The Texas Rig

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The Texas rig has proved itself to be a great match for soft plastic baits. These baits include senkos, plastic worms, creature baits, and craws.

The rig is popular among fishermen because of its simple design and easy-to-use nature, enabling it to get into hard-to-fish pieces of cover like grass. The technique is simple to master. Here are some points that you need to consider.

Best Conditions for the Texas Rig

An effective strategy is to target bass where they live, but this strategy can fall flat if they’re hiding in the weeds. With the fish hiding in the weeds, you need to target them there. But it’s such a hassle to continuously clean your hooks and lures of grass and other plants after each catch This is where weedless lures come to the rescue.

Crucial to the success of a fishing expedition is the type of fishing gear you use. If you are looking to fish heavy cover, the chances of success lie heavily on the type of weedless lure you use. And when talking about weedless lures, nothing beats the Texas rig.

Rigging a soft plastic lure on the Texas rig creates streamlined and weedless bait that can work effectively in the thickest cover, tempting bait to bite.

How to Tie a Texas Rig

The Texas rig is one of the most versatile bass fishing rigs used on the water. The rig’s design enables it to work with virtually any hook style. Learning the following setup is useful for all anglers, as many other soft plastic rigs like the carolina rig feature a variation of this presentation.

Gather all the Gear

The following will help you in rigging this setup. Before you go about tying a Texas rig ensure that you have the following necessities.

  • Bullet-style weight
  • Extra Wide Gap (EWG) hook, or another hook style of your preference
  • Soft Plastic Lure
  • Bobber stopper or toothpick (optional)

Steps to Tie a Texas Rig

As mentioned before, the process of tying a Texas rig is a simple one. Follow these instructions to get a versatile presentation necessary to land the big fish.

  • The first step is to thread your bullet-style weight onto the main fishing line
  • Attach the EWG hook to the main line with the help of a Palomar knot. If you don’t know how to tie it, here is a quick and easy way:
    • Insert the tag end of the fishing line through the eyelet of the hook
    • Wrap the line back through the eyelet
    • Tie an overhand knot over the doubled fishing line
    • Pull the hook through the loop end of the fishing line
    • Don’t forget to moisten the freshly made knot, trim the excess tag end
  • Once done with the Palomar knot, pierce the top of your soft plastic lure while inserting the hook roughly 1/4 inches into the bait. This is generally at the bend of the hook; however you can vary according to the style of your hook.
  • Expose the hook point while sliding the bait along the shank to the eye of the hook
  • Rotate the soft plastic to ensure that the hook point is facing the underbody of the lure.
  • Thread the hook point through the bait once again, while keeping a straight profile for the lure.
  • You can bury the hook point in the soft plastic if you are looking for a weedless profile.

The tying also depends on the kind of processes you will use for the pitching. If you plan on flipping and pitching your Texas rig, you should consider pegging your bullet-style weight. By doing so you will be able to keep the weight secure in one place along the fishing line while casting.

The Texas rig is a great setup for anglers of all categories of skill. Following the tips and tricks mentioned above will expand the range of attack you will possess come fishing season.

Another crucial aspect that is important to the process of tying the Texas rig is the equipment. During the process of tying the Texas rig, you will notice that the hook is buried in the middle of the soft plastic bait. This means that the fishing rod you use has to have the power of pushing the point through the bait into the bass’s mouth.

There is a vast variety of bass fishing rods available today; many anglers prefer using Medium-Heavy action rods as they provide enough power for setting the hooks. This makes the rod perfect for Texas-rigged soft plastic.

Another consideration is the speed of the rod’s tip, as tip actions that move too fast hamper the casting distance. The length of the rod used for Texas rig fishing usually varies by angler as many experts encourage using the longest rod that feels comfortable. A rod that ranges from 6’-0” to 7’-6” provide the user with effective leverage when battling with big bass in and around the corner.

In addition to the aforementioned equipment, here are some other accessories that are an integral part of the setup.

The Perfect Setup

Now that we have selected our gear, it is time to get into the dynamics of the Texas rig.

Weights

The technique for bass fishing means that all weights are not created equal; let’s go over some styles of weights and how you can use them.

What Weight Type to Use

Now like the other equipment, the weight type you use depends on many external conditions. Bullet weights generally vary from 1/32 to 2 ounces or more. When choosing a type of bullet weight, these are the factors that you need to consider

  1. Fish Depth

It is not recommended to use a 1-ounce of weight and just plunge to the bottom. With the fish sitting just below the surface, it is ideal to use the smallest weight that you can get through any vegetation.

