If you are a bass angler, you have undoubtedly heard many rigging phrases and techniques that you are unfamiliar with. We have all been in that situation. Rest confident; once you understand these terminologies, you will be able to use them in your favor during your next bass fishing trip.
The top bass anglers are constantly striving to improve their skills, and mastering bass rigs is one of the most effective methods. If you are passionate about bass fishing and want to capture more, you will want to grasp as many rigging techniques as you can.
There are multiple reasons why learning how to rig a fishing line and lure is critical. Each rig has a distinct purpose. Some are weedless, so you can plant them close or in a dense cover without having to dig up a lot of green.
Other bass rigs are used for the show. They give the lure a more natural look, increasing the probability that the bass will be curious about it. Understanding the most common bass rigs can offer you more fuel in the tank when you are out there angling for a long day, irrespective of whatever rig you favor.
Components of a bass rig
You are undoubtedly curious about the equipment required for all bass rigs. Here is a complete list of everything you will need to purchase for each rig:
- Bullet sinkers.
- Mushroom jigs.
- Fluorocarbon leaders.
- Hooks.
- Soft plastics in various sizes, including power bait.
- Swivels.
- Monofilament line.
The Texas rig
The Texas Rig uses a conventional worm hook or a wide gap worm hook and is one of the most common bass rigging methods.
To set it up, take the hook and swivel it around to face the worm. Slide the hook approximately a quarter-inch through the worm and out the other side. The hook should be at a precise 90-degree angle. Continue to pull the hook out until it reaches the eyelet. You do not want to expose it.
Keep in mind that the most crucial aspect of this setup is keeping the hook’s nose from contact with vegetation. If the hook pops out, you will want to push it back into the worm. You will probably rip the worm the first couple of times you do this, so practice something you can afford to waste.
Since it is weedless, the Texas rig is recommended. It is an excellent alternative for anglers who like to fish in high-risk areas and get too near to the tall grass. The best part is that this is where the colossal bass can be found. You cannot just throw anything in if you find an opening in the grass because you will get tangled up and have to trim your line.
The drop-shot rig
The drop-shot rig raises the bait off the bottom in a horizontal method, but it is also a very successful vertical fishing technique. The hook is anywhere from just a few inches to many feet up the line, as opposed to the Carolina rig, in which the mass is at the base. You may use the weight to maintain your bait in position while fishing it up and down, rattling it to entice fish to come in and take a mouthful with this rig.
To rig it, tie a conventional loop on the hook while leaving a long tail end ranging from 6 inches to many feet in length, dependent on how high off the bottom you wish to fish the bait. After you have tied your knot, run the tag end through the eyelet on the other side of the hook point.
If you are angling in extremely shallow water, you can reduce the size to one foot if required. Typically, leave four feet, and it works out nicely. You will then tie your hook, and you will have an additional line at the end. You can make a drop shot by attaching a drop shot or sinker to the end.
Drop-shot fishing can be done in a variety of ways. You may use a Texas rigged worm to rig it up and then throw it near weed areas and tall grass rows. You can either drag the weight along or fish it vertically by jerking your rod tip, recovering a revolution on the reel, and redoing the operation.
The Neko rig
Because of how the worm is presented to the fish, this is the reverse of a wacky rig. The Neko rig is a vertical presentation fished horizontally, whereas a drop shot is a horizontal presentation largely fished vertically.
Tie your hook to the terminal of your line to complete the setup. Then, like a wacky rig, pierce the worm through the center. Insert a lead nail weight or a nail into the worm’s tail. The worm will stand on end as you fish it, but as you twitch it, it will pull horizontally, wiggling forward and standing vertically off the bottom. For soft plastic, this is a one-of-a-kind display.
There are several excellent insert weights available currently for rigging in this manner. Ball weights are inserted into the tail and provide the appearance of a shaky head that may be moved from the midsection of the worm rather than the head. While fighting fish, split rings can keep the worm fastened to the hook. Move the split ring to the center of the worm, then hook the hook tip into the worm under the split ring to secure it.
Carolina rig
Fishing for largemouth bass with the Carolina rig is as prevalent as fly fishing for trout. No need to be concerned if you do not know how to rig a Carolina worm properly. The purpose of this rig is to isolate the weight from the worm so that your presentation does not get messed up. If your weight is holding your worm down, the movement will be ruined, and the bass will flee.
First, thread a bullet sinker onto your line and secure it with a bead or brass clacker. Connect the end with a swivel. Now you will need to purchase a four-foot leader and connect it to the swivel. The hook will be attached to the end of the leader, and the worm will most likely be rigged Texas-style.
Because the idea is to keep weight in constant touch with the water’s bottom, it is similar to a drop shot. The weight eventually pulls along the bottom while the four-foot leader suspends the bait above it. As a result, you get the most organic portrayal of the worm since it appears to be swimming.
The wacky rig
The wacky rig gives fishers an organic aspect to a bait that lies horizontally in the water yet falls gently vertically and can be fished effectively in one area. It might be a lightweight rig or one with a ring or belly weight to help it sink faster in deeper water.
The easiest of the rigs to tie is this one. Use your preferred knot to attach a hook to your line, curl the worm in two and stab it through the center. Then, after casting, let it descend and wiggle it a few times, then let it fall and twitch it again. It writhes through the water column like an actual earthworm.
For clear water, this is an excellent strategy. The fish must be able to see the worm, but it appears to be quite realistic. It is great for fishing around floating cover-like docks, as well as bedded bass and bass near-vertical objects. Because it operates so slowly, it is not easy to fish it across extensive horizontal regions.
Ned rig
The ned rig is one of the essential bass fishing rigs, and you have probably used it without realizing you were rigging a soft plastic before. It is an excellent tactic to use when the bass is not biting throughout the winter. Because their metabolism slows down in the winter, you will want to use this method to catch winter bass.
Incorporate a jig head into your soft plastic. If you are fishing during the winter, ensure to scale down since the bass will not accept a contest. A mushroom jig head is popular among anglers.
Since it is straightforward, tiny, and suitable for precision fishing, it is a terrific option for cold-water fishing. You will want to work it vertically and horizontally like a conventional jig, and you will need to use the ned rig in shallow water since bass will withdraw there when the water temperature drops.
Shaky head
The shaky head rig is identical to the ned rig for bass fishing, but it employs a different head. The presentation is still meant to be used when the bass is not feeding, but it may be used at any time. You will use a circular head and rig it Texas-style rather than a mushroom jig. It generates a natural sound that the bass cannot get enough of.
Rigging is a piece of cake. The rig is made up of a Senko-style soft plastic worm. There are even specialized “shakey head” worms available for purchase. It makes no difference which option you choose. For a Texas rig, puncture the worm with your jig head and loop the hook all the way around before sticking the end back via the underside of the worm.
Anglers appreciate it because it is weedless and has a perfect presentation. Bear in mind that you can add a drop shot to this rig to make it even more natural-looking.
Conclusion
The most crucial aspect of being effective with these rigs is not being scared to experiment with different colors and rig variants until you have figured out how to pattern the fish you are after. It just takes one bait to capture a lot of fish but finding the bait that the fish wants takes time. Investing time in learning the rig you are using and the body of water you are fishing in will result in more catches and angling success.