Ned Rig Fishing on Summersville Lake
Summersville Lake · West Virginia · Southeast
This West Virginia reservoir features exceptionally clear water, extensive rock formations, steep bluff walls, and limited shallow cover, primarily focusing on smallmouth bass. Its deep structure and a strong alewife forage base define the fishery's character.
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 Summersville 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 Summersville Lake
Lake: Smallmouth move onto rocky points and secondary humps in 10-25 feet as water temperatures climb into the 50s, making jerkbaits and jigs productive near potential spawning grounds.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Bass descend to offshore ledges, humps, and bluff walls in 25-50 feet, often suspending over deeper water while chasing alewives, demanding deep finesse and reaction techniques.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: As water cools, smallmouth actively chase schooling baitfish around main lake points and in large coves, providing excellent opportunities for topwater and reaction baits.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Fish hold tight to vertical structure or suspend over deep channels in 40-50+ feet of water, requiring slow presentations with blade baits, spybaits, or drop shots.
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 Summersville Lake
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