Ned Rig Fishing on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain · Vermont / New York · Northeast
Champlain spans the Vermont-New York border and is one of the Northeast's most diverse fisheries. Rocky points and ledges dominate the northern sections, while weedy shallow bays in the south hold largemouth. Water clarity ranges from clear in the north to slightly stained in the south.
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 Lake Champlain
| 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 Lake Champlain
Lake: Smallmouth pre-spawn on rocky main lake points at 8–15 ft. Largemouth spawn in shallow bays.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Smallmouth go deeper (15–25 ft) over hard bottom. Drop shot and tube jigs.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Excellent reaction bite on both species. Topwater and swimbaits for smallmouth.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Cold winters limit open-water season. Ice fishing possible in shallow bays.
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 Lake Champlain
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