Finesse Fishing 101: Your Guide to Stealthy Success

When it comes to bass fishing, there are thousands of baits and methods to try and hook into your new personal best. In some cases, the bass are going to absolutely crush big, flashy, and loud baits. However, there are times when they won’t go anywhere near those. When that happens, it may be time to try out finesse fishing to hook into some big bass.

Finesse fishing is a style of bass fishing that puts a big emphasis on small bait profiles, light tackle, subtle movements, and natural presentations. When you’re finesse fishing, you aren’t trying to trigger a reaction strike from fish like you would with some methods. Instead, you’re trying to get fish to bite something when they aren’t as active, or when they’ve been heavily pressured in any given body of water.

You’re trying to match the slow-moving prey that they will feed on when they need to. Finesse fishing also allows you to keep your presentation in the strike zone longer, allowing bass to observe it and strike when they’re ready for an easy meal.

There are quite a few different rigs you can choose from to finesse fish effectively, but all of them operate on the same idea: use small baits, make them look natural, and don’t move them around too much.

Plenty of times throughout the year, bass aren’t going to be actively chasing after their food. In cold water, their metabolism slows way down, and they don’t feed nearly as much as they do in the warmer months. There are also plenty of lakes that get hit hard with the same big flashy baits, and the bass prefer to go after something that isn’t so aggressive. Finesse fishing allows you to catch a ton of fish in these situations.

You can absolutely try finesse fishing all year long, but there are some key conditions, seasons, and locations that it works especially well in:

One of the best conditions to look for when finesse fishing is cold water. When the water temperature dips to the 45 to 60 degree Fahrenheit range, it’s time to break out the finesse rigs. These colder water situations lead to bass feeding way less frequently, and their strike zones shrink a ton. Transitional periods like pre-spawn and post-spawn are great times to try finesse rigs as well, since the bass are still feeding but aren’t quite ready to go after big baits.

Another great set of conditions for a finesse rig is during high barometric pressure and post-frontal weather. During these conditions, the bass become far more wary and far less active. The big lures are going to scare fish away, while your smaller finesse rigs will still look appealing to them.

Water clarity can also play a big role in the success of a finesse fishing rig. In extremely clear water with visibility of 4 feet or more, bass are going to be inspecting your presentation much longer. This means that your rig needs to look and act as naturally as you can make it.

When it comes to figuring out where to actually try a finesse rig, there are a few great places to try. Hard bottom areas, composed of rock or gravel, are an awesome place to start. Bass love to hold close to these areas in the colder or pressured conditions that make finesse fishing an excellent plan of attack. The subtle contact and natural profile of certain finesse rigs make this a great method to try in these areas.

Points and breaklines are another solid option for finesse rigs. Points often act as feeding highways for bass, even during the slower times of year. Breaklines can be great with suspended finesse rigs, as the bass will move vertically through these areas all throughout the day.

If you think the bass are holding in structure, try a finesse rig near docks or other man-made cover areas. These areas are typically going to provide both shade and vertical structure that bass love to spend their time around. Finesse rigs can be a great way to target them both near the bottom or in suspended situations.

Grass edges or other areas of sparse vegetation typically work really well for finesse rigs, too. You want to make sure that the grass isn’t super thick, just enough to provide some cover without completely hiding your presentations. You can try the outside edges and other holes or unique areas throughout the grassy areas.

Sometimes the bass are going to be pushed out way offshore and into deeper open water. Sometimes they will hold tight to the bottom, while other times they may suspend throughout the water column. You can use a variety of finesse rigs to target them on the bottom or suspended throughout the water column, all while giving them a natural presentation that they don’t have to work too hard to feed on.

When it comes to gear, there are definitely some go-to items that you’ll want to take with you when planning a day of finesse fishing for bass.

Starting off with rods for finesse fishing, you’re going to want something in the medium-light to medium power range with fast or extra-fast action. These powers can pair nicely with the different finesse rig styles out there. The actions are important, as finesse fishing usually comes with extremely subtle bites from the fish. You need an action that will let you identify even the lightest bites. For rod length, anything in or close to the 6.5 to 7-foot range should work perfectly.

