5 Bass Fishing Rigs For Your Target Fish

Want to catch a fair amount of bass this season? Learning a bunch of effective bass fishing rigs amps up your chances of making your catch.

Rigging for bass calls for presentation and purpose. They create a sense of natural presentation to your target bass, attracting it to bite.

Here are some of the most effective bass fishing rigs that we’re sure will come in handy on your trip.

Contents

5 Bass Fishing Rigs

1. Ned Rig

This rig fits fishing best when the target bass swims in tough or pressured water conditions. Its small profile and subtle action make it a perfect rig to mimic several bass food sources. Rigging this, you need a small chunk of soft plastic stick baits threaded onto a light jighead.

To rig the Ned Rig, tie the jighead to your leader line and add the stick bait. Simple, easy, yet effective in bagging your target bass.

2. Texas Rig

The Texas Rig or “T-rig” boasts versatility when it comes to setting anglers up for their catch. This rig suits many, if not all, water conditions and can be rigged with any soft plastic lure.

To tie the Texas rig, feed your leader line through the bullet-style weight and the hook’s eye before securing and tightening your preferred knot. Cut its tag end and get your soft plastic lure and rig it on your hook.

Pass the hook point through the nose of the lure and exit about ¼ an inch down. Slide the plastic up the straight shank of your hook and rotate it to lock on the shank. Line the straight shank to your plastic and enter the hook point to the bait body for a weedless presentation.

Here’s the difference between the Carolina rig vs Texas rig.

3. Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig allows you to present your lure near the bottom of your bass fishing spot in a weightless fashion. This gives your Bass little resistance in taking the lure, allowing more of the bait to ensure a hook set on the fish.

To tie a Carolina rig, start by cutting a leader line (about 18 inches). Tie your hook to your swivel with a Palomar knot, Uni knot, Jam knot, and Improved Double Clinch knot. At the other end of your leader, tie on your swivel with a Palomar knot.

Make a loop to attach your leader to your mainline, then pull your whole line through the loop. First, pull your hook, then your swivel through the loop of your mainline. Moisten your finger and knot to make it flat before tightening.

4. Drop Shot Rig

The drop-shot rig is considered the most crucial rig for bass anglers as it can be used in the shallows and deep water reliably. The rig is a line tied to a hook connected to a trailing leader that weighs its end. The hook and the bait are above the weight.

To tie the drop shot rig, point your hook upwards before attaching it to your mainline with a Palomar knot, leaving at least 18 inches at the tag end for the weight. Pass the tag end through the hook eye so the point faces up.

Then, attach the weight through the tag end’s eyelet and pull it toward the closed top. Next, pass a soft plastic lure on the hook by pushing it from the bottom and up to the top and turning it around to keep the lure and hook eye in a single line.

5. Shaky Head Rig

The use of Shaky Head rig is best when fishing for Bass in tough water conditions where you most likely experience zero bites. This rig is great to tie to your child’s line for their first Bass, as it is an excellent all-around bait.

To tie the Shaky Head Rig, take your jig head, whichever you prefer, and penetrate the worm with it. Wrap the hook around it and stick the end back through the bottom.

Bass Fishing Rod and Reel

Bass Fishing Rod Setup

Many anglers use a casting rod as these rod types are more conducive to heavy cover and power bass fishing situations regarding rod setup. While a casting rod is usually preferred, it is not unusual for anglers to use a spinning rod when fishing calls for non-power situations.

Anglers skipping tunes under docks, rigging a shaky head, micro cranks, and topwater use spinning rods.

Bass fishing rods from graphite are the current usual in the market as they are lightweight and perfect for all-day bass fishing. You want a medium, medium/heavy, heavy, or extra heavy power rating to cover your bass fishing experience for the rod power.

Bass Fishing Reel Setup

In bass fishing, baitcaster and spinning reels are most popular, but beginner anglers usually start with a spincasting before their gradual upgrade. Your choice between a baitcasting reel and a spinning one will depend on your fishing technique.

Bass Fishing Lures

Luring Bass, which are aggressive in nature, only takes bait that mimics their prey or food sources. Bass species are effective when lured with artificial lures like plugs, crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, and rooster tails.

Like most fish, Bass will attack fleeting prey that appears to be wounded and unable to escape. Taking advantage of this instinct will land you your target bass of the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you use a swivel when bass fishing?

Swivels are not prohibited in bass fishing. With a drop shot rig, fishing with a swivel helps you bag your catch in ultra-deepwater situations.

What attracts bass the most?

Bass species will prey on anything that fits in their mouth. What takes their attraction is a seemingly wounded prey fleeting in the water, unable to escape an attack.

Diana Nadim

Fishing Expert

Diana began fishing at the age of seven, as it has been a long-time family tradition. From catching small bullheads to catching strippers on the backwaters of Bighorn, she loves to get out in the wild and have a marvelous day on the water. Her dad was an expert angler, and he taught her fishing along with her two siblings. They used to go to the Bighorn River in Montana and Henry’s fork, Idaho. As a pragmatic person, she is obsessed with creating well-researched and practical guides and reviews of the best fishing methods and gear.