How-To Rig a Texas Rig - A Fundamental Bass Fishing Tactic

An exceptionally weedless and powerfully versatile setup, the Texas Rig has been taking fish on a ride over boat’s rails for decades. When rigged correctly, it is one of the most efficient ways to fish nearly any soft plastic in vegetation-choked water without fear of getting snagged. Whether it’s a finesse rig, heavy duty flippin’ rig, or something in between, you can customize the Texas Rig and outfit it to suit your specific conditions.

To get started constructing your own Texas Rig you will need a hook, a weight, a peg if necessary, and a soft plastic bait. Keep scrolling for step-by-step instructions!

What's Needed:

-Hook (Either an Offset Worm Hook or Straight Shank Worm Hook)
-Weight (Either a Worm Weight or Flipping Weight)
-Punch Stops
-Soft Bait

The first step when building out your Texas Rig is to consider the fishing conditions you will be faced with. If you will be targeting fish concealed in heavy cover, it is best to add a peg or bobber stop which will keep your weight pinned close to your bait and help pull it through dense vegetation more efficiently. If you will be fishing open water or navigating sparse cover, this step is not necessary, and you can leave your weight free to slide up and down your line which imparts a more natural action to your presentation.

After the peg is added to your line, it is time to thread on your weight. Most anglers will opt for a lead or tungsten bullet weight anywhere from 1/8 to 1-1/2oz depending on the severity of your water’s vegetation. Tungsten is more compact and provides increased sensitivity, however lead’s more budget friendly pricing can sometimes outweigh tungsten’s benefits.

From here it is time to tie on your hook using your preferred connection knot, such as the Palomar Knot. Hook selection will vary based on the soft plastic trailer you intend to use. An Offset Round Bend Hook is best paired with finesse worms and other slim profiled baits, while an EWG style hook should be utilized if fishing with magnum worms, creature baits, and other thick bodied lures. Lastly, if you are faced with heavy cover or thick matted vegetation, it is best to tie on a Heavy Wire Straight Shank Hook that is better suited for yanking grumpy bass entrenched in your lake’s underwater jungles.

Lastly, we need to add your favorite soft plastic bait to the equation. The Texas Rig is known for its extreme versatility, allowing anglers to hook up nearly any soft plastic bait in their entire arsenal with weedless efficiency. Run your hook’s point through the base of your bait and bring the point back out about 1/4 of an inch on the underside of the lure. Thread the entirety of the hook through the base of your plastic and then rotate the hook 180-degrees once your bait reaches the eye of the hook. Next, line up the shank of the hook along the body of your worm, creature bait, or otherwise, to determine where the hook point needs to pass through the body. If using an Offset Hook, you will guide the hook’s point through the body and then straighten your bait until the point lays flush against the plastic. Lastly, you will then ‘Texpose’ your hook by burying just the point slightly under the body for a completely snagfree approach. If using a Straight Shank Hook, you will stop just short of passing the hook point through the body, rather leaving the point poised for penetration just underneath the top of your lure.

Incredibly easy and undeniably effective, the Texas Rig is a must-have skill for all anglers, whether they’re on the tournament circuit or headed out for their first trip. Grab your favorite soft plastic of just about any size or style and unleash this wildly productive rig anywhere you find water!