While many techniques in bass fishing revolve around a quality baitcasting reel, finesse fishing is better done with a spinning reel. Many of these rigs are going to be much easier to cast out and retrieve with this style of reel. For sizes, go with something in the 2000 to 2500 range with a 6.0:1 to 6.4:1 gear ratio.

There is a lot of debate in the fishing world on what the right kind of line is for finesse fishing. Some anglers prefer to spool up only monofilament, while others swear by just using fluorocarbon. However, one setup to consider that will save you money and give you a lot of strength is using a braided main line paired with a long fluorocarbon leader (6 to 10 feet long is the target). Your mainline should be in the 6 to 10-pound test range, while your leader should be in the 6 to 8-pound test range.

This works really well because you get the sensitivity of braid, without the visibility of it near the presentation. The fluorocarbon is going to stretch a bit, be virtually invisible in the water, and also provide a lot of abrasion resistance that braid doesn’t have, which is important when finesse fishing near areas with dense cover.

So you know when to use a finesse rig, you know where to use a finesse rig, and you know the gear you need to properly fish a finesse rig. But what about the finesse rigs themselves? Here are some of the most common rigs that anglers love to throw right now when out on the water for a day of finesse fishing.

*Note, for all of these, we’re going to assume a braided mainline with a fluorocarbon leader. If you prefer straight monofilament or fluorocarbon, that’s fine too.

Let’s start with the Texas rig. While some anglers wouldn’t automatically assume this is a finesse method, it absolutely can be. It’s great when fishing in areas with cover, some grass, under docks, or on fish that are up shallow that you know are pressured.

To set this up, thread a small bullet weight onto the line with the pointed end towards your rod tip. Tie on your favorite EWG worm hook or finesse wide gap hook in the 1/0 to 3/0 size, depending on the bait size you decide to go with. To add even more finesse to this presentation, you can remove the bullet weight altogether and just let the weight of the hook and the plastic pull it to the bottom.

Next, you’ll need to pick your soft plastic bait. Texas rigs work well with straight-tail finesse worms, compact creature baits, or craws, all in the 3 to 6 inch range. Take your soft plastic and rig it weedless onto your hook, then you’re ready to start fishing.

To fish the Texas rig, make short casts to areas with cover or structure that you think bass are in. Let it sink to the bottom and get some slack in the line. Once on the bottom, you can slowly retrieve it back, allowing the bait to drag along the bottom. Try to avoid super aggressive jumps off the bottom, as those are most likely going to scare fish away rather than trigger a strike when finesse fishing.

The drop shot rig is one of the main go-to finesse options for many anglers. To set one of these up, you’re going to want to get a drop shot or split shot hook in the 1/0 size range. Tie it to your leader using a palomar knot, leaving a long tag end (6 to 18 inches, depending on where the fish are suspending).

Next, run this tag end back through the eye of the hook so that the hook points straight out from the line. Then, attach a drop shot weight (1/8 to 3/8 oz) onto the bottom of your tag end. This will keep the bottom contact for the weight while allowing your hook and plastic to suspend.

As far as soft plastics go, you’ll want to use finesse worms, minnow-style plastics, or fluke-style baits. Each of these is best in the 3 to 5 inch range. It’s best to hook these through the nose of the soft plastic when setting this rig up.

To fish the drop shot rig, you’ll want to do a short cast or vertically drop it right under you, allowing it to sink all the way to the bottom. This rig doesn’t require you to jig just simply maintain bottom contact and reduce slack in the line, and let the soft plastic move naturally on its own in the water.

The neko rig is a great option when fishing clear water, areas with flats, or bass that have been heavily pressured. For the neko rig, we’re going to start with a straight tail worm or a slim stickbait in the 4 to 6 inch range. Take your soft plastic and insert a nail weight into one end of it. In shallower situations, you can use a 1/64 to 1/32 oz nail weight. In deeper water, you may want to go up to a 1/16 oz weight.

Next, add an o-ring onto the middle of your soft plastic, and use a neko or wacky hook in the 1/0 size range to hook under the o-ring.

To fish the neko rig, you’re going to do short casts or drop it vertically just like the drop shot rig. Let it sink to the bottom until the nail-weighted end sits on the bottom. Next, very slightly lift the bait off the bottom, pause, and let it naturally fall back down. It’s common for the pauses to trigger strikes from lazy bass in the area.

