Rigging Up, Not Wigging Out FISHING SITUATIONS REQUIRE A VARIETY OF RIGGING METHODS; WE BREAK THEM DOWN FOR YOU. BY RANDY BRUDNICKI ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLEMENTE GUZMAN The drop shot rig is an important Use a light- or medium-action spin - rig for fishing in clear water, on slow ning rod with light line and weights. catching days or in heavily pressured To set the hook, just start reeling and lakes. Unlike some other rigs, where keep pressure on the line. the weight is attached between the Tying up the rig is as simple as Drop shot rig rod and lure, the hook is above the tying on a hook (try a 1/0 or similar weight on a drop shot. This also gets size) with a Palomar knot about 18 the bait off the bottom. inches from the end of the line. Don’t The drop shot can be fished in cut off the tag end, but run it back up shallow or deep water. For water and over and then down through the deeper than 10 feet, fishing it verti - hook eye. Attach a weight on the end cally below the boat can be very of the line. effective. Fish slowly, and don’t move Depending on the underwater veg - it as much as you would think. In etation or other cover, you may need fact, many times just a light twitch of to embed the hook as pictured or you the rod tip or none at all works best. may be able to use an open hook. 58 * TEXAS FISHING 2013 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE * 59 The Texas rig is the granddaddy of in such a way that the barbed point through the plastic and then slightly nents based on conditions and, to them all. I don’t know who coined is buried in the plastic. (Exposed embed the hook point on the outside some extent, the size of the fish the term Texas rig, but it’s been hooks snag on nearly everything edge of the plastic. Both of these available where you are fishing. For around probably since the develop - they contact. The first artificial options help make sure the hook example, if you know there are big rig ment of the vinyl (now plastic) worms were packaged, pre-rigged penetrates through the plastic when bass in the lake, try half-ounce Texas worm in the late ’40s. The original with the hooks exposed.) you set the hook. Without an effec - weights and 10-inch worms. If it is worm manufacturer moved from Of course, there are tips to rigging tive hook-set, the fish may be on the really windy, you may need to use Ohio to Texas at the time the soft the bait to make it more effective. line momentarily and then just come three-quarter or one-ounce plastic worm and bass fishing On soft plastic material that’s a little off. Most of the time when using the weights. If the weather is calm and became prominent nationally, espe - stiffer, thicker bodied or more Texas rig, a forceful, powerful hook- the water is clear, try 6-inch worms cially in the South, with the prolifer - dense, many anglers run the hook set is required. and eighth-ounce weights. ation of new reservoirs filled with point through the plastic (it makes Other variations include not using The Texas rig is very versatile; it standing timber. a channel through the plastic) and a sliding weight (weightless Texas can be used anywhere from shal - The rig involves running a sliding then slide the point back into the rig), “pegging” a weight so it doesn’t low to deep and is useful for fishing weight on your line, the line tied to plastic, retreating into the channel, slide at all or changing the color, a soft plastic bait in any type of an appropriate hook and the hook so it is not exposed. size or shape of the sliding weight. cover. It is the rig all bass anglers point inserted into the worm body Another method is to run the hook You choose the basic compo - need to master. 60 * TEXAS FISHING 2013 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE * 61 The Carolina rig is generally more swivel to the main line and add effective in deeper water and is a your hook last.) Rig the soft plastic good setup for novice anglers. It of your choice on the hook just as also seems to be better for windy you do for the Texas rig. conditions. The advantage of the Carolina rig rig Carolina Again, starting with a sliding is that when a bass picks up the weight (half-ounce is a good size to plastic bait, it feels less resistance. It begin with) on the main line, tie on feels more natural to the bass and it a barrel swivel, add a length of holds the bait longer. At the same leader to the other end of the swiv - time, the angler has more time to el and tie on the hook. (Tip: If you detect the bite. Use a sweep-set to prefer a Palomar knot, tie the set the hook. In other words, sweep leader to the swivel first, then the the rod to the side and start reeling. 62 * TEXAS FISHING 2013 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE * 63 With a split shot rig, a weight is placed on the line above the hook (as in a Carolina rig). But in this rig, pinch on a standard split-shot plit shot rig weight. Don’t pinch the weight too S tightly. Pinching too tightly may weaken the line. The weight does not slide up and down the line as it does on a Texas or Carolina rig. However, it is easy and fast to assemble. 64 * TEXAS FISHING 2013 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE * 65 The ultimate finesse setup is the is a major disadvantage of this rig - tubing and worm. A modification of the wacky rig is wacky rig (also called the Neko ging method, however — nearly There is also a pre-rigged setup a Neko rig. In this case, rig the rig). This rig is mentioned often in every time you catch a fish the called the WackOjig. It solves the hook about one-third to one-half many fishing reports because it plastic rips, making the bait unus - problem of tearing up baits and of the distance from the tail end of works when most everything else able. You can go through many comes in various sizes. the worm. Insert a weight into the Wacky rig doesn’t. It is a pretty simple setup plastic worms this way. The wacky rig has a unique, head or front of the worm. Some but has many variations for appli - Here are some tips to prevent slow descent rate and action. people use small finishing nails or cations in open areas or cover. using so many worms: Slide an O- Does it work because of the stainless steel screws. Tie on a small hook, run the hook ring on the worm and run the hook action and slow fall? Does it work The Neko rig gets the bait down through the center weight point of through the O-ring. Or, put a short because it is something fish a little faster than the wacky rig, so the plastic worm and catch fish. In piece of shrink tubing on the worm don’t see as often? Who knows? choose whichever rig works best cover, use a weedless hook. There and then run the hook through the It just works. for the water depth holding fish. 66 * TEXAS FISHING 2013 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE * 67 The jig rig is a relatively new rig - ging method to present soft plas - tics, but without using — get this — rig or a jig. It is useful in getting the bait to Jika fall more vertically as the weight on jig rig the rig pulls the bait straight down. The hook is attached to a split ring so the bait undulates with any little movement. You may purchase the rigs pre- rigged from tackle shops or manu - facturers such as Owner’s JigRig or make your own. Start with a welded stainless steel ring, add a split ring and then add to the split ring both a hook and drop shot style weight that has a wire loop on top. Tie your line to the ring, not the split ring. These basic rigs will cover many aspects of fishing soft plastic baits. Any method may be more effective one time or another. Have multiple rods rigged and ready for the conditions. Experimenting with these rigs requires an assortment of tackle. SAMPLE LIST OF OPTIONAL TACKLE: INGREDIENTS: Plastic or glass beads Sliding sinkers (adds an additional element of (weights) in assorted sizes clicking noise) such as bullet weights from Rubber bobber stops 1/16 to 2 ounces. (works for pegging a Worm hooks sliding weight so it becomes Drop shot weights stationary) Swivels Split shot weights Assortment of soft plastics Split rings Split ring pliers 68 * TEXAS FISHING 2013 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE * 69.