Texas Rig

The Texas rig is the workhorse of bass fishing. Because the hook point is tucked back into the plastic, you can drag it through milfoil, lily pads, laydowns and dock pilings — places where largemouth live and most lures die. It fishes a worm, craw, creature bait or stick bait, and it works from Lake Erie's smallmouth flats to a farm pond in the Eastern Townships.

What you need

• Bullet weight1/8–1/2 oz tungsten or lead (1/4 oz is the all-rounder)
• Bobber stop or peg (optional)Rubber peg to fix the weight against the plastic when flipping cover
• Offset worm hook3/0–4/0 EWG or straight-shank offset, matched to plastic size
• Soft plastic6–7" ribbon-tail worm, creature bait, craw or 5" stick bait
• Line12–17 lb fluorocarbon, or 30–50 lb braid with a fluoro leader in heavy cover

How to tie the texas rig

1. Slide the bullet weight onto your main line, pointed end toward the rod tip. Add a peg or bobber stop above it if you plan to flip heavy cover.
2. Tie on the offset hook with a Palomar knot. Wet the line before cinching.
3. Insert the hook point into the nose of the plastic about 1/4 inch, then bring the point out the side.
4. Slide the plastic up the shank and over the hook eye so the head sits on the offset bend.
5. Lay the hook against the plastic to see where the point should enter, then push the point through the body so it comes out the top — or just under the skin ("Tex-posed") for better hookups in lighter cover.
6. Straighten the plastic so it hangs true. A twisted worm will spin and twist your line.

How to fish it

Cast to cover, let it fall on a semi-slack line and watch the line for a tick or sideways movement — most bites come on the fall. Then hop or drag it back with the rod, reeling only to pick up slack. When you feel weight, reel down and set hard.

Tips

• Tungsten weights are smaller and more sensitive than lead for the same weight; worth it once you fish it regularly.
• Peg the weight in thick cover so the weight and plastic stay together through the punch.
• Go lighter (1/8 oz) in spring and in clear northern lakes; go heavy (3/8–1/2 oz) for deep grass and punching.

Common mistakes

• Hook point buried too deep in thick plastic — the point has to clear the plastic on the hook set.
• Setting the hook on the first tap. Let the fish load up, then swing.
• Using a hook too small for the plastic; the gap should clear the body.

FAQ

What size weight for a Texas rig?

1/4 oz covers most situations. Use 1/8 oz for shallow, clear water and finicky fish; 3/8–1/2 oz for deep weed edges or punching thick mats.

Braid or fluorocarbon for a Texas rig?

Fluorocarbon (12–17 lb) in open water and sparse cover; braid (30–50 lb) with or without a leader in heavy grass and wood where you need to winch fish out.