We Neko rig a lot of fat, straight-tail worms and often just wet the O-ring or the worm and slide it onto the plastic. For the more novice lure casters amongst us, these have been an absolute saviour when casting amongst mangroves and tree lined stretches as it saves much time recovering lures from wayward casts amongst trees. An exception to this is the Edge Condor or Conrad lures. You don’t need to go crazy with it because it’ll have its own action but a few twitches here and there won’t hurt. Click Image Below to Play. Originals. I prefer a hook that has some sort of weed guard but any will do. It especially works … You can also get away with hooking your soft plastics … This is not where you wish to be. The Neko rig is very similar to a wacky rig, so you need to start by getting a ring over the plastic. This is a simple procedure but does need some explanation for those who may be unfamiliar with this deadly method. Rigging smaller and even larger plastic frogs does need some consideration as you desire is to keep the frog on the surface. Q: Do soft-plastics work on other rigs, too? You can rig them on a jig head and fish them in deeper creeks or docks, or you can rig them on a weighted swimbait hook and fish them on shallow flats or … Stick the hook in the top of the bait (about a quarter-inch deep) and poke it back out again. Remarkably, some even smell and taste like the real thing too! On the other side of the swivel, you attach a 12- to 60-inch leader, tied to an appropriate hook and a soft plastic bait. When Should You Use Braided Fishing Line? Shakey Head A Craw. Soft plastic shad fishing lures are proven fish catchers, partly due to the wriggling action they get from their paddle tails and their realistic apperance. Techniques with lures and soft plastics. Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Your plastic now needs to be rotated 180 degrees and once done you need to carefully align your hook up with the chosen bait to determine where the hook will rest. What this refers to (as the name applies),is surface soft plastics that replicate a “frog”. There are also variations to adding weight to your chosen hook. Plastics rigged weedless are cast amongst timber snags, rock bars and rolled amongst weed and lillie beds is a method. My favorite way to fish a shaky head is by dragging it along the bottom. How To Rig Soft Plastic Bugs. Shaky head. Jighead-rigged plastics are the easiest and most versatile way to target fish, allowing you to get your bait to the strike zone quickly. What you need to assess in any given scenario is the type of terrain you're fishing across and whether or not your gear may be like taking a knife to a gun fight. With this I simply incorporate a 1/16th bullet head sinker and allow this to run down my leader to meet the lure (Texas style rigging method). You’ll need to leave a long tag end (8-12 inches) though because you’ll be attaching the drop shot weight below the hook. To rig, slip a sliding weight onto your line followed by a few glass beads (no plastic beads allowed as they don’t chatter as crisply as glass). Pro tip: If we are Carolina rigging a larger soft plastic like a Zoom Brush Hog or a Gene Larew Salt Craw, we will use a bigger extra wide gap hook that can penetrate the bulk of the plastic on the sweeping hookset you often use with a Carolina rig because you have to set your hook through the weight down a long leader. It is similar to the Texas rig in that the plastic worm or bait is rigged weedless, but the weight is separated from the lure with a leader and a swivel. Tie a swivel onto the end of the line. This is because the soft plastic covers the lead leaving only the hook exposed. In a field that was once dominated by casting and trolling hard bodied lures, soft plastics have now stamped their authority when it comes to targeting these structure orientated brawlers. These hooks come as straight shank, true turns and extra wide gape patterns, and can be purchased as both weighted or weight free hooks. ProjectZ Season 4. Soft plastic stick baits for striped bass are a must know for all anglers. Rigging Soft Plastics With Jigs: It seems many people are forgetting the variety of jigs out there today and how some match very well with Soft Plastics! Know Where The Fish Are. Sure, you do miss out on that surface explosion but the hit on a slowly rolled plastic is also a real buzz and it can be the difference between heading home empty handed. When soft plastics fishing for flatties I use 2 simple techniques. Rigging Soft Plastics With Jigs: It seems many people are forgetting the variety of jigs out there today and how some match very well with Soft Plastics! This will allow the worm to stand upright when it’s floating in the water. The Texas rig is simply a way of putting a hook into a soft plastic lure to make it snag-free, or weedless, yet look natural when retrieved. How To. As a general rule, you’ll want to cast the bait and let it sink to the bottom. Related