Texas Rig Ole School

[Catt]

I was introduced to the Texas Rig back in 1972 while the equipment has changed the technique is still the same. The Texas Rig was originally designed to fish a plastic worm but today it is used with any type of soft plastic.

Here's my choice of worm setup:

Rod: Shimano Crucial CRC-X610MH; Length: 6' 10 Medium Heavy Extra Fast

Reel: Shimano Calcutta CT100 Gear Ratio: 5:8.1

Line: Berkley Big Game 15# Mean Green

Bait: Gene Larew 7 ½ Salty Ring Worm

Bullet Weight: ¼ oz Black

Hook: Mustad 3/0 Straight Shank Denny Brauer Flipping Hook

Fishing the Texas Rig

1) Make a long cast

2) Strip 3 or 4 arms length of line, this will assure a vertical fall

3) Count the bait down, 15' of water count to 20 to make certain the bait is on the bottom, do it in your head if need be

4) Pause a good 30 seconds after the bait reaches bottom

5) Lower your rod to the 3 o'clock position while reeling slack & feel for anything unusual

6) Move the rod from 3 o'clock to 2 o'clock to 1 o'clock in three motions (speed varies)

7) Pause 30 seconds & feel for anything unusual

8) Repeat 5, 6, & 7 all the way back to the boat

9) If at any time you feel a noticeable tap, tug, line tighten, heaviness, or see line movement.

10) Without hesitation drop the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook

[Jake.]

Great info Catt, thanks!  

[roadwarrior]

Catt,

Thanks!

Yesterday I ordered the Salty Ring Worms and ask on another thread, EXACTLY how do YOU rig 'em and fish 'em. Now I have the answer!

Thanks again!

8-)

[Catt]

Ole school Dude; it's worked for years so why change  

[heathen]

Great Info Catt, Thanks!!!

[Bronzeback117]

Nice info. Thanks man!

What are your top 3 colors you use for your worms? Also, where can I get some of them?

[.ghoti.]

If you hadn't been doing this for thirty years, I'd say you've been watching me.

This is exactly how I fish a t-rig. Except, my go to bait is the GYCB Big Kahuna Cut-tail worm, on a 5/0 EWG hook, and 1/8oz steel weight.

Those salty ring worms look good. I'm gonna have to get some.

Cheers,

GK

[roadwarrior]

Those salty ring worms look good. I'm gonna have to get some

If you can wait until March 23, DON'T buy any! Their website had a

$30 minimum so I had to order too many. (Plus the shipping charge

is outragous). I can spare at least 50 of Catt's camo recommendation.

:

[fishfordollars]

Thanks Catt, read through and was amazed at the bad habits and changes I have made to the style. Back to basics. Thanks for posting.

[grimlin]

Catt mind if i save this information?

I SUCK at fishing senko/stickbaits.I really want to get better somehow,hopefully this will help.

[Catt]

My top colors

Cinnamon Pepper Neon/June Bug Laminated (Camouflage)

Junebug/Blue Tail

Black Neon

Black Blue

Red Shad

I always order by the 100 so meeting the minimum is no problem and since this is the worm I throw 90% of the time I don't worry about cost.

You'll pay a lot more for GYCB  

Can you save it? dude I save a lot of what I read here

[JayDub]

I'm 20 now, and this is how I was taught by my Dad to worm fish.  That's just about all he would fish with, and I've been Texas rigging like that since I was about 8.   I now apply it to many other soft plastics also.

[Tin]

Catt, I'm just curious about the strikes on the texas rigged worm. If you could give me a rough estimate I was just curious about the percentage of strikes you get on the fall compared to working the bait? When I fish a texas-rig I'm usually fishing a fat albert grub, and I can say that about 95% of the strikes I get are on the fall or right before I begin to work the bait. It has come to a point where I really don't even bother working the bait and fish it almost like a stickbait. Do you think I'am fishing the bait wrong or is it just how the fish want it? :-/

[Catt]

Tin there is no way I could even make an educated guess since I seldom pay attention to that; I've had bass hit on the initial fall, some where in between while sitting still, the instant I moved the worm and straight below the boat. If that's how the bass on your body of water want it then I suggest you give it to them that way.

