Ned Rig Fishing on Prior Lake
Prior Lake · Minnesota · Midwest
Prior Lake sits in Scott County, roughly 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis, and is one of the Twin Cities metro's most fishable glacial lakes at approximately 1,440 acres. The lake features a mix of hard sand-to-rock shoreline, submerged points, weed flats extending to 10–14 feet, and a maximum depth pushing 58 feet, giving both largemouth and smallmouth bass distinct seasonal holding zones. Water clarity trends clearer than many metro lakes, often stretching to 8–12 feet of visibility in summer, which shapes bait selection and presentation angles significantly.
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 Prior 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 Prior Lake
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth push into shallow bays and sand-flat coves as water temperatures climb through the low 50s into 60°F; the north and northwest shorelines warm first and hold fish earliest, making a 3/8 oz swim jig or a Ned rig on transition rock-to-sand edges productive before the main spawn push. Smallmouth stage on deeper points and mid-lake humps in 12–20 feet before sliding shallow to rocky banks when temps hit 58–62°F.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Post-spawn bass settle into two distinct summer zones: largemouth hold in coontail and cabbage weed edges in 8–14 feet while smallmouth gravitate to mid-lake rock humps and main-basin points in 15–25 feet, where clearer water demands a drop shot or finesse football jig over faster moving presentations. Topwater activity on calm low-light mornings over submerged weed flats can be exceptional through July, but the bite window narrows fast once the sun climbs.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: As surface temps fall through the 50s, both species pull off structure and chase shad-style forage on main-lake points and drop-offs in 15–22 feet; a swimbait or a 3/4 oz football jig dragged along rock-gravel transitions produces well into October. Largemouth scatter into dying weed edges and can be caught on a jig-and-craw or a slow-rolled Keitech Swing Impact Fat 4.3" on a 3/8 oz head through mid-fall.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Ice fishing is the dominant winter approach on Prior Lake, with panfish and walleye drawing most pressure; bass are catchable through the ice on small finesse jigs near remaining green weeds in 8–12 feet but are largely a secondary target. Open-water bass fishing effectively ends by late November as water temps drop below 45°F and fish become lethargic near deeper basin structure.
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 Prior Lake
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