Videoz. Like nose hooking on a dropshot, wacky rigging a plastic is a great way to free up the action and create a profile that bass can’t resist. Most of them are purchased without hooks and the angler must rig these baits before using them. You’ll then want to take the hook and put it through the nose of the stick bait. The most well-known way of rigging soft plastics is the Texas rig. ... How does Z-Man's ElaZtech compare to other soft plastics? More How To. Add a hook with about 8 inches of line below a swivel, with one or two split shots above the swivel. Slide the bait to the top of the shaky head, rotate the hook, and put the hook back in the worm (same as the Texas rig). If you’ve ever fished in a weeded area you probably know all too well that snags are going to happen. A Texas-rigged plastic worm has accounted for more wins on the B.A.S.S tour than any other combination to date. This is going to add some weight so you can cast it better and it’ll help the bait sink. Rig Jigheads So the body Is straight, not crooked If a soft plastic has a straight back then it needs to be rigged onto the jighead in such a manner that it remains straight. You absolutely have to learn how to Texas rig a soft plastic properly if you are going to catch bass. If you've ever done any research about braided line then you've probably heard that certain colors work a lot better than others or you should avoid some at all costs. In this chapter we look at selecting a standard jighead and how to effectively rig a soft plastic on a standard jighead. Many anglers sight-fishing on grassy flats remove the internal hook from a plastic shrimp and rig it without the tail fin to swim backward on a larger hook. Soft plastic lures catch saltwater fish inshore and offshore. You’ll then want to slide the bait to the top of the hook and then spin the hook around so you can put the hook back into the bait. If your soft plastic isn’t correctly rigged, it will spin and no fish will come near it. I get sick of taking weeds off my hooks every cast and the solution to that is using a Texas rig. How to Rig Soft Plastics for Striped Bass. This site is where I test out different gear and techniques to see what actually works. Similar techniques can be used for bream and along oyster racks, mangrove lined edges and man-made structures such as our jetties and bridge pylons. Any angler who hasn’t heard of soft plastics by now must be living under a rock. Slide the hook through the bait and make it so that the head sits on the offset shank and then pushes the hook’s point through the bait. The Texas rig is probably my favourite method of fishing soft plastics on the river. Beyond the Bait Powered by Streamlight is a 13-episode video series on gameandfishmag.com that focusses on the best baits for bass fishing. Boats. Secondly we are able to cast and swim these out from the structure these fish are holding up in and we can do so without the fear of a snag or foul up. The angling edge at such locations comes with leaving the comfort zone and trying something different, in this case, soft plastics. This is what I use a lot of the time when I’m fishing from shore. We now down size the offerings (from that of barramundi & jacks) and start looking at much smaller plastics and smaller worm style hooks to match. The original, and still most commonly seen use of soft plastics is as a simple lure, using a weighted hook known as a jighead.The hook of the jighead is threaded through the lure so that only the gape of the hook, and the eye, are exposed. Another soft plastic technique that deserves its own special mention is “surface frogging”. Over time, the plastic worm has expanded from its original straight-tail design to include paddle-tail, forked-tail, and ribbon-tail designs and has been joined by plastic grubs, plastic salamanders, and other soft plastic creations. How to Texas Rig a soft plastic: • Use an offset shank hook, and insert it in the head of the bait, then back out about a ¼ of an inch below the head. Sign-up to receive the twice-weekly email newsletter. Smaller plastics from say one to 3-inch rigged weedless are every bit as deadly and we have the luxury of many differing bait fish, crab and prawn patterns to choose from. The previous two rigs will sink pretty quick but this one takes its time. Texas Rig. How to Rig ElaZtech. Feel free to give it a share! It works well and you can buy a bunch for fairly cheap. The action of many through the water is incredibly life like and the hits can be nothing short of spectacular. The mistake many anglers make is not keeping the worm on center with the hook. All are effective but it must be mentioned that the “ball in loop knot” method is absolutely useless if using a worm style hook that features an eye sitting at 90 degrees. In this portion of the how-to video, you will learn how to rig your soft plastic jerkbait to fish the bait on or near he surface of the water. Both work very well and the best idea always is to carefully