The best lines for Texas Rigs

[Glenn]

Here's how I decide which lines to use for various Texas rig situations.  What's your approach?

 

 

[J Francho]

Cover and fish activity are good things to consider when picking line.  We pretty much think the same way about line choice.

[WRB]

Glenn you went over to the dark side calling any soft plastic weedless rigged with a worm hook a Texas rig. No longer does a split shot/mojo rig, finesse C-rig or C-rig, pegged sliding or bullet weight, or punch rig and have identity, they are all now Texas rigs.

Matching the line to your tackle and cover situations I agree with.

Tom

[Tennessee Boy]

10 minutes ago, WRB said:

Glenn you over to the dark side calling any soft plastic weedless rigged with a worm hook a Texas rig. No longer does a split shot/mojo rig, finesse C-rig or C-rig, pegged sliding or bullet weight, or punch rig and have identity, they are all now Texas rigs.

Matching the line to your tackle and cover situations I agree with.

Tom

A-MEN!    At least Wikipedia still knows what a Texas Rig is.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_rig

[J Francho]

So many younger anglers consider rigging a bait on a weedless worm hook "Texas Rigged."  That's weedless.  A Texas rig has sliding bullet weight.  I think Glenn's point was that when he goes finesse, he goes with more  of mojo/split shot, for a slower, more delicate presentation.

[Tennessee Boy]

3 minutes ago, J Francho said:

So many younger anglers consider rigging a bait on a weedless worm hook "Texas Rigged."  That's weedless.  A Texas rig has sliding bullet weight.  I think Glenn's point was that when he goes finesse, he goes with more  of mojo/split shot, for a slower, more delicate presentation. 

I'm not picking on Glenn.  I agree the younger generation has a new definition for a lot of things.  Like Pitching has become Flipping.  As an old guy,   I DON'T CHANGE ?

[WRB]

I have had this debate many times about losing our bass fishing historic terms and lost.

Today a Texas rig is a weedless worm rigged several ways including Texposed, skin hooked. A split shot rig or a mojo rig is now a finesse Texas rig, both very different but the same.

Dark side was met to be a tongue in check, as Glenn has given into popular opinion.

Peace,

Tom

[J Francho]

I'm still out there defending tradition.

[edfitzvb]

Yeah, keep the tradition. (I'm in Virginia and a senior citizen)

 

How many Virginians does it take to change a light bulb?

 

Four. One to change it and three to stand around and say how much better the old bulb was.

[Glenn]

11 hours ago, WRB said:

as Glenn has given into popular opinion.

I disagree with you in every way imaginable.  Nowhere did I ever say in any way that the term "Texas Rig" was universally applied to all rigs.

 

In this video the term "Texas rig" is simply the way the bait is threaded onto the hook.  That's it. 

 

A split-shot rig is still a split-shot rig (and yes, I call it that, even though some folks call it a "mojo rig"); a Carolina rig is still a Carolina rig, and so on.  The baits, in most instances with those rigs, are rigged Texas style (aka "weedless"). However there are instances where an exposed hook are used.

 

That said, the traditional definition of "Texas Rig" is with a bullet sinker. And I still use that as well.  It's just that the term "Texas rig" has evolved to mean "weedless" in the traditional sense of the Texas rig, and I've received a great number of questions about choosing lines for the different applications of various weedless rigs.  This is what the video is about.

 

Hope that helps!

[WRB]

Threading a worm on a hook has become the Texas rig. I was going by your video title The best lines for Texas rigging. My statement I agree with you and should match your line to your tackle and cover you disagree with that in every way possible. We need to agree to disagree and move on.

Peace 

Tom

[Catt]

Birth of the Texas Rig

 

Late 50s Creme moves to Tyler, Texas

 

Nick notices Texas anglers using the replacement worms threaded on a single hook, point buried to make it weedless, NO WEIGHT. Nick starts putting a hook in the package!

 

Early 60s a weight was added to fish deeper water

 

[frogflogger]

50's we used the new worms with gold aberdeen hooks sewed in - then when we fished brush piles we learned if we hooked the worm through the nose and stuck it back in the body it was weedless - several years later it was being called the "texas rig" but guys in Kansas had been doing it for a while and simply calling it "weedless hooking". We also used barrel slip sinkers on them to get deep in the pits which was the only deep clear water available.

[Catt]

Bassing Fishing Archives .com

 

Any of y'all ever visit this site?

 

It is one of the most in depth looks into the history of bass fishing. As to how far back I'm not sure but I've seen mention of the 30-40s.

 

According to every bit of historical records submitted the Texas Rig started on Lake Tyler near Tyler TX the home of Creme Lures. 

 

The first used weights an angler whose name wasn't recorded cut the brass pin out of a bell sinker & ran his line through the hole. 

[Mindhunter]

Current generation is butchering the English language in general, in Time they’ll dumb down the entire world. 

[WRB]

9 hours ago, Catt said:

Birth of the Texas Rig

 

Late 50s Creme moves to Tyler, Texas

 

Nick notices Texas anglers using the replacement worms threaded on a single hook, point buried to make it weedless, NO WEIGHT. Nick starts putting a hook in the package!

