asp.net-mvc - jqGrid trigger("reloadGrid") in ASP.NET MVC not firing

Question

I'm not sure how to use trigger("reloadGrid") to refresh a jqGrid. I've tried many things, but none of them will get trigger to fire. I have a grid I created through ASP.NET using the MVC DLL from jqGrid.

Now I'm attempting to change the grid onload of the page.

$(document).ready(function() {
    $('#myGrid').setGridParam({rowNum: 20}).trigger("reloadGrid");
}

The trigger does nothing; however if I click the reload grid icon on the grid itself then my new rowNum setting is applied. How do I force the grid to auto-refresh (or more accurately "display") the settings I apply to it?