The Texas rig for bass continues to be the best match for a variety of soft plastic baits including plastic worms, creature and beaver baits, tubes, craws and Senkos. The Texas Rig is a tried-and-true system for fishing soft-plastic baits such as worms, lizards, tubes and creature baits. This Texas rig setup closely mimics what bass are seeing in the water, and as a result, it works the best. Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series Squirmin' Worm, XPS Signature Series Fluorocarbon Fishing Line, Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Baitcast Combo, Bass Pro Shops Power Plus Graphite Trigger Rod, Bass Pro Shops XPS Bionic Blade Casting Rods, Bass Pro Shops Bionic Plus Low-Profile Baitcast Reel, Bass Pro Shops MegaCast Metal Round Baitcast Reel, Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris CarbonLite 2.0 Baitcast Reel, On the Hunt for GIANT Bears in North Carolina (podcast), State Fishing, Hunting & Camping Regulations Map, 8 Steps to Prepare & Store Your Guns in a Gun Safe, Cabela's Pellet Grill Beef Brisket Recipe, How to Rig a Wacky-Rigger Worm on a Drop Shot, Dependable Early Spring Crankbaits for All Game Fish (video). It’s essentially a toss between a Neko rig and a Texas rig because it’s weedless. There are a couple of things to note when adding weight to your rig. Let it sink to the bottom (this is where the additional weight comes in handy). Things such as line size, weight, no weight, weight shape, bait selection, and hook selection, will all come into play. The weight can be left to run free on the leader or pinned in place to cover the took of the hook and lure. Typically when rigging decoys up with weights and string. The Texas rig is one of the most popular bass rigs, and you can fish a wide assortment of soft plastics this way. Gamakatsu EWG Worm Hook. Follow these tips and tricks to expand your soft plastic attack this fishing season with this versatile, effective rig. The Texas Rig is easily one of the most weedless rigs you can use. Once the hook is mostly through the bait you are ready for the next step. The time was, not too long ago, that I could go out on my favorite lake with a bag of 4-inch worms, 1/0 hooks and 1/16-ounce slip sinkers and get bites pretty much all day. This particularly excels when fishing cover or grass — stopping the weight from sliding up the line — allowing the bait to penetrate the covered surface. Texas rigs excel around brush, weeds, and rock, and can be fished many different ways. Go with monofilament or fluorocarbon line between 6-8 pounds. I throw this setup on occasion during winter months with good success; it offers a different profile and rate of fall than a Jig-N-Craw. A lot will depend on the day and where you are, and what species you are targeting. Probably the most common method of rigging a plastic bait and the most familiar to fishermen is the Texas Rig. to rig and fish the Texas Rig please Click Here Fishing Weights (Sinkers) Fishing weights (sinkers) are made from two basic materials lead and steel. Choosing the right weight for a specific Texas-rig application can be simplified by four simple considerations: Rate of fall, depth of the fish, vegetation or cover density and — most importantly — the wind. The weights are used to help you position your bait in deeper cover quickly. Once you reach the point where you have pushed the hook through the worm up to the offset on the shaft you need to turn the lure. You’ll use this weedless rig to help cast into heavy cover without bringing back a ton of vegetation into your boat. Cover. It has probably caught more bass than any other fishing rig. The basic Texas rig with its weight nudging up against the soft plastic lure is most effective when presented to a specific target such as shallow vegetation, flooded bushes and other types of cover. Insert the barb into the nose of your worm, lizard, creature or craw and push it about a 1/2 inch into the bait, then exit the body. Push it all the way through, then back it off so that the hook point lies just beneath the surface of your bait. Search out areas of cover close to the bank and fire your lure out beyond that point. The Texas Rig is a very weedless presentation that can be fished anywhere which makes it a favorite among bass anglers. It is really important that your worm or paddle tail lure is straight and fully extended. The two types of sinkers are: attached on the line by pinching, twisted on using rubber insert or tied directly to your line (Bottom Bouncers / Bead Chain Sinkers). He started using Texas rigs with 6-ounce egg sinkers about 10 to 15 years ago, but found the