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How to Rig Soft Plastic Fishing Baits

How to Rig Soft Plastic Fishing Baits
Soft plastic fishing baits have a distinct advantage over harder lures since fish find them more realistic. A biting fish will hold onto soft plastic bait longer before it realizes that the bait is not real. Soft plastics come in many forms, with worms, grubs and lizards among the most popular types. How an angler rigs these baits contributes to how effective the lure is, allowing them to fish the plastic baits in weeds and brush.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Texas Rigging

Things You’ll Need:
  • Offset worm hooks Worm weights Bullet weights Plastic worms, lizards and grubs
  • Offset worm hooks
  • Worm weights
  • Bullet weights
  • Plastic worms, lizards and grubs
Step 1
Offset worm hook
Offset worm hook
Use an offset worm hook to Texas rig plastic worms and lizards. Press the sharp point of your offset hook into the thick "top" end of your worm or lizard.
Step 2
Thread the point through the plastic lure bait and cause the point to emerge a half inch below where it entered.
Step 3
Shove the plastic bait up close to the hook's eye. Position the hook to face the body of the bait by rotating it. Try to have the bait dangling down from where you attached it to the upper part of the hook so it remains straight.
Step 4
Push the hook into that place on the bait's body that lies opposite it. Shove it in but do not jam it all the way through. The hook should remain inside the bait, which allows you to fish this set-up in heavy cover.
Step 5
Texas rigged worm
Texas rigged worm
Attach a worm weight to the end of your fishing line. Tie on the Texas rigged plastic lizard or worm with a clinch knot.

Grubs

Step 1
Rig a plastic grub to be weedless. Take your offset worm hook and stick it through the top thick end. Force it out a quarter inch below where it went through.
Step 2
Turn the hook to have it facing the grub. Align the point so that it will enter the grub right above where the grub's tail begins. Push the hook in but not all the way through the grub.
Step 3
Texas rigged grub
Texas rigged grub
Slip a 1/16-ounce bullet weight onto your line. Tie the offset hook holding the plastic grub to the line with a clinch knot.
Step 4
Change this rig when fishing the grub in more open areas where snagging will not be a problem. Impale the grub all the way up the offset hook. Thread the grub on starting at its thick end. Push the grub all the way down the hook, keeping the hook in the center of the grub's body.
Step 5
Grub with hook protruding
Grub with hook protruding
Bring the impaled grub up snug to the eye of the offset hook. The point of the hook should emerge right above the tail. On a split-tailed grub the point will come out right between the spot where the two tails join. Fish this rig with the lightweight bullet weight in front of it.

Article Written By John Lindell

John Lindell has written articles for "The Greyhound Review" and various other online publications. A Connecticut native, his work specializes in sports, fishing and nature. Lindell worked in greyhound racing for 25 years.

Write for Trails.com

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