Ned Rig Fishing on Lake Weiss
Lake Weiss · Alabama · Southeast
Lake Weiss sits at the Alabama-Georgia line, impounded by Alabama Power on the Coosa River system and covering roughly 30,200 acres with nearly 447 miles of shoreline. The reservoir is defined by shallow, stump-filled flats, flooded timber, and a sprawling network of creek arms that keep water clarity in the stained-to-slightly-turbid range for much of the year. Spotted bass share the system with largemouth and a surprisingly healthy population of striped bass, giving anglers multiple target species across a single fishery.
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 Weiss
| 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 Weiss
Lake: Pre-spawn spotted bass and largemouth stack on secondary points and flooded timber in 6–12 ft as water temps climb through the mid-60s; shallow crankbaits and swimbaits along wood-lined creek arms are the go-to before fish push into the back-ends to spawn.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Post-spawn fish transition to deeper main-lake timber and channel swings in 15–25 ft; early morning topwater on shallow flats gives way to finesse techniques and deep crankbaits as surface temps push past 85 degrees by mid-July.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Shad-driven feeding windows in October and November pull bass to the mouths of creek arms and main-lake points; a Heddon Zara Spook Jr. or a lipless crankbait burned over submerged timber produces some of the year's best reaction bites.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Winter concentrates bass on main-lake timber and deeper channel edges in 20–30 ft; a slow-rolled suspending jerkbait or a 3/8 oz football jig dragged along hard-bottom transitions accounts for the majority of cold-water catches.
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 Weiss
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