Smallmouth live on CURRENT SEAMS: ledge edges, boulder shadows, grass-line breaks. Cast up-current of the seam, let the Ned reach bottom, and do almost nothing — drag 6", deadstick 3 seconds, hop once. The TRD's tail stands up and waves; overworking it is the only mistake.
WADING
Susquehanna ledge rock is greased glass. G10 boots, wading staff, never trust brown water.
RIG FIELD GUIDE v3.0 · FRESH · SMALLMOUTH30 / 38
Susquehanna Ned & Tube — How-To
FRESH / R4
SPEC
RIG
R4: Mojo Bass 7'1" M/F · Tatula LT 3000
LINE
10 lb braid > 18-24" of 8 lb fluoro
NED
Z-Man TRD + mushroom 1/10-1/6 oz
TUBE
3.5" + insert head 1/8-1/4 oz
ALSO
Whopper Plopper 90 dawn · jerkbait cold
WHERE
Ledges, seams, boulder fields
WHEN
Peak late summer-fall · any warm month
RIGGING SEQUENCE
1FG the 10 lb braid to 8 lb fluoro.
2NSL to the head — Ned and tube both.
3TRD threads straight on the mushroom; tube head inserts THROUGH the body, eye pops out the top (p11 straightness rule).
FISHING IT
1Ned: drag-deadstick-hop. Strikes feel like the bait 'got heavy' — reel tight, sweep.
2Tube: hop it harder; the spiral fall trips reaction bites.
3Topwater: first + last light over the same seams, walk it steady.
KEYS
The Ned catches numbers AND the kicker — resist the urge to upsize all day. Z-Man plastics never share a bag with Gulp or standard plastics (they melt each other — F2 keeps them binned separately). River bass over 20" are old fish: quick photo, straight back.