How to Texas Rig a Plastic Worm

Last Updated: September 1, 2019 Approved

A plastic worm is a staple in any bass fisherman's arsenal. It can be used for both salt water and fresh water.The Texas Rig is one of the most popular ways to fish a plastic worm because of its effectiveness. You can fish a Texas rigged worm over any kind of structure, through weeds and grass, and at any depth you want. You can vary the size of the worm and the weight to change the rate of fall, and you can fish it as slowly or as quickly as you want. In short, a Texas rig is the ultimate in versatile bass lures, provided you know how to rig it.

Steps

1
Slip a bullet sinker, preferably made from something other than lead, such as brass or ceramic, onto your line by inserting the line into the pointed end of the sinker.^{[1]
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2
Tie on an offset worm hook using your favorite fishing knot.^{[2]
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3
Insert about 1/4 of an inch of the point of the hook straight into the top of the worm.^{[3]
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4
Turn the hook point and exit the worm at the side of the head.
5
Slide the worm up the hook toward the eye, twisting it around the hook wire as you slide it, so that the point of the hook will be facing the worm.^{[4]
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- The eye of the hook should be just at the top of the worm. The offset should hold the main wire of the hook outside the worm so the worm can hang straight down toward the point.
6
Allow the worm to hang straight down and put your finger and thumb on the worm right at the point that the bend of the hook reaches.
7
Keeping your thumb and finger on that spot, bend the worm so that you can insert the point of the hook into the worm at a right angle. Make sure you keep the worm straight so the hook is going back into the same side of the worm that it came out of up top.
8
Push the point all the way through the worm. When you are done doing this, the worm should make a straight line between the point and the eye of the hook.^{[5]
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9
Now push up on the worm just a little so you can slip the point of the hook just under the surface of the plastic.
10
Once the point is hidden beneath the surface, the Texas Rig is called "weedless" or "skin-hooked". Rigged like this, the worm will slip through weeds without getting snagged, but it is still easy to set the hook.

Community Q&A

Question

Does the fake plastic worm have any smell?

Community Answer

Some of them do and some of them don't. It will say on the package. If you want to add a scent to an unscented plastic worm, you can do it yourself.
Question

Won't the hook rip through the worm?

Community Answer

That is a possibility. A worm usually is only good for around five fish before you have to replace it from damages. It's a good thing they are generally cheap!
Question

How heavy should the sinker be?

Community Answer

This depends on how heavy the structure is, and how deep you want to go. The deeper or more densely structured you're fishing, the more weight you'll want to add.

Warnings

Using a lead sinker can be dangerous to your health; it's also harmful to aquatic life and many eco-friendly alternatives exist which aren't harmful. Weights and sinkers are now made from steel, tin, tungsten and a biodegradable eco material.

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Be careful not to stick yourself with the hook.

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If you get your Texas-rigged worm stuck on something, do not pull the line straight toward yourself. If it comes unstuck suddenly, it will shoot right into you at high speed. They aren't called "bullet" weights for nothing. (That is because they look like bullets; plus, worry about the hook not the weight.) A bullet weight at speed can cause severe injury to your eyes or anywhere else it hits. Also, pulling it might just make it worse. Try pulling the line in between the reel and first eye with your hand so it is tight, then letting go. the backwards force is sometimes just enough to break it free.

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Don't bite your fishing line off. It can break your teeth, not to mention all the nasty bacteria and other stuff that gets on your line from being in the lake.

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