Ned Rig Fishing on Brookville Lake
Brookville Lake · Indiana · Midwest
Brookville Lake sits in the rolling hills of Franklin County, impounded by the Whitewater River and shaped by steep, rocky banks in its upper arms and flatter, more gradually tapering points in the lower pool. Water clarity trends cleaner than most Indiana reservoirs — visibility of 3 to 6 feet is common outside of heavy rainfall events — which gives the fishery more of an Ozarks character than the stained flood-control lakes of the western part of the state. Largemouth dominate the flatter coves and brush, but a legitimate smallmouth population lives along the rocky main-lake points and riprap, and spotted bass show up in the deeper, clearer stretches of the upper Whitewater arm.
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 Brookville 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 Brookville Lake
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth stage on secondary points and chunk rock in 6–12 ft before pushing into the backs of coves; a 3/8 oz Strike King Tour Grade football jig or swimbait worked along chunk rock transitions is the consistent producer when water temps hit the mid-50s. Smallmouth begin their own staging push onto gravel points in the upper arms around the same time, often two to three weeks behind the largemouth calendar.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Bass push to main-lake structure and deeper channel edges in 15–22 ft as surface temps climb into the mid-80s; drop shots and finesse football jigs on the long main-lake points keep contact with suspended and bottom-holding fish when topwater action dies by 9 AM. Early morning topwater around main-lake docks and riprap can be exceptional through late June before the heat fully takes over.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Shad-driven schooling action picks up on the main lake in September and October, with bass running baitfish to the surface near channel swings and the mouths of major coves; a 1/2 oz white or chrome War Eagle spinnerbait or a Heddon Super Spook Jr. covers water fast during these windows. As water cools below 60°F, fish stack back on chunk rock points and transition to slower jig and swimbait presentations.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Winter fishing at Brookville slows considerably but doesn't shut down for patient anglers willing to work a Ned rig or finesse drop shot on main-lake points in 20–28 ft; fish school tightly in the cleaner water, and locating one often means locating a dozen. Water temps in January and February typically sit in the low-to-mid 40s, demanding counts of 10–15 seconds on any bottom bait before the next move.
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 Brookville Lake
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