 

Early 60s a weight was added to fish deeper water

 

Catt you brought this fact up before and I don't dought it's factual. It's just obscure compared to thousands of magazine articles and illustrations defining the Texas rig  with a sliding bullet weight and weedless worm. In the late 60's B.A.S.S. with publishing a magazine and touring the country doing seminars on bass fishing teaching us how to rig a plastic worm using a sliding bullet weight and barbed worm hook.

My first experience with Creame worms was the pre rigged double hook harness packaging in 1957. I did exactly what you mentioned by cutting the brass pin out of the depsey sinker for a sliding weight until learning about the bullet weight being sold in Texas, they were painted red and shaped like the top end of a golf tee with flared backend and pointed nose end around the mid 60's and Mail ordered them.

I remember a freind telling me those Creame worms are so stiff you could use them for tent pegs!

I recall from the article you posted that Nick Creame started making his worms in 1939.

Thank you.

Tom

[Team9nine]

Considered the first production/pre-packaged "Texas Rig" worm kit (worms, hooks, and sinkers) by Glen Andrews' company. Dates to 1966-1968 time period. Referred to as the "slip-sinker" worm kit, and soon thereafter the "Texas Rig." He started his company in 1955 after talking with O.L. and Dave Hawk, the latter largely credited with creating the "Texas Rig."

 

[WRB]

Looks a lot like Stiembridge "Flip Tail" worm during the same are, interesting.

Tom

[Team9nine]

15 minutes ago, WRB said:

Looks a lot like Stiembridge "Flip Tail" worm during the same are, interesting.

Tom

Stembridge was out of Georgia, and is credited for creating the first "soft" plastic versions of worms back in the early 60s (~1962). Reports show them being sold in Illinois around 1967, which would be similar time frame to Andrews. Not certain about the mold similarities, but sometime after Fliptail was sold, the original molds ended up sitting in Arkansas unused. More recently, a gentleman by the name of Orby Partee somehow got hold (bought?) those originals and brought Fliptail back. He passed away in June, but the family is still running the business. Also saw where Rich Zaleski wrote that the original idea for Texas rigging came about a decade earlier in the 1950s from Lake Ouchita (AR) jig anglers before it ever caught on with worms. He also suggests Brewer's Slider rig originated as an offshoot of the same concept. Putting the people, locations and time frames together, this version of history would seem very plausible.

[WRB]

Off topic, my 1st bass fishing trip to Mexico was lake Guerrero in '67 with a group of anglers who trailered bass boats* from California. The organizer told everyone to bring 8" red Flip Tail worms. Val White who owned a tackle store ordered 12 each 100 bags for the trip and it was the first time for most of us to use to them. They worms were package in bags with glycerin and anise oil, about a cup of oil per bag! We went through all the Flip Tails in 4 days!

Tom

* 14' to 15' aluminum boats with 2 swivel seats, no TM.

[Catt]

3 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Considered the first production/pre-packaged "Texas Rig" worm kit (worms, hooks, and sinkers) by Glen Andrews' company. Dates to 1966-1968 time period. Referred to as the "slip-sinker" worm kit, and soon thereafter the "Texas Rig." He started his company in 1955 after talking with O.L. and Dave Hawk, the latter largely credited with creating the "Texas Rig."

 

 

According to bass fishing archives Crème was putting single hooks in the package with no weight, it was called "Texas Rigged". 

 

Glen Andrews' company sold the first "pre-packaged" kit; worms, hooks, & sinkers specifically designed for the Texas Rig.

 

 

[Mobasser]

Interesting history on all this worm fishing. Myself, as well as thousands of fisherman owe these folks a thank you for being innovative fisherman in their day. Now days, we take it all for granted. Wasn't always that way! A Texas rigged plastic worm IS the #1 bass lure of all time. Just my opinion- but I think many would agree.

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

According to bass fishing archives Crème was putting single hooks in the package with no weight, it was called "Texas Rigged". 

 

Glen Andrews' company sold the first "pre-packaged" kit; worms, hooks, & sinkers specifically designed for the Texas Rig.

 

 

 

Yep - I'm one of the 3 main writers for the site (BFA) 

 

I'm digging into it a little more, and will update with what I find. Creme's owner has stated that the rigging was created around 1959 in the Tyler Texas area by an unknown angler. The interesting question is when did it become generally known and accepted as a "Texas Rig." Andrews called it a "slip sinker" worm kit. His package of 10 worms and 10 hooks/sinkers was meant to be able to fish an entire day using the rig. Dave Hawk, who gets credited more frequently with the rig than anyone, called it the "Hawk Worm Rig" in his 1970 book.

 

Hopefully I learn more soon...

[Catt]

@Team9nine I love that website & spend hours on end there when I can't go fishing.

 

I hate stealing @Glenn thread!

 

Another misconception is that Nick & his brother Cosmos  up the perfect combination of vinyl, oils and pigments.

 

It was Nick & his wife Cosma Creme! 

[WRB]

Agree, I shouldn't have hijacked Glenn's video and all this historic conversation should be moved to another thread leaving the video stand on it's merit. 

Tom