Last Updated: June 2026

What Is It?

The Texas Rig is the most versatile bass fishing setup ever invented. A bullet-shaped sinker slides freely on the line above an offset worm hook, and the soft plastic bait is threaded weedless so it can be dragged through grass, wood, rocks, and brush without snagging. It works in virtually every situation and is the first rig most bass anglers learn for a reason.

When to Use It

Season	Year-round — spring spawning flats, summer deep structure, fall scattered bass, winter deep crawl
Best For	Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass
Water Clarity	Any — heavier weights and darker colors in stained water
Ideal Cover	Grass, laydowns, docks, rocks, brush piles, any heavy cover
Depth	Shallow to 25+ ft depending on sinker weight

How to Rig It

Slide a tungsten bullet sinker onto your line, point facing down toward the hook.
Tie an offset EWG worm hook — 3/0 for baits under 5 inches, 4/0–5/0 for larger baits.
Push the hook point through the nose of the bait about ¼ inch, then out the side.
Slide the bait up the hook shank until the eye pokes through.
Rotate the hook 180° and push the point back into the body of the bait — do not push it all the way through.
Confirm the bait hangs perfectly straight with no twist.

Hook & Weight Sizes

Situation	Sinker Weight	Hook Size
Open water / light cover	3/16 oz	3/0
Medium cover	¼ oz	3/0–4/0
Heavy grass / timber	⅜ oz	4/0
Punching / flipping	½–¾ oz	4/0–5/0
Deep structure (20+ ft)	¾–1 oz	4/0–5/0

Pro Tips

💡 Switch to tungsten over lead — same weight, smaller profile, and dramatically better bottom sensitivity.
💡 Peg your sinker with a bobber stopper when fishing heavy cover so the weight stays pinned to the bait and doesn't hang up separately.
💡 In post-cold-front clear water, downsize to 3/16 oz and a smaller finesse worm — less is more when bass are lock-jawed.