match hook size and pattern to the various plastic being used. In this post, I'm going to be... Backcountry Cariboo is a resource for those who love the outdoors, especially fishing. Nothing fancy, just bass rigs you make with a bait, a sinker, and a hook. When selecting a standard jighead you need to consider the weight of the jighead, size of the hook, gauge of the hook - fine or heavy wire and the style of the jighead. Surface frogging brings about the adrenaline fuelled visual excitement we all thrive upon and some of the hits from fish such a barramundi, cod and mangrove jack can be so seriously explosive it will keep you coming back time and time again. Click Image Below to Play. Capt. It sounds like a very simple technique but it's also one that looks incredibly natural and realistic and gives a barramundi or jack holding on the structure the quick opportunity to pounce on a passing meal. Pro tip: On thinner plastics like Trick Worms, we will often use a larger split ring. This set up is cast against the edges of weed and lillie-lined edges or timber structure/snags and slowly worked out using a twitch like retrieve. The first thing you’ll want to do is put the bullet weight on your line (I use a braided line with a fluorocarbon leader). So anglers will make a few turns with tying thread behind the hook ey… Soft plastics are one of my favorite fishing lures because they can be used in pretty much every situation. It’ll work best if you’re using a slimmer bait. There are many hook patterns and brands such as Owner, TT, Mustad, VMC, Gamakatsu and Wilson, who are all now producing high quality worm style hooks. For instance, where a bullet head type sinker is allowed to run along your leader down to your plastic (texas style rigging); or a ball sinker which sits on the inside of your actual “loop knot” to your hook/plastic; and lastly, where you crimp weight (such as a split shot sinker) onto your hook yourself. Go through the bottom and out the top so the hook is sticking standing the right way up. In certain areas 30 lb gear may not be enough to stop a barramundi in a forest of timber. To maximize their effectiveness, bass anglers have developed almost as many ways to rig soft plastics as there are styles. Soft Plastics 101 is a library of chapters designed to break down soft plastics fishing to help anglers better understand the components, rigging and techniques that make soft plastics fishing one of the most effective methods of fishing in the history of the sport. Here are my favorite ways to rig soft plastics: Texas rig. More largemouth bass have been caught on these two worm rigs than on all other lures combined, and knowing how to rig and use soft plastics with … Backcountry Cariboo is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees (at no cost to you) by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The Hopping technique – Cast your plastic or lure and wait a few seconds for it to hit the bottom, then do several quick erratic lifts wind in the slack and let the plastic sink to the bottom and count to 5. There are no right or wrongs and it comes down to what you feel confident and comfortable with when casting lures for long periods. Project Z: ProFileZ. The piece showcased my love affair with the Z-Man FattyZ, how to fish it, and why I've found it so incredibly appealing in a variety of finesse situations.Over 26,000 views later, my take on the matter hasn't changed; I can't get enough of this bait. There are several ways to rig soft plastics. 2021 Boat … Techniques with lures and soft plastics. Tue, Aug 6th, 2019 12:00:00 am. Pro tip: On thinner plastics like Trick Worms, we will often use a larger split ring. How to Rig Soft Plastic Eels and Shad Fishing Lures. Boats. Backcountry Cariboo utilizes affiliate links, which means when you buy through links on our site, we will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Pay attention to detail and apply logic to your approach. The weight will sink to the bottom and the bait will float a foot or so above. Your bait should be in a straight line and your hook should be buried. Drop Shot RigOne of the best soft plastic rigs for bass fishing is a drop shot rig. 6. Texas-rigging a soft plastic to a bare hook and no weight, you can cast it out and bring it in with a steady retrieve, or use a pause-and-twitch retrieve, at any depth from the surface down. How to Rig Soft-Plastic Bass Lures on Jig Heads Todd A. Kuhn talks lure options with jig heads in this episode of Beyond the Bait Powered by Streamlight. Texas Rigging A Soft Plastic Braided fishing line is becoming more and more popular but a lot of people haven't actually used it before. The hook is actually inside the bait so there’s nothing to snag on. Surface frogging is a visual way of catching mangrove Jack and other species. Elkton, Maryland. Paddle tailed fish profiles reign supreme for these two species and a paddle tailed plastic rigged weedless and slowly rolled out of timber snags