wind and abundant floating wild celery on the Mississippi often pulled the blocks. Slide this up the line out of the way for the moment. And for a general purpose Texas Rigged worm rod, this is true. It is a quick and simple technique to fish one of the most productive bass lures; the plastic worm. If you click on a link on this page we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you |, Texas Rig – How To Guide For The Perfect Set Up, Trout Hooks – Best Hooks for Trout Fishing – Hook Size for Trout. Slide the body over the eye of the hook, turn the hook 180 degrees, and re-insert the point. When you have everything set up and positioned pierce the plastic lure with the hook and push it into the body slightly to protect the tip. We hope you enjoy our fishing, boating, hunting and camping videos, tips, and news and…. https://www.wired2fish.com/tackle-tips/the-texas-rig-how-to-rig The Texas rig is the most important soft plastic rig a bass fisherman can learn. Reel. Once the point is hidden beneath the surface, the Texas Rig is called "weedless" or "skin-hooked". However, the lines would easily tangle due to the string not being a stiff construction. That is so 20th Century. But there are times, such as when fishing in thick cover, when it is advantageous to prevent the sinker from sliding freely and getting hung up. Step 1: Texas Rig setup The weight can be left to run free on the leader or pinned in place to cover the took of the hook and lure. Rate of fall, depth of the fish and thickness of cover dictate the weight of your sinker for Texas-rigging. The Texas rig is quite old. Here’s how they build the ultimate Texas rig. We prefer to pin the weight in place with a small peg. All rights reserved. Most of the time you will be fishing a Senko worm or similar on an offset hook with a small bullet weight to get down to your target fish. This rig allows you to fish a worm or other soft plastic shape snagless to get it into hard-to-fish pieces of cover like grass, laydown trees, standing timber, brush piles, rocks, bushes, man-made docks and more. Rigging Up a Texas Rig. Adding those thing to the right fishing rod and real for the occasion is the formula for success. Adding those thing to the right fishing rod and real for the occasion is the formula for success. The Texas Rig is a technique used for fishing soft plastic lures. Notice the hook tip is pushed into the bait and the gape of the hook is below the baits. This setup is great for fishing around weed beds and mirky water where you cant see the snags or underwater obstructions like fallen trees or submerged rocks, making it a firm favorite with anglers all over the world. Once you’ve done that, you’ll notice that you have a weight and a soft plastic rigged. Basic Texas Rig Set Up Texas rig fishing is very versatile and can be done on light line with light rods or heavy braided line and stiffer rods. The last two steps are really important so take you time here. Texas Rig Decoy Rigs : If you typically hunt ducks and geese over shallow water you’ll want to know what is the best Texas rig decoy setup. Texas Rigs tend to weigh around 1/32 to 2 ounces. This allows for great presentation and mimmics natural prey. You’ll rig the sinker about six inches up from the hook and then hook your favorite soft plastic to the end Texas or Carolina rig/mojo rig style depending on where you’re fishing. Texas Rig Decoy Rigs : If you typically hunt ducks and geese over shallow water you’ll want to know what is the best Texas rig decoy setup. Getting the correct weight for a Texas Rig requires four different components: wind, vegetation (cover density), depth of fish, and rate of fall. You’ll set this up by taking the hook and turning it … Be careful not to pull too much or too aggressively in case you pull the hook all the way through the worm or tear the rubber lure. Once the cold fronts come in, you can also use a Texas rig. Bass Pro Shops Fishing Line (10- to 17-pound test), Fishing Rods and Combos (6- to 7-foot Medium-Heavy or Heavy Baitcast Rod), The Bass Pro Shops 1Source site has a goal to provide outdoor industry content that is informational, tells where-to and how-to, presents views and opinions from outdoor writers as well as fishing and hunting professionals including many recreational and industry experts. Now it gets a bit tricky so take your time at this point. When the fish attacks, it’s usually tail first, with a sharp bite down on the swimbait, which exposes the hook. How to rig it? The Texas rig is the all-terrain vehicle of bass fishing, you can throw the Texas rig at any time, any place and any situation. The Texas Rig is a technique used for fishing soft plastic lures. Anglers choice here is to use the lightest weight possible but make sure you can still feel the lure or soft plastic as its dances along the bottom of the lake bed. You can fish it through just about any type of cover without it getting hung up. Very good for bass fishing. They are inexpensive but no pointing in waisting them unless it’s because a huge fish has torn them apart…. Consider how thick and how much cover there is when deciding between a Carolina and a Texas rig. Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Brandon Lester and Bradley Roy have done just that. It also seems to be better for windy conditions. First up lets look at what you need to put texas rigs together. Here are a few quick points about getting the Texas rig right. Heavier weights will help move the bait quicker down the water column but this can cause an issue if you are fishing in heavily weeded areas where you wait the bait to glide over the top of the weeds and not get embedded or buried in the weeds. Each chooses certain components — from reel to lure — that work together to ensure they have the best shot at catching every bass that bites. Rigging a Texas Rig is not very difficult at all. As mentioned we prefer using wide gap hooks with a kicked shank. If you are using a paddle tail you can start your retrieve. It was coming to use some lead mushroom weights and heavy-duty string that could be wound around each decoy’s keel. Be sure to size your weight, hook and bait … Anytime you need a weedless, natural-looking bait worked slowly. How To Rig A Texas Rig. We prefer to pin the weight in place with a small peg. Really the best way to sum it up is you are fishing a plastic bait as normal, but are protecting the hook point from catching on everything, making it snagless. The Texas rig setup leaves us with a few factors to consider before rigging. The term texas rig originated from Nick Créme of Créme manufacturing in the USA who is credited with creating the first plastic worms for fishing. The slip sinker will slide freely when the Texas rig is set up as described above. Lets break these decisions down a little bit more in the sections to follow. Slide a worm weight onto your line and tie on the worm fishing hook of your choice. Straight shank hooks can also be used but these work best for us and allow for better presentation. If you ask 10 anglers what is the best Texas Rig rod, nine will say a medium heavy. Is it just my observation, or is the Texas rig going the way of flip phones and road maps? This holds everything snug and lets the eye of the hook and the know up into the cone shape of the bullet weight. One of the most common rigs, especially for bass, is the Texas rig setup. So let’s try and figure out which rod is best for Texas Rigged soft plastic baits. Historically, the term “Texas rig” or “Texas rigging” is used when rigging a soft-plastic bait weedlessly, and it is commonly paired with a bullet or nose weight in front of the hook. This occurs when the sinker and line slide over some object and the worm remains on the back side of it. Texas Rig. It's really simple to master! “So a friend of mine, Seth, and I made our own Texas-style rigs,” he said. The Texas rig is a great setup for anglers of all categories of skill. With any Texas-rig setup, you need to start with a bullet-shape slip sinker or nose weight placed on the line in front of the knot and hook. Texas rigs have especially fallen out of favor in finesse fishing circles. Typically when rigging decoys up with weights and string. Texas Rig Weights: What weight should a Texas Rig Be? A 1/8-ounce weight is best for creating a slow-falling lure in shallow water. Simple to setup and a great way to present your bait to hungry fish. Slide the point of the hook into the very tip of the lure with the tail pointing away from the hook tip. Grab an offset hook, plastic lure, weight, glass bead (this last one is optional), and, of course, a line. Most instances where a glass bead is mentioned with a Texas Rig are Brass-N-Glass when using a Craw Worm during either off colored water or cold water situations. In this article I’m going to show you how to fish the Texas Rig. Basic Texas Rig Set Up Texas rig fishing is very versatile and can be done on light line with light rods or heavy braided line and stiffer rods. Rigged like this, the worm will slip through weeds without getting snagged, but it … The Texas rig can be a great setup for anglers of all skill levels. 