Newbie texas rigging presentation question

[pauldconyers]

For the first time last night I tried my hand at texas rigging a soft plastic. From the advice I got here I went with 1/2 oz tungsten bullet weight, a size 4/0 extra wide gap hook and a pumpkin colored 7 inch ribbon tail worm in this fairly mossed over pond I was given access to. From what I read and the YouTube videos I've watched it seems simple enough, through it out there and bounce it a few times and here comes the fish. Obviously those video clips are edited to show the action and that is where my question comes up. Is this a lure presentation you want to throw at or around structure and bob around versus something you fish open water with? I ask because I found myself fishing this pond and throwing it out and jigging it some then reeling it in a bit and I starting doing it again and wondering do I just keep doing this or kind of find a particular place, cast it there and dance it then find another spot and try that. Or do I retrieve it all the way back to me slowly doing this process and then do it all over again? Some thoughts or advice on what "presentation" I should use when fishing like this?

[kylek]

There is no "best" retrieve for this.  You just need to keep trying different things until you can get a bite.  Pay attention to what you were doing at the time and try to repeat it.  Some days they will want it hopped along kind of fast and others they wait in painfully slow. 

 

You said fairly mossed over pond..  You might want to try a different type of bait instead of the ribbon tail worm.  Maybe a beaver or even a straight tailed worm.  It will go through the moss better.

[scaleface]

You can fish plastic worms everywhere . !/2 ounce seems like to much weight to me in vegetation unless you were punching , which it doesnt sound like you were .Fairly mossed  over I would go weightless or a light weight . If the vegetation is at the surface twitch it on the top and pause in any openings . A Senko type worm works well for this because they are easy to cast weightless . As far as bouncing  on the bottom , yes , you just dont need a half ounce weight .

[Catt]

OK here's what ya wanna do!

 

Pinch your line between your thumb & forefinger about 2" above your weigh & cut it with a pair of scissors. Put the 1/2 oz weight & 4/0 hook up for later use on a Carolina Rig.

 

Re-rig with a 1/8 oz bullet weight & a 2/0-3/0 hook of your choice & repeat the retrieves you were using.

 

I will give you this much if you're dragging a 1/2 oz weight through grass you're a head of most guys!

[papajoe222]

For weight choice, you want something heavy enough to get your bait to the bottom and keep it on or just off the bottom throughout your retrieve. 

Dont confuse structure with cover. You do want to cast past cover when possible and bring the bait to it. 

With the bullet weight of a Texas rig staying on the bottom, a fish can take the bait without feeling it. You can hop or swim the worm with occasional pauses. Keep an eye on where your line enters the water as many pick ups will not be felt through the rod. 

[the reel ess]

Here's a rule of thumb regarding weight for a T rig. You want as little weight as you can cast, but enough to keep the bait on bottom and enough to overcome wind because you have to feel the strike. That's usually in the 1/8-1/4 oz range. I usually try 3/16 oz with baitcasting and if that's too light, I will use 1/4. Very rarely have I ever used larger than 1/4 oz with a T rig. I use tungsten bullet weights most of the time now, but it's not necessary.

 

As for the retrieve, Just cast it out, slowly pull a couple feet with the rod, reel up slack, pull, reel, cast, repeat. Sometimes in weeds the bait will get fouled with weeds and feel heavier. Just give it a quick, short jerk to free it up and resume retrieve. Weeds are just something you'll have to deal with.

 

For really weedy, shallow ponds I'd probably go with a weightless Zoom Trick Worm over a T rig. You can just slowly reel it through the weeds or work it like a jerkbait.

[Catt]

Most excellent explanation

 

On any given day, almost any of the suggestions given so far work.

I've never thought of a Texas rigged worm as a "Reaction" bait, so I don't routinely fish it like one.

 

 However, one could look at it from the stand point of the Predator & Prey relationship.

Most anything a bass eats is probably trying really hard to avoid that scenario. 

 So doing anything that would draw attention to itself is undesirable and could lead to it's demise.

 

 Rather than hopping & popping the bait, there is a time & place where sneaking the bait along every so gingerly works well.  Try to move it while imagining that your actually attempting to toss your bait out there and get it back without getting bit.  Sounds kind of backwards I know but the bait is in the bass's world, and she knows it's there; without the extra action.

 

You'll find yourself fishing spots slower and more thoroughly while at the same time affording your bait the time it needs to work it's magic.

 

On a side note - this is not a bad approach for a jig either.

 

@A-Jay

[A-Jay]

4 minutes ago, Catt said:

Most excellent explanation

 

On any given day, almost any of the suggestions given so far work.

I've never thought of a Texas rigged worm as a "Reaction" bait, so I don't routinely fish it like one.

 

 However, one could look at it from the stand point of the Predator & Prey relationship.

Most anything a bass eats is probably trying really hard to avoid that scenario. 

 So doing anything that would draw attention to itself is undesirable and could lead to it's demise.

 

 Rather than hopping & popping the bait, there is a time & place where sneaking the bait along every so gingerly works well.  Try to move it while imagining that your actually attempting to toss your bait out there and get it back without getting bit.  Sounds kind of backwards I know but the bait is in the bass's world, and she knows it's there; without the extra action.

 

You'll find yourself fishing spots slower and more thoroughly while at the same time affording your bait the time it needs to work it's magic.

 

On a side note - this is not a bad approach for a jig either.

