3 Texas Rigs You Need For Summer
Kevin VanDam hails from Kalamazoo, Mich., but the bass-fishing legend’s pretty fond of Texas — the Texas rig, that is. Unquestionably one of the foundational tools of modern bass fishing, this rig boasts old-school reliability with endless diversity.
Equally effective with worms, craws, and creature baits, the Texas rig’s a highly accommodating setup. Insert your hook point into the bait’s head, bringing it out about a 1/4 inch below, and pull the entire hook through until the eye rests atop the bait.
From there, rotate the hook so the point faces the bait. Inserting the point back into the body achieves the desired weedless, but one key step ensures the streamlined, natural appearance you need. Before reinserting the point, lay the hook against the bait, use your thumb to mark the line where the bend sits, scoot the bait upward, and insert the point at that line.
Go Big
Noting the year-round applicability (below the freeze line), VanDam said he keeps several Texas rig configurations handy for his summer use. First up is the classic “big worm” rig. True to its name, this hefty soft plastic is a perennial warm season favorite and, whether he’s dragging a Texas-rigged 10- to 12-inch worm over ledges or long points, VanDam knows this big profile appeals to hungry bass.
"I think the bigger worms really come into play in the summer months when the bass are more aggressive,” VanDam said. “I think it has a lot to do with them really focusing on gizzard shad. I know a big worm isn’t the same profile as a big gizzard shad, but the motion and the subtler vibration of the ribbon-style tail are what make this bait attractive.
“Also, on reservoir lakes like the ones on the Tennessee River, when the fish lock down on the bottom around stumps or rocks, dragging a Texas rigged big worm can be very effective.”
VanDam rigs his big worm on a 4/0 Mustad AlphaPoint Tak Offset Hook, a long shank design that helps keep a lengthy bait properly aligned. He’ll add a tungsten bullet weight appropriate for his depth, but he doesn’t stop there.
“I’ll also put a big worm on a wobble head like the Mustad Tungsten TitanX Fastach Football Head," VanDam said. “That Fastach head allows you to use whatever hook you want. I go with the same hook that I use for (the standard Texas rig). That wobble head (presentation) works great over clean bottom, or through grass. That’s one of my favorite summertime things to do.”
Other Options
Along with his big worm setups, VanDam commonly uses a couple more Texas rig configurations.
- Flipping/Pitching: For deeper grass, timber, or deep docks, VanDam favors the Strike King Game Hog, which mimics a bluegill profile with lots of action. Using the same Mustad AlphaPoint Tak Offset Hook, he selects a 5/0 for the chunkier creature baits.
- Dropshot: Calling this a must-have rig for today’s heavily pressured fisheries, VanDam Texas rigs a 6-inch Strike King Filler Worm on a 2/0 Mustad KVD Grip Pin Edge Finesse Hook. Unlike the exposed hook point of a standard nose-hooked dropshot bait, this weedless rig allows him to probe stumps or brush, as well as clean bottom.
“Day in and day out, you have to have a Texas rig ready to go,” VanDam said. “You can fish deep docks, you can throw it in brush, and even though it’s weedless, you can throw it in open water. There’s just a lot of versatility.”
