Pond bass haven't seen this yet

(the rig that shines after the spawn)

Author

Keith Lusher
April 15, 2026

Hey, Keith here.

One of the toughest parts of pond fishing happens right after the spawn, when bass disappear from the shallows. 

They usually don't go far.

This month, bass move out a little deeper, often right beyond casting distance of most bank presentations.

That's exactly what I ran into this past weekend at one of my neighborhood ponds.

I needed something that could reach those fish, something a little subtler than my standard Texas-rigged Sensei Worm.

That's when I picked up a rig that's been quietly gaining popularity lately: the free rig.

Today, I want to show you why this simple setup might be one of the best ways to catch post-spawn pond bass.

BEST LINKS

What I looked at this week

Deals of the week

  • Sportsman's Warehouse took 54% off a pack of Strike King Ned Ocho stick baits for $2.97, down from $6.49. 

  • Academy has a roll of 15-pound P-Line Floroclear Fluorocarbon line reduced from $10.99 to $5.49.

  • Bass Pro Shops has an Abu Garcia STX spinning reel on sale for $29.97, regularly $49.99.

DEEP DIVE 

A freshwater twist on the Carolina rig

Growing up in southeast Louisiana, I am no stranger to a Carolina rig.

I often use it when fishing for speckled trout or redfish, but I never use it for bass. 

One of the biggest benefits of the Carolina rig is that the weight isn't pegged directly to the nose of the bait. Instead it stops at the swivel, allowing the bait to move more naturally behind it.

This past weekend, I tried what feels like the freshwater version of that concept. It's called the free rig, and I used it while targeting post-spawn bass in my neighborhood pond.

Down here in Louisiana, most bass have finished spawning and moved out of the shallows. This transition period can make them harder to reach from the bank.

I knew the fish weren't far from the shoreline, but they had pulled back just past the drop-off, about 20 feet out.

That's where the free rig really shines.

I tied on a simple 1/16-ounce teardrop drop-shot weight and rigged a 2.8-inch Deadly Ned made by Zero Trace Baits.

I used this Pungent Pink Deadly Ned on a bank sinker with a worm hook to fish a neighborhood pond.

I chose a vibrant pink color because I like to keep some red, pink, or orange in my baits when crawfish are active this time of year.

What makes the free rig unique is how naturally the bait falls.

Unlike a Texas rig where the bullet weight stays tight to the bait, the free rig allows the weight to hit bottom first while the lure glides down behind it.

That separation creates a subtle movement pond bass don't see very often.

I started covering water along the bank, casting toward the middle of the pond and slowly working the bait back toward shore.

The key was fishing it slow. Every time I lifted the rod tip, I allowed the lure to fall naturally back toward the bottom.

That may be why most of the bites happened on the fall.

On the first fish, I never actually felt the strike. I just saw my line slowly move to the left. I reeled down, took up the slack, and set the hook.

The bass came straight to the surface and jumped before I horsed it onto the bank.

As I continued working down the shoreline, the pattern repeated itself.

By the end of the trip, I caught five more bass ranging from one to two pounds—the biggest weighing just under three pounds.

For a post-spawn pond bite, that's a productive afternoon from the bank.

The biggest takeaway is this: The free rig lets your bait fall naturally into deeper water just outside the shallows where bass often move after spawning.

This 2.8-pound bass fell for the free rig under a patch of lily pads.

How it compares to other rigs

One reason the free rig is gaining popularity is that it blends the strengths of several proven bass rigs while removing some of their limitations for bank anglers.

Texas rig

A Texas rig keeps the weight fixed directly against the bait, which makes it excellent for pitching cover but limits how naturally the bait falls. The free rig allows the bait to separate from the weight on the fall, creating a more natural presentation that pressured pond bass don't see as often.

Carolina rig

A Carolina rig separates the bait far behind the weight using a longer leader. That works well in open water, but the long leader can make casting and controlling the bait more difficult from the bank. The free rig keeps the bait closer to the weight, giving anglers more accuracy while still providing natural movement.

Wacky rig

A wacky rig produces a slow fall that bass love, but the exposed hook can easily snag around grass, brush, or wood cover commonly found in ponds. The free rig produces a similar finesse-style fall while remaining weedless, allowing you to fish confidently around cover.

As the bank sinker slides down the line it allows the lure to fall slowly. 

3 baits that work great on a free rig

Creature baits

Creature baits imitate crawfish well, which makes them especially effective during spring and early summer. Their appendages also create extra movement as the bait falls behind the weight. When using a creature bait on the free rig I like to use a Yum Craw Chunk in the Black Shadow color. 

Stick worms

Stick baits like the 6th Sense Bamboosa glide naturally and maintain subtle action even when fished slowly. They're a simple but effective option when bass are pressured.

Straight tail worms

Straight worms create a smooth, natural fall and are excellent when bass want a finesse presentation. These are great for clear ponds where fish have more time to inspect the bait.

Look for baits with flatter surfaces that help the lure glide instead of spinning on the fall. I like Zoom’s 6" Trick Worm in any orange or red in the spring. 

Pro tip: Try floating plastics

One small adjustment that can make the free rig even more effective is using floating soft plastic like Missile Baits’ Ned Bomb. 

Some plastics naturally float when the weight is resting on the bottom. When you pause the bait, the lure slowly rises off the bottom before settling back down when you move the rig again.

That subtle up-and-down movement mimics a feeding baitfish or defensive crawfish and can trigger strikes from bass that ignore other presentations.