Ned Rig Fishing on Laurel River Lake
Laurel River Lake · Kentucky · Southeast
This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir, located near Corbin, Kentucky, offers exceptional water clarity, steep rocky banks, and abundant standing timber. It's primarily a spotted and smallmouth bass fishery, with largemouth found in shallower pockets of coves and creek arms.
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 Laurel River 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 Laurel River Lake
Lake: In spring, smallmouth bass stage on rocky points and flats before spawning, while spotted bass push into secondary creek arms, actively feeding on jerkbaits and jigs.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: During summer, bass relate heavily to deep main lake points, humps, and standing timber edges, often suspending in the thermocline and responding to finesse tactics and deep crankbaits.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Fall sees bass following migrating shad and alewives into shallower pockets and creek mouths, creating schooling opportunities for topwater and jerkbait presentations.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Winter fishing demands slow presentations on deep structure like main lake points and channel swings, with suspending jerkbaits and metal spoons being highly effective for lethargic bass.
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 Laurel River Lake
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