I fish a Jig-n-Craw the exact same way more than I do flipping or pitching  

[slomoe]

stick with what works. Nice Post!!

[Tin]

Thanks Catt

[Tokyo Tony]

Nice post Catt, I love when you post with an explanation of how you fish a certain lure/technique    It's always simple and straight-forward.

When I was young, I fished Texas rigs almost exclusively, but I really have gotten away from my roots, mostly due to the introduction of weightless stick baits and other techniques.  The good old school Texas rig is something I'm going to try to use more this year.  Just reading about how you fish it, rig it, etc., and knowing that you have great success that way gives me enough confidence to bring it back to life  ;D

[Catt]

It would surprise y'all how many Pros actually still use the Texas Rig during tournaments

April 2006, the Bassmaster Elite Series was held on Santee Cooper Reservoir

Preston Clark weighed-in the heaviest Four-Day Stringer in BASS's 38-year history (to that date). Preston's 4-day stringer weighed 115 lb, 15 oz, an incredible 20-bass average of 5-lb 13-oz! (Highlighting the stubborn 6-lb weight-plateau). During all four days, Preston used a plain Zoom Big Critter Craw that was T-rigged on a 5/0 Owner hook and weighted with 1/4 oz slip sinker.

January 17, 2001

Dean Rojas Shatters B.A.S.S. Single Day Mark with a phenomenal stringer weighing 45-2., Included in his remarkable catch were bass weighing 10-13, 10-0, 9-0, 8-2 and 7-9. Sight fishing with two Texas-rigged soft-plastic lures: a Lake Fork Tackle Lizard and Hawg Caller Log Crawler.

Larry Nixon the first angler to reach the $1 million dollar mark owes it mainly to Texas Rigged Plastic.

[roadwarrior]

Catt,

I'm a long time fan of the T-rig, but I wanted to know EXACTLY how you fished the Salty Ring. Thank you again, I visualize it perfectly in my mind and can't wait to fish it around here.

8-)

[David P]

After reading this, I realize how fast I really fish. I always thought I fished pretty slow, but I never pause for 10 seconds, let alone 30 seconds.

I'll surely be trying this.

[Davis]

After reading this, I realize how fast I really fish. I always thought I fished pretty slow, but I never pause for 10 seconds, let alone 30 seconds.

I'll surely be trying this.

Agreed. Can't wait to give this a whirl come spring. Thanks Catt.

[Catt]

Catt,

I'm a long time fan of the T-rig, but I wanted to know EXACTLY how you fished the Salty Ring. Thank you again, I visualize it perfectly in my mind and can't wait to fish it around here.  8-)

RW this is exactly how I fish the salty ring worm or any plastic baits for that matter  

[Pencil Pusher]

That's exactly the way I fish Texas rig except I'm so old school I still use a 6 foot (sometimes a 5 1/2) rod!!.

[Catt]

Some times the bass want it bait slower but some times the want it faster but this is the pace I start at and the let the bass tell me what they want.

Pegging my weight that's easy, I never feel a need to so I don't; if I'm fishing grass I simple use the same technique but instead of three motions between 3 o'clock and 1 o'clock it's more like 5 or 6 or until the worm and weight moves through the grass. I can only think of one instant where pegging my weight pays off and that is flipping buck brush for spawning bass.

[Guest avid]

Catt mind if i save this information?

I SUCK at fishing senko/stickbaits.I really want to get better somehow,hopefully this will help.

this is a great primer on worm/ soft plastic fishing with a slip sinker.

the senko can be fished this way but you lose the action the lure is famous for.

Lower your rod to the 3 o'clock position while reeling slack & feel for anything unusual

This technique is also excellent in bars just as the lights are flashing.  8-)