bass fishing tips

Knowing what bass fishing rigs to use is a must before you hit the water.

Much thought is put into what rod and reel you should use, line to outfit it with and lures to use but too often those new to bass fishing don't put enough thought into what bass fishing rigs to use before they find themselves on the water.

Sometimes this can lead to just throwing a hook and weight on the line and getting it out there because "I want to catch fish NOW".

Well you are here because you are smart enough to look into some of the most common bass fishing rigs before you go on your trip.

Here are 3 of the most popular bass fishing rigs for soft plastics, in no particular order.

Texas Rig

The Texas rig is a very simple and effective bass fishing rig. This setup is used most often with various worms and stick baits. Some will use them with soft minnow baits such as Super Flukes.

The great thing about this setup is its ability to go just about anywhere. This rig allows you to fish the clearest bottoms or the heaviest cover without hang ups. Its definitely a great rig to start out with.

You thread your line through a worm sinker, then tie on your hook. A good size will 3/0 - 5/0 offset. Then hook your bass lure on and you got one of the most popular rigs ready to land you that trophy bass.

Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig is almost as simple as the Texas Rig. With this bass fishing rig you are able to present your lure near the bottom of your favorite fishing spot in nearly weightless fashion with the hook and line secured to a swivel. The egg type sinker is on the other side of the swivel, typically with a bead to protect the knot on the swivel.

This rig will allow your bass to take the lure with little resistance allowing for more of the bait to be taken by the fish ensuring a better hook set.

Drop Shot

Another easy set up is the Drop shot. This uses the line straight from your reel for your hook then your sinker at the bottom with no additional leaders or swivels needed.

You?ll want to tie your hook on typically with a Palomar knot leaving at least 8 and up to 24 inches of line to tie on your drop shot sinker.

If you tie your hook on correctly, by feeding the tag end of your line back through the top of the hook after tying your knot, your hook will run perpendicular to your line giving your lure a presentation that big bass will find irresistible.

Next, hook your favorite lure on, usually ? inch back from the nose and you are ready to go. Some will use the wacky rig style to hook their lure which has proved to be a deadly combination.

Wacky Rig

The wacky rig is not actually a way to setup your line but more of a way to present your worms or soft stick baits on the hook.

Since it has really become a powerful tactic recently it is important enough to make sure you know about it along with the rigs we have just discussed.

You can use the wacky rig with the Texas or Carolina rig. All this is involves is sticking your worm right through the center of the body with the hook...you?re done.

The idea behind this setup is the flutter action you get from your lure on each side as it is sinking to the bottom. This action will provoke strikes as the lure is falling. If there are no strikes on the way down, work the lure for more of the same action as you reel your line back in. This has become a killer technique for many bass anglers.

There you have all you need to get started with some of the most common and proven bass fishing rigs. Try them out and see which one works best for you.

Go from bass fishing rigs to our bass fishing tackle page for more great tips.

Go to our home page to learn more about bass fishing.

Let us know what you think! Leave us a comment in the box below.

View the original article here