Why is weight even used on a texas rig?

[detroithiker]

I know this may sound like a dumb question but I am still kinda new to bass fishing, what is the advantage of using a bullet weight rather than just fishing the same rig without the weight?

Please forgive the dumb question, I am trying to learn.

I was first taught to fish without the weight and fished it that way the entire first season, the cousin swore it worked better without weight due to being able to keep the worm on top of the weeds where the fish would see it, I question it at first but he was always catching more fish than me until I took the weight off, when I did we would catch the same fish for fish, now I figure there is some good reason I have never seen anyone else fishing a TR without weight, I just can't figure out what the advantage is and how the weight is used to make the worm a better presentation, I just want to understand.

[flyfisher]

Different presentations for different situations.  I use a weightless weedless rig quite often for the situation you mentioned.  You also have to remember that not all fish are looking up to eat.  There are also situations where you want to work a weighted bait through cover like a downed tree or to get through some heavier vegetation or in lilly pads.  

Bottom line for me is weightless plastics have their place but it isn't to replace weighted rigs.

 

 

[scaleface]

It gives casting weight .It is faster to work . Bass hit on the drop and a fast drop is often better than a slow descent . Plus they get fished deep . I use a weight almost 100 per cent of the time .

[S. Sass]

3 hours ago, scaleface said:

It gives casting weight .It is faster to work . Bass hit on the drop and a fast drop is often better than a slow descent . Plus they get fished deep . I use a weight almost 100 per cent of the time .

^^^ This I'm probably 95% weighted though. About the only worm I do weightless is the Senko style (cigar style) worm and possibly the 12" worms. I rarely fish the Senko style considering all the other plastics I like more.

A 5/16 oz tungsten worm weight allows me to really cast a long ways and still have a lot of options. I can still reel it fast enough to keep it in the upper water column. Its heavy enough I can fish and feel the bottom. And Its still able to be swam all in between. 

[Big Bait Fishing]

i only use bullet weights on ribbon tail worms and rage tail baits like the Space Monkey & Smokin' Rooster , even then i only use a 1/8 oz. tungsten bullet weight , if i'm trying to present the bait on the bottom , it's all about the shakey head .

[Catt]

For a number of reasons!

Rate Of Fall triggers strikes, some day the want the slow fall of an unweighed lure, some days they want a faster fall.

Bass in grass are usually buried underneath it on the bottom. If you are only presenting your lure on top of the grass you are missing a huge portion of the bass.

Kinda hard to fish a Texas rig in 20-25' of water without a weighted setup.

[clh121787]

To get it on the bottom !

[detroithiker]

I was assuming that a slow fall would always look more natural than a fast one.

I never really thought the bass would bury them selves in the tangles of plant life.

I know asking for the input of experienced bass men was a good idea, I am new here and just trying to understand rather than just do what is common, I can only have the confidence to keep casting something when I understand it well enough to believe it to advantageous.

[WIGuide]

Depending on the situation and bait, having weight can be beneficial. On something like a senko style bait the bait usually has the best action with a slow fall as it shimmies. Adding too much weight in front of that will make it drop straight down. There are times when the fish want that and times they don't. Baits like ribbon tail worms fall very very slowly without weight so adding some change the rate of fall. Also, adding weight helps a lot when fishing deeper. There are days fish are feeding up and days they feed down. If you're throwing a worm weightless on the days they're feeding down and fishing in 10-12 feet of water, you'll be waiting anywhere from 20-40 seconds or even longer just for your bait to get down there. If you added a bullet weight, it'd be down there much quicker and the bait will stay in the productive area for a longer portion of your cast. 

[Turtle135]

Swimming an unweighted plastic worm is undoubtedly a deadly presentation. My local reservoir is extremely clear and heavily weeded down to about 16 feet. It also has a lot of water 20 feet and deeper. Swim that unweighted worm around and through the weeds in 1 to 8 feet of water and you will catch bass all summer long. The problem on my reservoir is that the bass 20" and larger are almost always found on the deep weed edge at 16 feet down or on even deeper structural items during the summer months. Targeting those deep bass with an unweighted soft plastic is an inefficient presentation. It would take several minutes just to sink that plastic to those depths. Put a bullet sinker on that worm and you are in business.

[Catt]

57 minutes ago, detroithiker said:

I was assuming that a slow fall would always look more natural than a fast one.

I never really thought the bass would bury them selves in the tangles of plant life

#1 is totally false!

An unweighed ribbontail worm will not have as much action as a weighted one.

A 1 1/2# bass can stop a 1 oz weight before it can hit bottom in 10' of water.

Bass in grass will be on the bottom!

This flipping, pitching, & punching grass is so productive.

[jr231]

Also the clicking of the weight sliding to the top of the hook helps the bass locate the worm. 

You can even use a bead in-between the weight and hook to enhance that effect. The same bead used with the Carolina rig

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, detroithiker said:

I was assuming that a slow fall would always look more natural than a fast one.

I never really thought the bass would bury them selves in the tangles of plant life.

Looking "natural" is one of many things that can trigger a strike.  A fast moving bait can trigger a bite better than anything "natural," sometimes.  Sometimes slower works.  Sometimes purple.  See what I mean?

There are more bass in the weeds than there are in open water.  Probably 100 times more bass in weeds.  Find weeds, you'll find bass.  Find weeds, and forage, and you'll find more bass.  Find weeds and forage on favorable structure, and you'll find even more bass.

[scaleface]

1 hour ago, detroithiker said:

I was assuming that a slow fall would always look more natural than a fast one.

I never really thought the bass would bury them selves in the tangles of plant life.

I know asking for the input of experienced bass men was a good idea, I am new here and just trying to understand rather than just do what is common, I can only have the confidence to keep casting something when I understand it well enough to believe it to advantageous.

One of the most useful bass fishing articles I ever read came sometime in the 80's by Rick Clunn in Bassmaster magazine . I would like to find it again .    RC taught to view your tackle box as a tool box and your lures as tools . Pick the right tool for the job . So ask yourself what you want a lure to do in each situation you encounter . Sometimes you need extra weight , sometimes you need a crankbait that reaches 12 foot, extra flash  , weedlessness..., Make sure there is a reason behind lure choice instead of  just choosing something . 

[MRBAMA57]

Weight = Action! Different weight different action especially on the drop!

[papajoe222]

Fish the conditions you're faced with.  Fishing weeds?  If they're hitting an unweighted worm on top of the weeds, no brainer, stick with no weight. What if they aren't? What if there are no weeds? I once heard a pro say to use the lightest weight possible to maintain bottom contact, but sometimes a heavy weight produces better. It's all trial and error until you come upon a winning combination.

Whenever I have a partner in the boat, we rarely start out with the same presentation. We eliminate unproductive techniques and can get on a pattern much quicker that we could by ourselves.