Best Neko Rig Baits for Bass: 5 World-Class Options
There is seldom a bad time to throw a Neko Rig. This technique shines in almost any conditions and just like the wacky rig, it’s a prolific finesse application that just doesn’t stop getting bit. Bait selection is absolutely key in order to get the best results out of this technique and there are few important features to consider when buying your next baits for your neko setup.
Understanding the Neko Rig for Bass Fishing
A neko rig is a relatively similar application to the wacky rig. The hook passes through the middle area of the worm (or through an O-Ring), leaving an exposed hook point with each half of the worm flowing freely on either side.
The only difference with the neko rig, is that there is a nail weight passed through the head of the soft bait, giving this technique a slightly altered action with a faster fall rate.
The nail weight causes the soft bait to sit head first on the bottom, with the tail sitting up. Bass seem to love this stature and they’ll often come eat it when it’s just sitting on the bottom - similar to a ned rig.
The beauty of the neko rig is that it maintains that epic little shimmy that a wacky rig has and it’ll often get smashed on the initial fall.
The 5 Best Worms for the Neko Rig
There’s a common feature with these baits. They’re all pretty ‘finessesy’ worms with a round profile. Needless to say, these baits are also epic on a wacky rig!
Let us look at 5 of the best baits for the neko rig:
Gary Yamamoto Senko
The ultimate stick bait and without a doubt the most successful soft plastic of all time. The Senko looks incredible on the neko rig with its round and free-flowing profile.
The Senko has one of the best actions of the fall and in my opinion this action looks even better on a wacky or neko rig. Often you won’t even have to wait to hit the bottom before you get a bite.
One can vary in size based on the system they’re fishing. If they’re fishing a highly-pressured system, you may want to downsize and try a 4 inch. If the system sees massive bass - one can always upsize up until about 7 inches.
Check out our senko color chart and have a look at their huge variety of colors.
13 Fishing Bubble Butt Worm
This one is definitely the most unique option on this list, but it’s one we’ve fallen in love with. The Bubble Butt is a newer option by 13 Fishing that is different in many ways and it just works with a neko rig.
A tapered body with a floating tail gives this bait an incredible stature on the bottom and with the nail weight in the head, this bait is almost straight vertical once it hits the bottom.
This is an awesome modernized bait that gives you a slightly altered approach to the neko rig setup.
Zoom Trick Worm
Another classic bait, it’s Zoom’s Trick Worm. There aren’t many rigs that this bait doesn’t work on, but it’s just the perfect fit for a neko rig.
The soft material used in the Trick Worm gives it an incredibly natural and free-flowing action on the fall and it almost enhances the ‘shimmy’ that we get from a neko and a wacky rig.
This bait simply gets the job done no matter what you’re fishing and we have to include it as one of our favorite baits for the neko rig. One can also consider the Trick Worm Magnum if they’re looking to upsize, or trying a more ‘power’ neko setup.
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Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Finesse Worm
Designed by KVD himself, the Perfect Finesse Worm is one of the best finesse soft plastics out there and we love it on a neko rig!
The beveled tail designed on the Perfect Finesse Worm really stands on when this bait is rigged on a neko rig. The nail weight in the head causes the tail to ‘stand up’ on the bottom and the lifelike profile of this bait during this position often results in a bite.
Strike King use some of the finest soft formula possible for this bait, giving it an awesome action on the fall.
Whether you want it for a neko rig, shaky head, or literally anything else, you should always have a bag of these on board.
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Googan Baits Slim Shake
Finally, it’s the Slim Shake - an epic straight-tailed worm by one of the more innovative brands in the sport right now.
The Slim Shake has an extremely detailed body texture with a slight taper in the tail, helping with a lifelike action on the fall. The tail on the Slim Shake also has a slightly beveled design which looks intriguing on the bottom.
Googan Baits have also included their Slaunch Sauce on a slim shake, which many anglers have said has led to plenty of bites.
We’ve had plenty of success with this bait on a neko rig and a wacky rig, so we thought we had to include it on our list.
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Wrapping Up
The neko rig is just one of those finesse techniques that continues to grow in popularity and overall fish-catching success. This technique seems to drive both largemouth and smallmouth mad and it's one of the most versatile light line applications out there right now.
Try out this technique and grab a bag of some of these epic baits - they won't disappoint!
