Rigging plastic baits is an angling art, since no single rig meets all applications. And each rig offers advantages and disadvantages in various situations. The most versatile anglers have mastered many rigs and even have added their own distinctive touches.

Texas Rig

The always-popular Texas rig allows any soft plastic bait to be fished in and around heavy cover with minimal hang-ups, whether the target’s shallow or deep. Simply insert the point of an offset-shank worm hook into the nose of the worm and out about 1/4 inch from the tip of the worm. Next, pull the hook out of the worm body so the hook eye and knot are pulled into the plastic, while rotating the hook so it’s in position to reenter the worm. Finally, pinch the worm slightly and embed the hook at an angle that keeps the worm straight.

Because the Texas-rig requires a solid hookset to drive the hook through the plastic and into the bass’ mouth, some anglers have trouble when fishing light line. The answer is the Tex-posed Texas Rig. Instead of pinching the worm body, measure the bend of the hook against the plastic body and then insert the hook at a 90° angle, just inside this measurement. Push the hook through the plastic body so the point rests above the bait. For a more weedless version, lift the plastic in front of the hook so it barely covers the point.

When flipping or pitching a Texas-rigged worm, the worm weight often is pegged with a toothpick to prevent it from separating from the bait and snagging cover. But toothpicks can damage light line and don’t hold tightly. The Florida Rig, using weights made by Gambler, is an option, and Lunker City and Thunder Bullets have similar sinker riggings. Gambler’s corkscrew-shaped wire screws into the head of the plastic worm, while other models have a serrated spike to hold the bait.

Another variation of the Texas rig popularized by western bass anglers is the Doodle Rig, a predominantly vertical finesse presentation. It’s effective with small worms and reapers in deep clear impoundments for bass suspended in the water column or hugging bottom.

To retain the subtle action of these small baits, rig a 1/0 or #1 hook on 6- to 8-pound line. A glass bead and brass worm weight, both freely sliding on the line, combine with a Texas-rigged plastic to complete the package. Doodling involves shaking the rod tip so the brass weight and glass bead clack together, drawing bass.

Alternatively, set a weight or bead up or down the line, using a Top Brass Peg-It or rubber band to alter the distance between the bait and the weight. When vertically doodling, peg the glass bead 10 to 12 inches above the worm with the brass weight sliding freely above the bead. This rig produces sound, yet allows the worm to move freely and fall slowly. Pegging the bead 3 to 4 feet above the worm yields a finesse-style Carolina rig for clear water.

Carolina Rig

Certainly one of the most versatile and popular rigs for worms, lizards, craws, tubes, or grubs is the Carolina rig. This rig sets a bait some distance (several inches to several feet) behind a heavy sinker. The sinker, dragging along the bottom, produces a trail of silt and low-frequency sounds that attract bass to the trailing bait.

Experienced anglers match the sinker design to the type of bottom or cover. The terminal gear includes a 1/2- to 1-ounce lead or brass bullet weight, and a glass bead that freely sides above a #5 barrel swivel.