Ned rigs are a great option to use when cold fronts are blowing in, when the bass are pretty neutral, or when fishing hard bottom areas. To set up a ned rig, start by grabbing a ned style jig (1/16 to 3/16 oz) and tying it to your leader.

Next, it’s time to pick a soft plastic. Ned-style stickbaits, cut-down finesse worms, or even small craws can work well. Try to pick them in the 2 to 3 inch range. Take your soft plastic and thread your jig straight so the hook comes out the side and the jig head sits flat on the plastic.

To fish a ned rig, you’ll want to toss it out or fish it vertically. Allow it to get to the bottom, and then let it sit there for a bit. Next, drag it along the bottom as you retrieve it, and mix in some subtle shakes with the rod to add in some minor movements. Don’t jig this setup, and if the fishing is really tough, you can just let it sit there so the fish grab it when they’re ready.

Shaky head rigs are great to try in rocky areas, along points, or next to brush edges. To set up a shaky head rig, you’re going to need a shaky head jig in the 1/8 to 1/4 oz range, depending on the depth you’re fishing. Tie your jig onto your leader, and then pick a soft plastic.

Common soft plastics used with a shaky head rig include straight tail worms, slim trick-style worms, and compact creature worms, all in the 4 to 6 inch range. Take your soft plastic and attach it to the screw on the bottom side of your shaky head jig. Next, take the hook end and attach it to your soft plastic to create a weedless presentation.

To fish a shaky head, you’re going to want to cast it out and let it sink to the bottom. While maintaining bottom contact, slowly drag it along the bottom and shake the end of the rod to add some movement to the bait. Make sure to add in plenty of pauses, allowing the tail end of the plastic to stand up off the bottom.

Wacky rigs have been a tried and true method of finesse fishing for years in the bass fishing world. To set up a wacky rig, you’ll first start by tying a wacky hook in the 1/0 size range onto your leader. Soft plastics like stickbaits and finesse worms in the 4 to 5 inch range are going to be best with this rig. Take an o-ring and attach it to the midpoint of your soft plastic. Then, thread your hook under that o-ring.

To fish the wacky rig, you’re going to cast it out a short distance and just let it sink. Because this is most commonly a weightless presentation, it may take a bit to hit the bottom, making it a more common option in shallower water situations. Once you have contact with the bottom, add in occasional twitches in the rod to lift the bait up, and then let it naturally fall back down again.

The tokyo rig is a great finesse rig to use when you’re fishing offshore structure, hard bottoms, or areas with lots of brush. To set up your Tokyo rig, you’re going to need a tokyo rig hook. This hook is typically made with an EWG hook and a piece of wire with a weight on the bottom attached near the eye of the hook. In most cases, you’re going to want something in the 1/8 to 3/8 oz range.

As for plastics, you can use compact craws, small creature baits, or short straight tail worms, all in the 3 to 4 inch range. You’re going to take your soft plastic and hook it straight on, so that the head is right next to the eye of your hook. Then re-hook the point of the hook into the body of the soft plastic to make a weedless presentation.

To fish a tokyo rig, you’re going to want to toss it out along the edges of areas with lots of structure where bass are hiding. Let it sink down and then slowly drag it along the bottom. Mix in plenty of pauses, especially when very close to structure, as bass may ambush the rig for an easy meal. This is also a great rig to use to help your presentation hover above debris.

Hover strolling is another great finesse rig, especially when fished in clear water or when you know bass are suspended. To set it up, you’re going to get a 1/16 to 1/8 oz hover style jig and tie it to your leader. Then pick a soft plastic, with common options being a minnow-style, fluke-style, or even micro swimbaits, all in the 3 to 4 inch range. Once you pick your soft plastic, you’ll thread the hook straight through and have the point of the hook come out the middle of the body.

To fish a hover strolling rig, you’re going to cast it a long way out there, let it sink to the level the bass are submerged at, and then do a slow retrieve back to you.

You don’t want to go fast with this, just fast enough so that the bait is maintaining a consistent level in the water, not sinking or rising. You can add in the occasional micro twitch in the rod as well to help trigger potential strikes.