62 TEXAS FISHING 2013 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE 63 The Carolina rig is generally more effective in deeper water and is a good setup for novice anglers. The Texas Rig is a very weedless presentation that can be fished anywhere which makes it a favorite among bass anglers. Learn how to tie other popular bass fishing rigs, including the Drop Shot Rig. In this example we have a paddle tail lure as they work best in the water we fish in, but you can use rubber worms or Senko’s if that works for you. We drilled them out and used a 100-pound mono.” I love fishing the Texas Rig. Today, it’s all about drop shots, Neko rigs, shaky heads and wacky jigs. This holds everything snug and lets the eye of the hook and the know up into the cone shape of the bullet weight. The rigging process is quite simple. How to Setup a Texas Rig; Lake Fork Trophy Bass Fishing with Pro Guide James Caldemeyer. To Texas rig a soft-plastic bait, insert the point of the hook into the center of the tip of the bait and bring the point out the bottom of the bait about one quarter of an inch from the tip of the bait. In your Texas Rig set up, you have to begin with a nose weight or bullet-shape sinker in front of the hook and the line. When you are fully rigged up and ready to go its time to hit the water. This rig is actually the creation of Gary Yamamoto, who created and designed the Senko worm and other bait varieties. This gives a streamlined appearance because the weight sits flush with the end of the worm or lure. Though many anglers rig their worms “Texas Style” without a weight while using the weedless feature of the rig. You can allow the worm weight to slide freely to hold onto a light bite, peg it for better control in heavy cover, or fish the rig weightless. Probably the most common method of rigging a plastic bait and the most familiar to fishermen is the Texas Rig. Now that you have the hook tip inserted you want to spin your bait 90 degrees towards the mouth of the hook. The common weights used for Texas rigging can range from 1/32 ounce up to 2 ounces. (Note: some baits are completely round and won’t have a top or bottom side, with these baits the exit point does not matter.) The Texas rig setup leaves us with a few factors to consider before rigging. This results in lightning fast, big bites all day long. Following the tips and tricks mentioned above will expand the range of attack you will possess come fishing season. Bass Fishing most used rig. Anyone who has ever fished plastic worms or baits will hopefully be familiar with the Texas Rig. 5 Soft Plastic Bass Fishing Rigs It also allows us to fish weedless setups and lets us cover more ground that a normal rig would get snagged in. It was coming to use some lead mushroom weights and heavy-duty string that could be wound around each decoy’s keel. It is an advancement on his original designs and this is where the ‘tucked hook into the bait’ changes came from. Traditionally, a Texas Rig is weighted. A Texas rig is a simple setup, but there are ways to build this mousetrap better. Texas Rig. It involves a bullet weight being threaded onto the line first followed by an optional glass or plastic bead, and then the line is secured to a hook, usually an offset worm hook. You only want to push it in about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch or so – but this depends on the lure you are using and the hook size. So … You want the bait to cover this section of the hook but sit flush when finished. There are a few things to consider when selecting the right bullet weight for your Texas rig setup. All pages © 2012 – 2020 BPS Direct, L.L.C. 3. This rig is weedless, and the hook is poised to penetrate. You may also want a weight stopper on your line depending on what kind of conditions you’re fishing. It performs best in shallow to moderate depths. Sinkers in the 1/4-, 5/16- and 3/8-ounce sizes are best for fishing sparse cover or brush piles less than 20 feet deep. Texas rigs have especially fallen out of favor in finesse fishing circles. Determining when to use a Carolina rig or a Texas rig often comes down to a matter of speed. The compact, weedless setup allows anglers to slowly work their baits through the cover or even deadstick it to coax lethargic bass into biting. The first thing you need to do is add the bullet weight to your leader. When you have pushed the lure all the way up the hook shaft and twisted the soft plastic to line everything up, lay the look flat over the lure to gauge where you want to insert the tip of the hook into the body. Main line 5 soft plastic rig a bass fisherman can learn your choice and allow for better presentation of categories... 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