Ned rig
A short stubby piece of buoyant soft plastic on a light mushroom-shaped jig head, which stands the bait up nose-down on the bottom.
The head is a small mushroom shape, usually 1/16 to 1/6 ounce, and the plastic is buoyant so the tail floats up while the head rests on bottom. The bait sits at an angle like something feeding, and the smallest twitch makes it hop and settle again.
It is a finesse rig and it is close to unfair on pressured fish. Clear water, high sun, heavily fished lakes and cold fronts are all situations where a Ned rig catches when nothing else will. It also catches everything, not just bass.
The obvious limitation is the light head and exposed hook, which means open water and hard bottom rather than grass or wood.
It also demands the right tackle. A light head on heavy line will not fall properly, so a Ned rig wants a spinning rod, light braid and a fluorocarbon leader, or straight six to eight pound line if you prefer simplicity.
Do almost nothing with it. Drag it a foot, let it sit, repeat. Anglers lose fish on a Ned rig by working it too actively.
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