Ned Rig Fishing on Leesville Lake
Leesville Lake · Ohio · Midwest
Leesville Lake sits in the rolling hills of eastern Ohio's Carroll County, impounded by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District on McGuire Creek. At roughly 1,000 acres, it punches well above its size class — exceptional water clarity for a Midwest reservoir, timber-studded coves, and a distinct main-channel ledge system give it a structure mix more reminiscent of an Ozarks impoundment than a typical Ohio flood-control lake. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are present, with spotted bass rounding out the mix in the deeper channel reaches.
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 Leesville 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 Leesville Lake
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth push into the upper cove flats and fallen timber in 4–8 ft as water climbs through the mid-50s; a 3/8 oz Texas-rigged Zoom Brush Hog or a square-bill crankbait worked tight to submerged wood produces before the main spawn wave arrives.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Smallmouth and spotted bass suspend over main-channel timber in 18–28 ft once surface temps crack 80°F; a drop shot or finesse football jig worked on deeper points and submerged creek-channel transitions keeps contact with the best fish while largemouth retreat under shaded cove cover.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Shad and bluegill push baitfish shallow in October, pulling largemouth back into the 6–12 ft timber zone — a Strike King KVD 1.5 squarebill or a 3/8 oz War Eagle spinnerbait around standing wood produces aggressive reaction strikes through mid-November.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Water temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s push bass deep and tight to main-lake timber in 25–35 ft; a Ned rig or a slowly dragged 1/2 oz football jig on the channel-adjacent point tips is the most consistent contact method, with long pauses mandatory.
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 Leesville Lake
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