Texas rigging technique questions

[WRB]

3 hours ago, FishDewd said:

@WRB The worm was getting torn up from the hook itself I think, I had already removed it and spun the worm around to go through a new area. Apparently elastech is not indestructible lol. Not sure what you mean by pegging the worm if you can elaborate on that.

 

So let's say these are all perch. Why is it I can fish the same baits someone else is using near me, doing basically the same technique, and I get all the perch hits? Lol maybe I have perch magnetism.

 

 

 

 

You run a round wooden tooth pick or heavy 50# mono through the soft plastic and the hook eye then clip off the ends flush with the soft plastic. This pegs the head of the soft plastic to the hook so it can't slide down into the hook gap shown in your photo.

Bluegill tend to bite the tail end od soft platics, not the head end. If you simply slowly retrieve you soft plastic bluegill or perch will follow it and continue to bite it.

If the bullet weight is soft lead bass teeth can scrape it if you pull it out of the basses mouth when closed. If the bass spits your soft plastic out you don't see any marks on the lead, you do on the soft plastic. Tungsten bullet weights are too hard to show teeth marks unless painted.

Sliding bullet weight should improve your strike to hook set ratio.

Tom

[Bankbeater]

Sometimes the bait will slide down when you pull it through thick vegetation.  Where you reeling in anything with the bait?

[Catt]

5 hours ago, ClackerBuzz said:

Texposing plastics, including Z man, has never been an issue for me.  How do I know?  I got serious grit and push my finger into the plastic right where the buried hook point is. The hook point stabs me every single time.  and just think that's using 100 times less force than a rod generates.

 

In your personal opinion the Bass's lip depress the plastic like your finger?

[Lead Head]

Another quick question. When you use baby brush hogs, are you getting the kickers ripped off any? Bluegill/sunfish love to grab the kickers and will pop them off if you set while they are holding them.

[Sam]

10 hours ago, EGbassing said:

Always wondered what made them look like that. Is that always true, or just usually true?

If the bait wears out from over use it will go into a donut when you start to move it due to water pressure and it does not stay on your hook.

 

If the plastic is fresh it will go into the donut when a fish hits it.

[Mobasser]

I don't think the bites your getting are from bass. Panfish willgrab the tail of soft plastics and run with them, or peck at them and drop them quickly. Seems like this is probably bluegills. 

[ClackerBuzz]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

 

In your personal opinion the Bass's lip depress the plastic like your finger?

You bet ya.  I'm game for an experiment if you want.  You hold my weedless senko in your closed hand just as you believe a bass holds it in it's mouth and I'll be in charge of the hook set!

 

On more serious note pushing my finger or 'depressing' it into the hook point was a poor choice of words.  I pull the worm forward into my finger while applying some pressure much like the action of pulling a worm forward in a bass's mouth.  There are so many variables that go wrong with a hook set that texposing takes the blame for.

[EGbassing]

3 hours ago, Sam said:

If the bait wears out from over use it will go into a donut when you start to move it due to water pressure and it does not stay on your hook.

 

If the plastic is fresh it will go into the donut when a fish hits it.

Good to know. Thanks.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, ClackerBuzz said:

You bet ya.  I'm game for an experiment if you want.  You hold my weedless senko in your closed hand just as you believe a bass holds it in it's mouth and I'll be in charge of the hook set!

 

On more serious note pushing my finger or 'depressing' it into the hook point was a poor choice of words.  I pull the worm forward into my finger while applying some pressure much like the action of pulling a worm forward in a bass's mouth.  There are so many variables that go wrong with a hook set that texposing takes the blame for.

 

Some people have the notion bass pick up a worm by the tail & nibble on it until it's all in their mouth. 

 

Generally the bass opens it mouth, flairs it's gills, causing a vacuum, which sucks your lure into it's mouth in one motion.

 

[geo g]

A couple of suggestions.  The wire hook is heavy and will not penetrate as well as a thin wire hook.  If your lure is getting caught on junk, use a lighter weight and slow down.  The bait will get down the water column but slower, and ride right over the junk much better without getting hung.  Machine gun bites are not bass but other small fish.

[FishDewd]

13 hours ago, WRB said:

You run a round wooden tooth pick or heavy 50# mono through the soft plastic and the hook eye then clip off the ends flush with the soft plastic. This pegs the head of the soft plastic to the hook so it can't slide down into the hook gap shown in your photo.

Bluegill tend to bite the tail end od soft platics, not the head end. If you simply slowly retrieve you soft plastic bluegill or perch will follow it and continue to bite it.

If the bullet weight is soft lead bass teeth can scrape it if you pull it out of the basses mouth when closed. If the bass spits your soft plastic out you don't see any marks on the lead, you do on the soft plastic. Tungsten bullet weights are too hard to show teeth marks unless painted.

Sliding bullet weight should improve your strike to hook set ratio.

