Learning how to tie a Texas rig is key for bass fishing success. The Texas rig was one of the first things I learned to do in bass fishing and is still one of my most productive to this day.
How to Tie a Texas Rig
I really like the Palomar knot for this rig. One thing to note is that you need to make sure that you put your weight on first and run your line through the nose of the weight to make this bait come through the cover.
Texas Rig Weights
The bullet weight, or worm weight, is always the weight you want to use for the Texas rig. How heavy a weight you use is determined by the cover, water depth, and weather conditions you are fishing in.
For example, when I am fishing in heavy wood or brush piles, I try to use as light of a weight as I can get away with. Sometimes this is only a 1/8th of an ounce. I typically go up from there depending on the depth and the wind.
Most of the time you will try to fish with as little weight as possible to keep from getting snagged a lot. Sometimes it pays to go heavy if the faster-falling bait is triggering a reaction strike. This can be the deal when ledge fishing or fishing deep docks. Just know that the heavier the weight the more you will get snagged.
If I was going to get my feet wet with Texas rig fishing, I would go with a 3/16 oz or ¼ ox weight. If you are fishing deep then you may jump up to a ⅜ or ½ oz. This is where the tungsten weights really shine because they are so much denser and that means more compact.
With the lighter weights when you are starting out I would just grab some lead weights. They are much cheaper and more forgiving on your line.
The video above shows how to tie a Texas rig and how to rig a soft plastic on it. This same principle applies to anything from stick baits, to craws, to creature baits, to ribbon tail worms.
Hooks to Use for Texas Rig Fishing
I like the wide gap hook for creature baits and craw bait and the offset round bend hooks for ribbon tail and straight tail worms.
Why Fish a Texas Rig
I fish the Texas rig because it works. It is so versatile and you can switch out colors and bait types so fast. As I mentioned above, there are a ton of different styles of soft plastic baits to choose from. My favorite is probably still the worm.
If you are fishing in heavy cover the worm can get frustrating if the tail starts wrapping around branches or stick-ups. The worm seems to shine in the summer as the long skinny profile seems to shine.
Don’t get me wrong, the creatures, beavers, and craws have their place and time.
Another cool thing about tying on a Texas rig is that you are able to match the hatch with both color and size. I Texas rig everything from 10’ worms to little ned craws and everything in-between. It all works.
Once you get how to tie a Texas rig down you can do it super fast and be very efficient on the water.
Texas Rig Tip
When you are fishing the Texas rig most of the time you will be making contact with cover. It doesn’t matter if you are swimming a swimbait through the grass, or dragging a worm through a brush pile, you will fray your line.
To keep from getting your heart broken when a big fish breaks you off, check your line by running your fingers up and down periodically. If you feel a damaged rough spot it is time to cut off the section and re-tie.
Also, don’t forget to bury the tip of your hook back into the body of the plastic bait just a little to make your Texas rig much more weedless.
How to Rig a Texas Rig Final Thoughts
The Texas rig can be super fun to fish. Don’t be afraid to fish it in heavy cover as that is where it’s weedless properties shine. When you do get hung up, give your line a couple of pops to see if you can use the weight to knock it off of the snag.
If that doesn’t work don’t flex your rod to try to pull it out of the snag, instead, point your rod at the snag and pull straight back. This can sometimes pull you out of the snag and if it does it will keep you from getting hit by a bait flying at 100 mph towards you. This can also break your line without putting undue strain on your rod.
My final advice is to grab some bullet weights and some wide gap or offset worm hooks and get out and give it a go. The soft plastics you use depend on you and what the fish are eating where you are at.
For ribbon-tailed worm, tactics go here.
To your fishing success,
Jonathan Burke