Texas rig

Also called T-rig, texas rigged worm

What is a Texas rig?

A soft plastic rigged weedless on an offset worm hook with a bullet weight sliding free above it. The most reliable way to fish cover.

Shallow cover: 3/16 to 1/4 oz
Deeper or windy: 3/8 to 1/2 oz
Punching mats: 3/4 oz and up; Pegged against the hook
Hook: Offset worm hook; The kink is what holds the bait

How do you rig a Texas rig?

Slide a cone-shaped bullet weight onto the line, tie on an offset worm hook, push the point into the nose of the plastic about a quarter inch, bring it out the side, slide the bait up over the offset kink, then rotate the hook and bury the point back into the body. Done right the bait hangs straight and nothing catches.

The check is simple: hold it up. If the plastic curves, the point went in crooked and the bait will spin and twist your line on every cast.

Why is the Texas rig so good in cover?

That weedless profile is why it exists. A Texas rig goes into brush piles, grass mats, laydowns and dock pilings that would cost you a lure a cast on anything else.

The free-sliding weight also lets the bait fall naturally once the weight hits bottom, so the plastic drifts down on its own rather than being dragged straight to the deck.

Should you peg the weight?

Peg the weight against the hook with a bobber stop when you are punching through heavy grass, so the whole rig arrives as one compact unit rather than the weight going through and the bait hanging up on top.

Let it slide free in open cover, where the separate fall is the point of the rig.

Texas rig, step by step

Slide a bullet weight onto the line with its pointed end toward the rod tip.
Tie on an offset worm hook.
Push the hook point about a quarter inch into the nose of the plastic and bring it out the side.
Slide the bait up the shank until its nose covers the offset kink.
Rotate the hook so the point faces the bait, and skin the point just under the surface of the plastic.
Hold it up. The bait should hang straight; if it curves, rig it again.

In practice

Use the lightest bullet weight that gets down. 3/16 or 1/4 ounce covers most shallow water; go heavier only for depth, wind or thick mats.

What this means when you’re choosing

Tungsten weights rather than lead where the budget allows. Smaller for the same weight, so they slip through grass, and far better at telling you what the bottom is.
A hook size matched to the plastic, not to the fish. A 4-inch worm wants a 3/0; a 10-inch worm wants a 5/0 or larger.
Bobber stops rather than pegging with a toothpick, which cuts the line at exactly the spot carrying the load.

The common mistake

Burying the hook point too deep

Weedless is a spectrum, and people push the point right through into the middle of the plastic to be safe. Then the hookset has to drive the point back out through the body before it reaches the fish, and it often does not. Skin the point just under the surface of the plastic so a firm sweep pops it straight through.

Common questions

What weight should I use on a Texas rig?

Start at 3/16 or 1/4 ounce for shallow cover. Go up to 3/8 or 1/2 for deeper water and wind, and heavier still only when you are punching through matted grass.

Should you peg the weight on a Texas rig?

Peg it when punching heavy grass, so the weight and bait go through the mat together. Leave it sliding free in open cover, where letting the plastic fall on its own after the weight lands is the whole advantage.

Where this comes up

The guides that use texas rig and show it on real gear.

Last reviewed September 13, 2026. Texas rig is one of 222 terms in the fishing glossary.