Casting Ned Rig rod

[Chode]

For what it's worth, I've been able to fish the Steez AGS "Finesse Game Special" a bit recently and it is indeed a great casting finesse rod. I didn't have any issues maintaining bottom contact with 1/8oz heads + worm in 18 feet of water, but on deep offshore spots (22-25 feet) I'll go to a 3/16oz head + worm.

"The Ned" is still the ultimate Ned rig rod to me, it's just perfect in its action, power, and fun factor. But a "Finesse Game Special" (casting) paired with an SS Air TW is a very fun combo, as well.

Hi Drakestar. I have a few questions regarding the finesse special if you don't mind. Is the taper a true fast? What's the upper and lower limit? Is the sensitivity on par with nrx? Lastly, how good is the balance with an~6oz reel? Thx in advance

I don't feel that I have enough experience with this rod to confidently / accurately answer those questions. If I had to give impressions right now, it's definitely a true XFast taper (in my experience, all solid tip rods are), and it feels accurately specced at 3/8oz upper limit, but it might be able to do a bit more. I've thrown more on it (1/8oz Ned head + FattyZ worm, around 0.42oz), and that worked fine. But it's a super buoyant worm, which makes the overall weight feel lighter in my experience. Not sure about lower limit, I haven't tried less than a regular 1/8oz Ned + worm yet, and I've only fished deep water with it.

Not sure about sensitivity yet; I have a 821 NRR that plays in the same league as this rod, but I haven't fish them side by side. I think I'm having an easier time keeping bottom contact in deep water on the Finesse Game Special, solid tips do well in that area. But in experience (and I don't have a ton of it), a solid tip doesn't necessarily help with sensitivity, it helps with keeping things connected and making bites easier to detect visually (watching the tip deflect). It's a high-end rod and I was able to easily detect bites in 22+ feet of water. If pressed I'd give the NRR the edge, but it's a feeling only, not based on head to head comparisons yet.

The SS Air TW I have on the rod weight 5.22oz spooled, and the rod balances a tiny bit before the end of the reel nut. Total weight in 8.75oz or so; the combo doesn't feel exceedingly light, but it fishes comfortably.

That gives me a pretty clear picture of the rod. Thank you for the detailed write-up. I really appreciate it

[Drakestar]

Threw a bunch of dropshot on the Finesse Game Special and it did it very well. 3/16oz in 30 feet of water, no problem! Really loving this rod, and it does those 3/16oz Ned’s just as well. Good at controlling feisty spotted bass and keeping them pinned, even though it has that x-fast action.

[goldrod]

Threw a bunch of dropshot on the Finesse Game Special and it did it very well. 3/16oz in 30 feet of water, no problem! Really loving this rod, and it does those 3/16oz Ned’s just as well. Good at controlling feisty spotted bass and keeping them pinned, even though it has that x-fast action.

Just out of curiosity how are you setting the hook in that depth of water with the line size

[Drakestar]

Threw a bunch of dropshot on the Finesse Game Special and it did it very well. 3/16oz in 30 feet of water, no problem! Really loving this rod, and it does those 3/16oz Ned’s just as well. Good at controlling feisty spotted bass and keeping them pinned, even though it has that x-fast action.

Just out of curiosity how are you setting the hook in that depth of water with the line size

Barely? I use those Gamakatsu G Finesse Dropshot hooks, a baitcaster with good drag (SS Air TW) and set that drag to 3 lbs or so. Braid to (long) leader helps. I hammer them and trust the drag to do its job, it usually slips but that’s still 3lbs of force on that hookset, and the hook is small diameter. So far I’ve never snapped the line, but on occasion the hook has fallen out as soon as the fish was in the net und there wasn’t pressure on the line anymore.