Texas Rig 101 – Everything You Need to Know
The texas rig is a super universal weedless setup. It is a rig that most anglers start with when getting into bass fishing. A texas rig is very simple, it is a soft plastic that is hooked through the head of the bait then back through the body. Most anglers will skin hook the point so it is weedless. You can add a weight or go weightless. It’s a great rig to flip, pitch, and punch with. Again it is a super universal that will work everywhere. If you have been struggling to get fish in the boat or to shore then it is time you try the texas rig.
If you have kids and you want to go out to a local pond then the texas rig is the perfect setup for you. The true benefit of a texas rig is how weedless it is. This rig will significantly cut down on the amount of times you get hung up or have to pull grass or weeds off your hook.
Best Texas Rig Baits
With a texas rig you can use any of your favorite soft plastics. Below I will give you a handful of my favorite baits to texas rig. I broke it down into two categories: worms, and creature/craws. The baits at the top are more finesse baits and the baits on the bottom are more power fishing baits.
Texas Rig Worms
Texas Rig Creatures & Craws
Texas Rig Weights & Pegs
Weights
For a texas rig you are going to want a bullet style weight. I always recommend tungsten over lead because its more compact and transfers feel better. I like to use Vike Flippin Weights, they are really reasonably priced for tungsten weights.
The weight size you use for a texas rig will depend on a couple factors. The two main factors are water depth and how thick the cover is that you are targeting. A 1/8 oz weight is ideal for shallow open water. My most used size is 1/4 oz, this size is good up to 15-20ft and light cover. A 1/2 oz weight will handle fairly thick cover and depths over 20ft. For punching heavy mats 1 to 2 oz might be needed.
Pegs
Pegging a texas rig is adding a bobber stop to your line and pinning the weight to the bait. There are advantages and disadvantages when it comes to pegging a texas rig. An unpegged weight will slide up your line and sink faster than the bait. This allows your bait sink slower and more natural. The disadvantage of this is your weight and bait can travel different paths around cover and get hung up more. Now a pegged weight has the advantage of being able to get your bait through thick cover and to the bottom. The disadvantage is your bait will fall fast when not in thick cover. If you are flipping into heavy cover then pegging is definitely recommended. In other situations going unpegged might be better. It really depends on your unique situation and the action you are looking to achieve. For pegs I use Peg X.
How to Fish a Texas Rig for Bass
It is extremely easy to fish a texas rig. All you really have to do is drag it across the bottom and reel up the slack. After reeling up the slack wait for a few seconds before repeating the process. If your line moves or tightens during the pause set the hook, a fish picked up your bait. When fishing a texas rig be patient and fish it slow.
With the texas rig being so weedless you can also throw it in light and heavy cover. You still work it the same way as open water. Slowly work it through the cover pausing every so often.