FRESHWATER RIG LIBRARY

Texas Rig

A bullet weight slides down flush against an offset wide-gap hook, and the hook point is buried back in the soft plastic. Weedless, so you can fish it right into heavy cover.

Best forLargemouth & peacock bass

WhereWeeds, wood, docks, rocks

MethodBottom / flipping / pitching

DifficultyEasy

Texas Rig — BigJoe rig illustration — Main lineBullet weightEWG offset hookSoft plastic

Rig diagram (component order)

Texas Rig: Main line, Bullet weight, EWG offset hook, Soft plastic

Real tackle photo

Texas rig: bullet weight, EWG hook and ribbon-tail worm — Photo: BRDSWRD, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Step-by-step how-to

Texas Rig How To Graphic — Graphic: Tackle Village, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Step-by-step build instructions

1
Slide the bullet weight onto the line, point toward the rod.
2
Tie on the EWG hook. The weight slides down flush to the eye.
3
Push the point 1/4 in into the head of the worm and out the side.
4
Slide the worm up over the z-bend and turn the hook around.
5
Lay the hook alongside, then bury the point back in so the worm hangs straight.
6
Cast to cover, let it fall, then hop or drag it along the bottom.

BigJoe Tips

Use the lightest weight that reaches the bottom.
Peg the weight with a bobber stop for thick cover.
Set the hook hard: the point has to come through the plastic.
A straight worm with no kinks spins less.

Variations

Tungsten weights are smaller and more sensitive.
Add a glass bead for a clicking sound.
Swap the worm for a craw or creature bait.
Heavy “punch” weights (1–2 oz) for matted grass.

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Target Species

Largemouth bassMicropterus nigricans Butterfly peacock bassCichla ocellaris Jaguar guapoteParachromis managuensis