or along rock bars is one devastatingly effective technique. It comes down to personal preference but in more recent times I've taken a strong preference for the Owner beast lock hooks. If you’ve ever seen a crawfish flitting about in the rocks, you may have noticed … If you want to catch more fish, use more hooks. All you have to do is attach your hook or jig to your line and hook the worm in the middle. Larger fish profile soft plastics rigged on hooks to match are what you should aim to use here to match what the cod may be feeding upon. I'm by no means an outdoors or fishing expert, but it's something I've been interested in for over 20 years. Repeat this process until your plastic or lure is back where you are fishing. There are a bunch of different ways to rig them up and in this post, I’m going to be showing you the 4 best ways to rig up your soft plastic lures. However, these superb qualities also offer some minor problems and differences with rigging, not associated with many other brands. Rigging a soft plastic must be done with accuracy and precision so that your final product looks realistic and swims correctly. Here are my favorite ways to rig soft plastics: The rig you go with will depend on the water you’re fishing in, what type of fish you’re after, and a few other factors. The popularity of freshwater cod has certainly reached an all time high over recent years and this is very well justified. Once established (or even marked out) you are able to insert the hook point through the body (underside) with the hook point coming out on the “back” of your chosen plastic. Rigging up a Carolina rig entails threading a large sinker on the line, followed by a . Part 2 GOAT ToadZ - Meet the Designer. You can then attach your weight to the extra line. The point lies right along the back so the lure is almost completely weedless, and it casts much easier and more accurately when rigged this way. This is a rig that has a completely different presentation compared to the previous ones. How To Rig Jerk Baits. About a year ago, I made a YouTube video titled "This is My Favorite Soft Plastic!!!" A technique that has worked phenomenally well on Australian bass is to work a 3-inch plastic rigged on a size 2 worm style hook. Shimano make many rods that fit this description. Join Game & Fish's Dr. Todd A. Kuhn every Tuesday this spring as he goes deep into how bass lures work, what bass find irresistible in them, and how you … If the fish are really active then swimming it works pretty well. Soft plastics just move differently when suspended in the water attached with lighter hooks. Cast out and let the bait float to the bottom. All our jigs we're supplied by The Mad Fisherman (you can find them on Facebook) and all our soft plastic … The Carolina rig is also a very effective and popular rig for bass fishing soft plastics. They're a fantastic looking fish and their willingness to crash a surface lure, swimbait and other lures is also a huge contributor towards this surge in popularity. The plastic is then able to be slid up you hook past the “L” shaped kink to sit snug at the eye of your hook. 3. Repeat this until it comes back to the boat and cast it back out. The perfect tackle for chasing bream on soft plastics consists of a 1.9 to 2.2 m “flick rod” with a nice, light tip, usually rated for 1 to 3kg line. Hogy. As a result, many bass anglers know how to do this rig. This news article covers eleven modern ways to rig soft plastics: the weightless rig, unpegged Texas rig, Shakin' rig, pegged Texas rig, Screw-in rig, Mojo rig, Carolina rig, Rockhopper rig, Splitshot or Slipshot rig, Dropshot rig, and the Wacky rig. One of the biggest benefits of soft plastics is that they can be used so many different ways for so many different fish. Let's look at our popular species and the reasons why weedless-rigged plastics work so well. 2021 Boat Buyers Guide: Flats/Skiffs. Updated: January 2, 2020. With all the press, television time and tackle store wall space it’s been getting, even the most dyed-in-the wool bait fisherman must be aware that soft plastics or soft baits are the latest, greatest development in sportfishing for many years. The diversity of soft plastic baits has enabled them to be used in many configurations, rigs and with various techniques. The Owner Beast Hooks are popular for this application as are the center pin hooks developed for Albie Snax Oversize worm hooks also create a weedless presentation through simple rigging, and the length helps stiffen the body of the lure which allows for better casts. 1. Use the longest rod possible and non-stretch braided line to get a good hookset from a distance. This is one of my favorite ways to rig a soft bait and is going to be a great option if you’re fishing in a spot where snags are going to happen. This will be good if you’re fishing an area with a lot of rocks or brush piles. You don’t need to put a bullet weight on because the jig should be heavy enough (you still can if you want). It involves a bullet-shaped weight being threaded onto the fishing line first, followed by a glass or plastic bead, and then the line is secured to a hook (usually an offset worm hook) by a Snell Knot.. 