop below 55°F, fish consolidate on main-lake points in 15–25 ft.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Winter fish suspend just above submerged timber and brush near channel bends in 20–30 ft of water. A blade bait or a football jig worked at near-zero speed on the Corps-mapped timber lines will coax bites during the coldest weeks, though consistent action requires locating specific vertical wood.
Ned Rig: Best cold-water finesse technique after drop shot. Extremely slow drag on hard bottom near deep structure.
Best Conditions
Clear water, hard and rocky bottoms, post-cold-front, heavily pressured fish, any season except peak summer spawn
Use Z-Man ElaZtech plastics exclusively — they float and are nearly indestructible. Regular soft plastics sink and kill the technique.
More Techniques for Alum Creek Lake
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