Notice I did not say “plastic worm fishing” because this technique is not limited to plastic worms, but indeed includes all plastic baits, grubs, craw-worms, creature baits, lizards etc. To Be Sure, variety plays a big choice in honing in on what they want; however in order to improve on your Texas Rig fishing you need to understand a few ideas that should help you put more bass in the boat.

Line Selection is fairly important because through it passes your strike and ultimately to your hand. If you can’t feel the strike, you have very little hope of catching bass. The choice line for me is 12 pound mono. I have used 10 & 14 pound mono but opt for 12 pound in Stren. It is limp for casting, strong for hook setting and relatively abrasive resistant. Did I mention "sensitive", I can feel a strike on mono in 20 mph winds; that’s sensitive enough for me. So if you are using heavier line or fluro/braid I can only suggest to go to monofilament 12 pound test and at least give it a fair try for a trip a two.

Hook Size is not as critical as line choice but it does play a major role in the action of your plastic bait. A 6 inch curly tail worm, fluke or bass assassin all react different depending on the hook. Over the years I have managed to whittle things down to basics and that brings us to a #2 or #3 ought wide gap Eagle Claw Hook. Sharpened out of the package. Failure to sharpen the hook will result in much disappointment. The weight size goes hand in hand with the hook. That is keep it as light (small) as you can get away with. 3/16, 1/4 is usually as heavy as I go with.

Rod Selection: Is Crucial...not so much as sensitivity but its action will play a major role in the number of fish you hook up with. It must be at least a Medium Heavy rod for Texas Rigging. Yes you certainly can use other rods, but your success at hooking bass striking worms, grubs & creature baits (plastics) will lessen dramatically if you do not use a fairly stiff rod. IM6 blanks seems to be the rod of choice. They are available from $25.00 to very high prices.

There are many more variables to consider in the Art of Texas Rig Bass Fishing. The ones I have mentioned above are merely to get one ready to go fish. Now comes the task of choosing which Plastic you will use and what color and what style. What method will you fish the bait? What structure will you target? How deep of water will you fish? The above information can be the best preparation you can have and you need to have the right equipment, but more important is that you go fishing with the knowledge and equipment you have and let both grow as you grow as a fisherman.

Ronald