Bass Rigs

Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig is the most popular type of soft plastic rig and it is originated in South Carolina. This type of rig consists of a weight and a bead placed in front of a swivel, and then a leader of different lengths with a hook and of course, the soft plastic bait. The bead is located in-between the swivel and weight in order to protect the knot. This type of rig also makes a clicking noise when it is dragged across the area you fish. The main goal behind this rig is to have the softbait be situated just above a weedline.

Lastly, we will share you some tips regarding the usage of the Carolina rig:

  1. Use a heavier weight for deep waters;
  2. For clear waters, use a longer header size;
  3. Keep the weight in contact with the ground;
  4. Where cover is restricted, use this rig. Do not use it in heavy weeds and wooded areas;
  5. Use it on points, weedlines, humps and hard bottoms;
  6. If the head is longer, the less you will be capable of feeling it.

Texas Rig

It is quite easy to use using soft plastic bags. The main and most important importance of the Texas rig is that it is weedless which means that the hook is inserted back into the bait so that it will not catch on debris in the waters. This type of rig involves sliding a bullet weight on the line first and afterwards attaching a large offset worm hook. After the soft plastic worm is attached, the bullet weight will rest right on the nose of the worm. Here are some tips regarding how to properly use the Texas rig:

  1. Use short pulls and/or slow jerks and pauses;
  2. For improved control, make shorter casts;
  3. In order to penetrate thicker cover as well as for deeper waters, use bigger weights;
  4. Keep slack on your line while letting it fall;
  5. Observe your line closely in deep water conditions;
  6. Expose the hook if you are fishing in an area with flat bottom or no cover;
  7. Keep your eye on the line.

Double Fluke Rig

Just as the name suggests, it is a rig that has two flukes attached to it. What is the main advantage of this type of rig in comparison to a single rig model? Quite obvious, as you get another chance to hook up with a fish and the great thing about the double fluke rig is that it starts to look similar to a school of bass or quite the same with a fish that is chasing another one, making the bass more interested in what is going on. In order to properly set up a double fluke rig, a fisherman must grab the main line and then slide it through one of the holes on a barrel swivel. Next, it is time to attach a big offset hook – 4/0 or even 5/0 in size should do the trick. After doing so, on the other sides of the barrel swivel attach anywhere you want 14-20 inches of good line. Next step is to attach a hook on the line and after that, attach a fluke to each of the hooks. This bait is very efficient while the bass are schooling but can be just as good in other situations as well. Many these tips regarding the usage of double fluke rigs would come in hand next time:

  1. Give quick jerks in order to make the flukes seem injured;
  2. Acquire quality swivels for optimum efficiency;
  3. Use different colored flukes until you will find the most suitable one’s for you;
  4. For this rig we recommend the usage of a heavier line;
  5. Remember that the swivel slides up and down quite frequently.

Floating Rigs

These are recommended for shallow cover situations or when the bass fish are suspended near the surface in open water. This type of rig consists of a hook tied directly to the fishing line even though some anglers prefer tying a barrel swivel on their main line. For these rigs, the worms are considered to be the most popular baits. It should be cast around submerged and emergent vegetation, boat docks, fallen timber or even trees which hang over the shoreline. This specific type of rig is efficient on fish that are in a natural mood, or a negative feeding one.

Drop-shot Rig

The drop-shot rig consists of a hook which is tied to the line about a foot above a drop-shot sinker. With this rig, the most productive lures are the small worms, ranging from two to four inches maximum. These are recommended for situations in which anglers have detected a group of bass in deep waters as well as in clear-water areas. It is advisable to drop this rig right into the school and lift it in a slowly matter off the bottom.