Texas Rig

Soft baits rigged Texas-style can be effective in a wide range of conditions and cover. It's probably the most effective technique available for thick, floating vegetation because the rig is streamlined, weedless, and allows the most control over your lure. There's a slip sinker just above the nose of the bait. Use the lightest sinker that conditions will allow to get the most natural look and action-it may be a little harder to cast and control, but will win you a lot more strikes than a heavier bait. Work the Texas rig through structure in short hops by lifting and dropping your rod tip, and reeling up the slack while the tip is down. Doodling, or shaking a soft bait by wiggling the rod tip, creates added action that sometimes helps when the bite is slow. Some anglers prefer to "peg" the sinker by wedging a toothpick in the hole and snapping it off to keep the sinker from moving on the line. This can make it easier to detect bumps and strikes. Special sinkers are available that can be screwed into the bait, essentially "pegging" it without the toothpick-this is sometimes referred to as a "florida rig."