Tom

Okay, cool, good to know, thanks! I went out this morning and fished same lake. I started with topwater, bu got no love, so went back the T rig rod.  I had it unpegged and used a 3/0 EWG instead of the 4/0 round bend. It was a tough day though, we've had a front move in that dropped temps about 20 degrees pretty quickly, along with a pressure drop. Got a few nibbles from definite panfish, but not much else. But, A for effort right? Can't catch 'em if you're not fishing!

 

@geo g Normally I will run a 1/4-3/16 weight cause of the water chop and wind but I might try a 1/8 oz next time out. The water is really deep in areas so a slower descent may be the way to go. Also, I know about the rapid tapping of panfish, but these tend to only tap or two times by comparison. If I feel the tap, tap, tap, tap going on I will reel it away from that area. One good tap or thunk and I will set it, panfish or not cause to me that could be a bass.

 

 

[thinkingredneck]

You could always try rigging a small stinger hook in the tail.  That might reveal what is short striking it.  That's how I learned some Saltwater bites.

[FishDewd]

Just now, thinkingredneck said:

You could always try rigging a small stinger hook in the tail.  That might reveal what is short striking it.  That's how I learned some Saltwater bites.

That's a really good idea but I think this particular area might have too many snags on the bottoms to try that. Maybe I can rig one that way without a worm hook in case I lost the bait. That way I can just sacrifice a plastic and treble without losing the more expensive worm hook. Might give that a go. I do agree it's probably a perch though.

[thinkingredneck]

Just tie à small hook on a short piece of mono to the hook eye.  Bury it in the end of the worm.

[FishDewd]

Oh I see what you're getting at... I'll try that. Thanks.

[FishDewd]

So I tried texas rig today and I definitely got two solid hits from a bass. Both actually left marks in my weight. The first time I felt like I should've had it, I actually saw the line move. Dropped tip, reeled amd set- swing and miss. When I examined the rig I saw teeth marks like Catt was talking about on the weight, but no evidence it actually got the bait. So I'm thinking it just bit my weight and not the lure. Same thing happened again on second hit. Weight had more damge on it, but none on the bait. Both times I waited a second, reeled up slack, then set it real quick and hard. This is confusing me.

 

Definitely bass, was just one solid thump and not perch hits since I doubt they'd put teeth marks in the weight like that. Ill upload pics when I get home to show that.

 

Something about texas rigs... I just can't get one using it lol. Guess I need to try what thinkingredneck suggested and bury a treble on the end of the plastic to see if I can get one so maybe I can figure out what's going on. But seems like they aren't hitting the back of it.

 

Edit: the weight was unpegged.

[Brad in Texas]

Some good advice, different opinions as to what is biting you. 

 

I'd only add that if you suggested, I believe you did, that someone nearby is catching bass with a similar T-Rig and you aren't, that whether you are getting bit by bluegills, or not, you still aren't catching bass at other times. Frustrating.

 

So, one simple change I made when I was having a similar issue with successful hook ups was I simply moved away from offset hooks, certainly EWGs, reverted to a worm hook. I prefer the Roboworm Rebarb Hooks (made by Gamakatsu as I recall). Owner and others have great hooks with good keepers.

 

I pull my hook through the top of a worm, twist and turn and leave the point slightly in the meat of the plastic.

 

When you set the hook, the angle that point comes blasting out of the plastic is just superior, I think, and based on my results. You can see it here, what I mean, by contrasting two hook types.  Brad

[FishDewd]

I was actually using an offset shank version of that when I had the two missed bass hits because I didn't have any EWGs handy lol. I've never tried a straight shank. Might be worth a try.

 

Anyway, barb never even moved its position after I set so I don't think the fish even had the bait. Think they just popped the unpegged weight for whatever reason. My drag slipped so I know I set hard enough. *shrugs*

[JustJames]

I'm not sure this time what type of plastic you use? 

From you first picture that happen all the time when you set hook to rock or weed not just fish mouth. Zman/Elastic is pretty soft and you will have tough time to make it stay on the hook eye, also almost impossible to skin hook them unless you poke in deep but that would make difficult to set the hook point to fish mouth as well.

@Brad in Texasrecommended hook that work pretty well with Elaztech and also other type of plastic as well. I have been catching a lot of fish Texas rig on Roboworm rebarb hook 3/0(yes this hook made by Gamakatsu and super sharp light wire hook). This type hook, you have to poke through plastic first before you bury the point back into plastic to get a good success hook set.

@Glenn show how to properly set hook on Texas rig, you don't reel all the line tight and set hook, you should have some slack. Now to set hard or not it depends on line and cover type and hook type(super line or light wire).

Just this morning caught a 5.3lbs on this rebarb hook with 5/32 oz weighted Texas rig with Havoc Pit boss shaking between weed line.

[FishDewd]

Oh right I didn't mention. I was using a curly tail grub, not sure of brand, about a 3.25" on a 3/0 or 4/0 RB offset worm hook when I got hit. I watched Glenns videos a few times on the texas and I did leave a little slack. Maybe I'm just too slow or too fast or something.