  1. Vegetation Density

The next thing that you need to look after is the density of the vegetation present. When fishing in thick vegetation, it is recommended to use a weight of more than one ounce.

  1. Wind Condition

All bass fishing lures are affected by the wind, and the case is no different with the Texas-rig. The stronger the wind the bigger the weight you require just so you have a bit more control over your cast.

The Debate for Sliding vs Fixed Rig

If you are looking for convenience and don’t want to complicate the setup, then a fixed rig is what you need. However, a sliding rig regardless of the complications and the requirement for special tools, is able to feel the take better than the other.

The use of the sliding rig is complicated because it requires a lot of additional tools such as pliers with a punch or more gear.

Hooks

Hooks are fishing equipment that don’t get the attention or love they deserve. A significant amount of thought and effort go into the lures or areas that bass angler’s target, but hooks are often overlooked.

These small pieces of high- carbon steel have different cover types suitable for different conditions depending mostly on the type of plastics you’ll be fishing. Here are some cover types that you need to be aware of.

Straight Shank

The straight shank hook slides easily through the cover. The straight shank hook does not come with a bend that gets in the way of the positive hookset. These hooks also prevent the soft plastic from sliding down the hook.

These are primarily used when you are looking to use your non-dominant hand to pull a line at an arms length of the reel. This is also known as flipping in the language of fishing.

Offset Shank

The offset shank has an offset bend which holds the soft plastic up on the hook. However, a drop of super glue is just as effective when it comes to preventing the soft plastic from sliding down and getting in the way of the hook.

The offset shank hook is used for fishing worms, creatures and some craws.

Extra Wide Gap

The EWG is excellent for thick plastics because it provides them with room for the soft plastic to get away. The problem of using these hooks is that the tip of the hook is directly in line with the eye of the hook. Setting the hook lowers the chances of penetration; this is why these hooks are only used when fishing for large bodied creatures.

Rubber Baits

With rubber baits users have the option of choosing from a variety of options. The lifelike nature of the rubber worm tempts the bass to hold on longer upon eating allowing the angler with enough time to set the hook.

When selecting rubber baits, the users are recommended to consider three factors: the type, size and color.

Rubber Bait Type

The style and type of rubber worm you choose depends on the action and profile of the bait. In the wide selection of shapes and soft plastics, some have ton of action while the others have no action at all.

The different varieties of rubber come in different shapes and sizes, tricking the bass and luring them to the bait.

Size and Color

If you are fishing in dark or strained water, you should prefer using a brighter colored worm. If you don’t have the worm in your fishing gear, you can add the color by mixing them. The bright colors are going to get the bass’s attention.

The smaller the size of the worm, the higher the bites you are going to get from below the sea. However, if you are looking to catch a bigger bass then you should look to fish a bigger worm.

How to Fish the Texas Rig

One of the simplest ways of fishing a Texas rig is by finding a weed line. The bass is a fish that likes to camouflage itself in the weeds giving itself an advantage in catching prey. However, with the use of Texas rig the bass becomes an easy prey especially in shallow waters.

The first part of the job is to rig your worm or other soft plastic with a 1/8th to 1/4th ounce sinker. Once you are done rigging, toss the lure into spots in the weed that look different from the rest. The absence of weeds in a weedy shoreline is an example of a spot that is different than the rest. Such areas are often bass bed in the spawning season.

Without getting too close lightly cast your worm into the whole. This is where not having too large a weight pays off, because too much weight results in commotion that is enough to spook the bass away. Too much weight can also result in an unnaturally fast fall.

There are times when the heavy weight is the right option, but when fishing in shallow waters, it is recommended to avoid excessive weight.

The slow tantalizing fall is a hard meal to resist for the bass.

If you are flipping heavy Texas rigged plastic worms in the weedy mats, then you are looking for a bigger catch. Upon hooking up with one you need a setup that has the power of getting the bass out of the heavy cover. A medium-medium heavy flipping rod is ideal as you can attach a lower gear ratio bait casting reel.

You can also use a braided fishing line, since the low stretch of the fishing line helps delivering a solid hook set. The low stretch of braided line powers the bass out of the lair. However, don’t forget to spool at least 30lbs braid if you are looking to work a Texas rig in heavy cover.