The Texas rig is one of those techniques that you simply need to know how to fish.
It is one of the all time classic bass rigs and in my personal opinion, is the absolute best bass rig.
And a very important part to effectively fishing a Texas rig is choosing the right soft plastic bait.
Here are the 5 best Texas rig baits for bass fishing.
Although this is a numbered list, don’t get caught up in where each bait ranks.
Each bait style here has it’s own unique time and place where it outperforms the others.
So pay closer attention to when to use each of these baits rather than the number next to them.
The bulky creature baits are primarily going to be flipping baits.
The extra bulk gives the baits more vibration and water displacement which helps draw the bass to them in thick brush or weeds.
A smaller or more subtle bait might go undetected. Or it might just be too small of disturbance to motivate the bass leave their hiding spot and to go after it.
Another time bulky creature baits shine is in muddy water.
For the same reason, you want your Texas rig to have more vibration and move more water so that the bass can hone in on it.
Anytime you see a guy flipping to cover or fishing coffee water, chances are that he’s throwing a bulky creature bait.
On the contrary, these skinnier creature baits are perfect for move open water fishing.
Scattered rocks, sand bottom, weed edges. These type of areas where you are covering more water is when you should rig up a skinny creature bait.
The slender profile and thinner appendages create much less water resistance.
This allows you to fish the Texas rig faster without it rising the surface or taking to long to glide back down to the bottom.
Also, as you probably guessed, clear to stained water is ideal for these baits.
The skinnier creature baits such as a lizard or brush hog tend to be a lot more realistic than big, bulky soft plastics.
This helps to trick bass into biting even when they get a good look at the Texas rig.
This is undoubtedly a clear water setup.
I usually prefer to fish these hyper realistic crawfish baits on a Ned rig, but if there is grass, pond scum, or sparse wood, that really isn’t an option.
Plus, the Texas rig allows you to use bigger soft plastic and get some bigger bites.
The advantage of these baits is obviously their realism. They don’t have flapping or curly claws.
They don’t have kicking legs or strange appendages. They look exactly like a crawfish hopping and scooting along the bottom.
In clear water, bass won’t have any difficulty finding the bait.
And once they do, the realism will be much more appealing than a strange creature bait.
These work especially well in shallow flats and ledges with steep or slow depth changes.
You’ve probably heard of guys throwing really big worms when target huge bass.
A big 10-12 inch curl tail worm can be dynamite during the hot summer.
That is the key. This is a summer time technique for fish deep water.
Bass want to eat big meals because of the very warm water, but the brutal heat forces them to move a bit slower and move a bit deeper.
A big worm is the perfect way to trigger huge bits from these bass. Slowly hop and drag the big Texas rigged worm out in deep water.
This is probably the most reliable way to catch big bass in the summertime, especially during the mid day hours.
Now I don’t use this setup very often, but it definitely does have a scenario where it is terrific.
You are pretty much going to Texas rig a finesse worm in either cold water or pressured water.
Think of this setup as a shaky head. That is exactly how and when you will fish it.
The advantage that a finesse worm Texas rigged has over a shaky head is the ability to come through cover.
If you are fishing grass, weeds, or brush, the Texas rig has the advantage.
The bullet shaped weight and sleek hook style allows the rig to glide right through cover that might have snagged a shaky head rid.
This section is going to be a bit overkill for some of y’all.
You can get a standard sized EWG hook and effectively use all the baits we just talked about.
So don’t feel any pressure to go out and buy a bunch of new hooks.
But if you have the money and time to hone in your hook choices further, this is for you.
Also Read: Offset vs EWG Hooks
These hooks do three things very well for fishing these bulkier baits in heavy cover.
First, they have a high hook-up percentage because of the upward angle of the hook point.
Second, they are more weedless because you can rig them without puncturing the hook point all the way through the bait.
And third, The are thicker and more compact hook which prevents the hooks from bending out when using heavier duty flipping gear.
The classic offset worm hook has two big advantages.
Again, it has a higher hook-up percentage because of the hook point slightly upwards, rather than in line with the eye hole.
Second, the shank of the hook is flat and stays closely aligned with the bait.
This both looks more natural as well as helps the bait stay flat and upright rather than tilting over on it’s side.
The very realistic crawfish baits are usually very thick.
You need the extra gap in your hook to allow lots of room for the hook point to get exposed when you set the hook.
Flipping hooks are a bit too bulky for clear water, and also tend to tear up the crawfish plastics too much.
The offset style of hook os the best option for the exact same reasons as it was with the skinny creature baits.
The only difference is that you magnum worm is much, much longer than those baits.
So you do need to upsize the hook a bit to make sure bass get the hook point in their mouth when eating the bait from the back or side.
Again, your hook-up ratio and visual presentation will be the best with a offset worm hook.
I will often go down one hook size when I am using a more finesse approach like this.
The best Texas rig bait style varies depending on the specific fishing conditions and target areas.
Understanding when and where each bait style shines can greatly enhance your fishing success.
Bulky creature baits are perfect for thick cover and muddy water, while skinny creature baits excel in open, clear to stained waters.
Realistic crawfish baits are ideal for clear water with sparse cover, and big curl tail worms are a summertime staple for deep water bass.
Finally, finesse worms are excellent in cold or pressured waters.
By selecting the right bait style and matching it with the appropriate hook, you can maximize your effectiveness on the water and increase your chances of landing big bass.
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