[FishDewd]

I picked up a few straight shank hooks this morning from DSG. I couldn't quite find what I was looking for so I went down the road to Academy on the way home and didn't have any luck there finding better. Here's what I ended up getting. 1 pack of Owner 4/0 Flipping hooks. I wanted 3/0 but didn't see 3/0 at either location. I think these are going to be too large to use for most of my plastics. I also got a pack of Gamakatsu 3/0 straight shank heavy cover worm hooks. But these also seem like they're going to be too large for my smaller plastics based on where the keeper sits. What's the right size? I saw Roboworm Rebarb hooks mentioned but they don't carry those in stores. I do agree that based on me playing with the hook types that a straight shank may be the way to go. But what's the right size to use? Cause I'm thinking I'll have to order some for online.

 

Baits I use a lot: baby brush hogs, senkos, finesse worms, rage craws/other craws, curly tail grub. Is these one size that'll work well for all of these since they are similar thickness?

[J Francho]

On 6/19/2018 at 2:12 PM, FishDewd said:

Did some pond hopping this morning, visited three different ponds. In two of them I got some really good bites, but as is typical when I texas rig, I reel down, set it hard, and there's nothing there. Only this time my bait was actually sliding down the hook which I'm not sure what to make of. Normally they slide up the hook when set? Perhaps they were just short striking it? I've tried striking quickly, as well as waiting for a second or two before setting, but I get the same result. I took a picture of what my bait looked like after one of these failed strikes in case it can offer some clues as to what I am doing wrong. Z-man Hula stick btw:

 

I did have my weight pegged, which I am wondering if whether that could cause an issue or not. I did this because the area being fished has severe debris in the water, as well as a sharp overhang near the bank. I opted to use this ned rig bait with a lighter weight in t-rig fashion for the different fluttering action while slowly descended. And it got bit. A lot. Yet I could not hook up with a fish... so... ideas? Any downside to using a pegged weight vs. unpegged for example? Was it the bait itself?

 

 

You have WAY too much bait threaded onto that hook.  You only need enough to get to the first bend, or about 1/4".   Agree with others, it could be sunnies.

[JustJames]

I think mine is 2/0 not 3/0, I don't remember since I bought from local store to try it out One either #1 or #2 for my dropshot with worm less than 4", another one should be 2/0 which would work for all lures that you mentioned, but curly tail grub. That hook is a tad too big for my Hula Grub 5" (the hook point almost at the tail end)

Ill find out for you this Friday if you can wait since I need to stock up some too.

If you gonna order online I would get #1 light wire 1/0 lightwire and 2/0. These are in my cart at TW.

[FishDewd]

52 minutes ago, JustJames said:

I think mine is 2/0 not 3/0, I don't remember since I bought from local store to try it out One either #1 or #2 for my dropshot with worm less than 4", another one should be 2/0 which would work for all lures that you mentioned, but curly tail grub. That hook is a tad too big for my Hula Grub 5" (the hook point almost at the tail end)

Ill find out for you this Friday if you can wait since I need to stock up some too.

If you gonna order online I would get #1 light wire 1/0 lightwire and 2/0. These are in my cart at TW.

That makes sense to me, a 2/0 is what I had in mind since 3/0 seems a tad too big. What gets me is the bait keeper on the shank and the overall gap size of the hook after I stick it in. Seems like too much. It'd work for a biffle bug or something that size though, but I haven't fished that yet since it tends to float. Requires a swinging head iirc.

[Brad in Texas]

3 hours ago, FishDewd said:

I picked up a few straight shank hooks this morning from DSG. I couldn't quite find what I was looking for so I went down the road to Academy on the way home and didn't have any luck there finding better. Here's what I ended up getting. 1 pack of Owner 4/0 Flipping hooks. I wanted 3/0 but didn't see 3/0 at either location. I think these are going to be too large to use for most of my plastics. I also got a pack of Gamakatsu 3/0 straight shank heavy cover worm hooks. But these also seem like they're going to be too large for my smaller plastics based on where the keeper sits. What's the right size? I saw Roboworm Rebarb hooks mentioned but they don't carry those in stores. I do agree that based on me playing with the hook types that a straight shank may be the way to go. But what's the right size to use? Cause I'm thinking I'll have to order some for online.

 

Baits I use a lot: baby brush hogs, senkos, finesse worms, rage craws/other craws, curly tail grub. Is these one size that'll work well for all of these since they are similar thickness?

FishDewd, I think you are going to love straight-shanked hooks, I really do. I haven't seen Roboworm Rebarb hooks at places like Academy; but, I have seen Owner Cover Shot Worm hooks and they'd work really well, too, as will others.

 

A quick trip out Saturday netted be 6 LMBs in a really short time period using a drop shot with just a #1 Rebarb hook. I was 6 for 6 on hookups and landing them all. Even that tiny straight-shanked hook on a drop shot really jams itself into flesh and/or bone and cartilage and holds fast. They can often be hard to dislodge with one's fingers and I have to occasionally grab my pliers to extract the hook.

 

Brad