The Neko Rig has become a staple of anglers nationwide when the bite gets tough and Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Seth Feider, relies on this technique for getting bites when it counts. Here, Seth breaks down his preferred spinning setup for fishing a Neko Rig.
With a size 4000 Daiwa Certate in a 6.2:1 gear ratio, paired with his signature Daiwa Tatula Elite 7'6" Hair Jig rod, Seth can make long casts and have sufficient power and backbone to keep fish hooked on this lighter line setup. 10lb Sufix 832 braid is tied with an FG knot to a 10lb fluorocarbon leader with a #1 or #2 VMC Neko Hook and a ZMan Bang StickZ stickworm. ZMan's ElaZtech material floats underwater, giving the Neko Rig a perfect standing-up posture when fished along the bottom.
With ElaZtech plastics, it is important to use a proper Neko weight, and ZMan has designed the Neko ShroomZ to hold securely into any ZMan plastic, unlike many other Neko nail weights on the market.
Lastly, Seth recommends using VMC's Crossover Rings to securely fasten your hook to the bait without damaging your worm and greatly reducing the chances of lost Neko rigs when fish jump and try to throw the hook on the way back to the boat.
