I was fishing for smallmouth bass on 4/13/23 on the Tennessee River in Florence, AL. The previous few days the ned bite was pretty good, and I caught a 5.13 lb. smallie on 4/10 and a 4.23 smallie on 4/12, both days using 2 3/4" slender finesse baits in muted colors on 1/10 oz. and 1/15 oz. finesse jigheads, in wind conditions around 5 mph. On 4/13, the wind was blowing from the east at 17 mph, making for more challenging lure presentations and line control. I put on a Lunkerhunt Hive Ned Drone in Goby color, texas-rigging it on a 1/6 oz. EWG ned-type jighead with the Ned Drone's pearl side up, for better visibility in 8 feet of water. After one hour, I had a strike from what turned out to be a gorgeous and egg-filled 3.68 smallie, landing her quickly, taking a photo, and returning her safely back to the water. I think the extra bulk and the more visible pearl-colored underside which I rigged to be the topside was the extra dimension that got that fish's attention.