 

@A-Jay

 

@Catt ~ You know what I like ~

A-Jay

[sully420]

You know when I was a bank fisherman I actually liked fishing the Carolina rig better than the Texas rig. I feel like the Carolina rig just gives you so many options you can use a small weight and kind of Mojo it through the grass Or you can use a bigger weight and drag it along. You also have the ability to adjust your leader length so you're bait kind of slithers through the grass and the fish really never feel the weight so you'll get used to feeling bites and have time to still set the hook. It also allowed me to slow down and really work areas from the bank and I thought I caught a lot more fish that way. I know the Carolina rig is supposed to be a deep-water presentation but I think it's awesome in shallower water as well. You can also just use bobber stops on both sides of your weight and adjust it from a Carolina rig to a Texas Rig to suit whatever cover your fishing.

[Catt]

I use 2 retrieves when fishing a Texas Rig, letting the bass tell me which the prefer on a given day.

 

The first is what A-Jay described & this one that was taught to me by Larry Nixon.

 

Short Stroking!

 

After my lure has sat on the bottom for 20-30 seconds I'll stroke upwards 2-3', let it fall back down, I do this 3 times quickly before pausing for 20-30 seconds. I do this all the way back to the boat. If I'm casting in 10' of water or less the height of the strokes are not as high.

 

When a bass attacks a school of shad, minnows, perch, ect, does it try to run down the healthiest, fastest, the one out front?

 

No it targets the slowest, the one swimming erratically, the one drawing attention to itself.

 

When a crawfish senses danger does it nonchalantly walk away?

No it makes 3 quick hops up off the bottom, pauses briefly, and makes 3 more quick hops until it feels it's reached a safe distance.

 

I want my lure to draw the bass's attention; I want that bass to say "I can catch that one!".

 

[MichaelCopeland]

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

I use 2 retrieves when fishing a Texas Rig, letting the bass tell me which the prefer on a given day.

 

The first is what A-Jay described & this one that was taught to me by Larry Nixon.

 

Short Stroking!

 

After my lure has sat on the bottom for 20-30 seconds I'll stroke upwards 2-3', let it fall back down, I do this 3 times quickly before pausing for 20-30 seconds. I do this all the way back to the boat. If I'm casting in 10' of water or less the height of the strokes are not as high.

 

When a bass attacks a school of shad, minnows, perch, ect, does it try to run down the healthiest, fastest, the one out front?

 

No it targets the slowest, the one swimming erratically, the one drawing attention to itself.

 

When a crawfish senses danger does it nonchalantly walk away?

No it makes 3 quick hops up off the bottom, pauses briefly, and makes 3 more quick hops until it feels it's reached a safe distance.

 

I want my lure to draw the bass's attention; I want that bass to say "I can catch that one!".

 

Gonna have to try that one Larry Nixon taught you. I tried to like this post, I'm at my 40 likes limit for the day. ?

[Attila]

Lot's of great advice in this thread.

 

The only other suggestion I would make is look for fallen timber or mats that have been created by blown in weeds and fish these thoroughly as they both provide excellent cover for friendly neighbourhood largemouth.

 

I would also experiment with different lures; my favourite is a 10" Berkley Powerbait Worm followed by a Yum creature bait of some type. Both are relatively inexpensive but work really well.

 

Have a great summer!

[snake95]

@Catt and everyone else on this one, this is such a good thread I'm going to print it out and give it to my son to read.  Thanks for taking the time to give these explanations.  I've learned a lot from this.

 

The only thing I could add to @pauldconyers is that one thing that has surprised me as a rookie with plastics is that sometimes, the best presentation is the splashdown/bombing presentation.  Forget the weight or use a very light one, cast that T-rigged worm as close as you can to a potential target: a stump, a tree, a break in those weeds.  Let it flutter down like a stunned thing that just splashed down out of the sky, and then give it a very gentle pop or swim it up to surface.  So often the slam comes within seconds of hitting the water when you happen to get the right target.

 

I find this works well when the bass are active and you see signs of feeding (minnows or other creatures thrashing in the shallows) or groups of 'gills hanging out and breaking surface.  So often a bass is lurking nearby and the splash and flutter causes an explosive reaction.

[Mike L]

I wanted to help also but there isn't much more I could add!

 

This thread should be a sticky!?

 

 

Mike

[the reel ess]

20 hours ago, snake95 said:

@Catt and everyone else on this one, this is such a good thread I'm going to print it out and give it to my son to read.  Thanks for taking the time to give these explanations.  I've learned a lot from this.

 

The only thing I could add to @pauldconyers is that one thing that has surprised me as a rookie with plastics is that sometimes, the best presentation is the splashdown/bombing presentation.  Forget the weight or use a very light one, cast that T-rigged worm as close as you can to a potential target: a stump, a tree, a break in those weeds.  Let it flutter down like a stunned thing that just splashed down out of the sky, and then give it a very gentle pop or swim it up to surface.  So often the slam comes within seconds of hitting the water when you happen to get the right target.

 

I find this works well when the bass are active and you see signs of feeding (minnows or other creatures thrashing in the shallows) or groups of 'gills hanging out and breaking surface.  So often a bass is lurking nearby and the splash and flutter causes an explosive reaction.

Yes, bass do enjoy manna from heaven occasionally.  

[fishwizzard]

On 31/07/2017 at 4:35 PM, Catt said:

 

 Rather than hopping & popping the bait, there is a time & place where sneaking the bait along every so gingerly works well.  Try to move it while imagining that your actually attempting to toss your bait out there and get it back without getting bit.  Sounds kind of backwards I know but the bait is in the bass's world, and she knows it's there; without the extra action.

 

That is a really intresting way to look at it, I am going to have to give that line of thinking a try.