The Texas rig is the most commonly used rig in bass fishing, and rigging soft plastics this way gives the angler one major advantage, it’s weedless. That makes this type of rig great for fishing any kind of structure with a soft plastic bait.
Let’s talk about the terminal tackle needed to properly rig a Texas Rig; you’re going to need the following.
- Lead or tungsten bullet weights
- Wide gape/extra wide gape worm hook
- The soft plastic bait of choice such as a curly tail worm
Texas rigging a plastic worm or creature bait
Pretty much all soft plastics can be Texas rigged from curly and ribbon tail worms, shaky head worms, lizards, and even some swimbaits.
- Start by threading the hook point through the center of the tip of the worm and run it in until the straight section of the hook tip meets the curve of the wide gap.
- After you have put the hook point in far enough, bring it through and out of the body so that it is perfectly centered. Slide the hook all the way through to the tie on and turn the hook 180 degrees.
- After that, it’s as simple as inserting the tip back into the body of the soft plastic. Be sure to put it slightly farther back when pointing the hook point through and then pull the soft plastic back to ensure that it’s straight, and it’s also imperative that you have the hook point centered for the best action and presentation.
- When all those steps are complete, pierce the very tip of the hook so it’s just under the plastic, this ensures that it’s weedless and won’t snag, and you can fish it almost anywhere because it is a weedless bait.
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Texas Rig tackle – the best hooks, weights and other gear
Popular choices for hook size are:
- 3/0 straight shank hook for plastic lizards and plastic worms
- 4/0 straight shank hook for 7- to 8-inch plastic worms
- 5/0 straight shank hook for 10-inch or longer plastic worms
- 4/0 extra wide gap (EWG/offset hook) hook for beaver baits and craws; and 5/0 EWG (Extra Wide Gape) for bigger soft plastic baits.
The best size of bullet weight used in a Texas rig depends on the desired rate of fall, the depth of the fish and thickness of cover (plus casting distance can also be a consideration).
As general rule:
- Slow sinking, shallow water: 1/8oz bullet weight
- Up to 20 feet of water: 1/4 to 3/8oz bullet weight
- More than 20 feet of water or dense or matted vegetation: 1/2oz bullet weight
Fishing a Texas Rig: bass fishing pro tips
Texas rigs work great just about anywhere and really excel when fished in and around cover. Throw a Texas rig around docks, brush, heavy cover, weeds and other fish-holding areas, and hang on.
Make sure you stay in contact with the bait during your retrieve and once you find active fish, don’t be afraid to mix it up – try a steady glide, then a few hops with the rod tip and letting it fall. Eventually you’ll work out what the fish want.
You can also twitch the Texas Rig or pop it like you would a jig, it’s very easy to use and the fish absolutely love them.
The Texas rig can also work great from spring to fall in various sections of the water column (as discussed, use a heavier weight to get down into deeper water) and can be fished with pretty much any soft plastic lure.
It is a great technique to have in your bass fishing arsenal.
