I can't catch a fish on the Ned rig to save my life. I have tried it a few different times. Not a single bite.
I love the shaky head setup. It usually catches me fish whenever I throw it.
With that said, I tried it for a short time Saturday during a tourney and had no bites.
What did catch me my fish was a 4 inch weightless Senko style worm fished in 2 feet of water or less.
I had 4 bites. Landed 3 of them for a 2nd place finish.
The weights weren't big, but a top finish is still a top finish
Sounds like Ned saved your day and you had lots of fun after all of the issues leading up to getting there. Good for you