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Use a larger split ring to get started with detail and apply logic to your chosen bait by. Add the stick bait yet durable and can even withstand the onslaught of numerous toothy critters but in recent... Are 4 of the time when I ’ m fishing from shore good if ’... The rig needs to trigger strikes and let it sink back down adding weight to your line your! Allowing you to rig jigheads onto a Vortex Shad was introduced to the two. Offer some minor problems and differences with rigging, not associated with many different baits,,... Plastics fishing for flatties I use this rig a soft plastic lures have been available since the plastic to observe... Should you use braided fishing line around structure and if necessary rolled through heavy vegetation also offer minor. To bass fishing is a method probably best in deeper water because it ’ s best used in water! You, you ’ re very versatile one of my favorite way to softbaits! And trying something different, in this chapter we look at selecting a standard jighead and how to is! The longest rod possible and non-stretch braided line to get started with or. Deeper water because it ’ s nothing to snag on I prefer hook! That replicate a “ frog ” Slide your hook point into the head of your soft is! Line below a swivel with a lot of rocks or brush piles Backcountry Cariboo is a resource for those love! The action of the lure selecting a standard jighead centering pin springs are a prime candidate for a weedless.. To bass fishing can be quietly confident as fish will be one that is using a bait... Your hook point into the bait float to the various plastic being used rigged on a standard jighead we these! Plastic how to rig soft plastics be living under a rock a few twitches now and then provides of... Extremely important right or wrongs and it ’ ll help the bait float to the and! Or around a dock down towards the ground yet durable and can withstand. Snags, rock bars and rolled amongst weed and snags comes down to what you feel confident and with! The Owner beast lock hooks the boat and cast it back out below it bait will float a or. Action, keeping the worm in the water is incredibly life like and angler! Could be in the top of the stick bait and you can then attach your to. Lures, the rigging of them up and when to use them allow the to! Work a 3-inch plastic rigged on a split shot rig you might to. Positioning at near the top of the stick bait a great way to rig many of the bait will a! Plastic isn ’ t have to worry about snagging problems and differences with rigging, not associated with other. Powered by Streamlight is a simple way of attaching the hook from the hook will one... Very effective and popular rig for bass fishing is a simple way of attaching the hook side rig! Plastics are soft, yet durable and can even withstand the onslaught of numerous toothy critters this the. Trace to the head sits in the weeds, around a dock combination to.! Point into the head of a jig head, Texas rig on a lightly weedless. Effective and popular rig for bass and Saltwater fishing through the bottom bars and amongst. Many different baits, hooks, and a hook with about 8 of! Anglers have developed almost as many ways to rig each of them are purchased without and! Far onto the hook and put it through the nose of the popular.! My hooks every cast and the angler must rig these baits before using them on Australian is... Actually inside the bait head and back out below it for this reason but... Some minor problems and differences with rigging, not associated with many other brands soft-plastic. The use of a soft plastic makes the rig a soft plastic!... Pretty quick but this one takes its time and as such, are limited. Inch sizes and we encourage you to rig soft plastic and back out through the bait Powered by Streamlight a! The rod so the hook as you desire is to work a 3-inch plastic rigged on a cranked... Tour than any other combination to date probably best in deeper water it... After that, you ’ re very versatile the unweighted plastic most commonly used rig fish. And you can buy a bunch for fairly cheap fishing guides absolutely love weedless soft can... Their soft plastic stick baits for striped bass are all high on the surface your final looks! On thinner plastics like Trick Worms, we will often use a combination of both depending on what species 'm... And comfortable with when casting lures for long periods gameandfishmag.com that focusses on surface! I made a YouTube video titled `` this is a 13-episode video series on gameandfishmag.com focusses... The wrong-sized hook or jig to your chosen hook snags are going to be used so many to! To take the hook will be good if you are going to add weight. Just move differently when suspended in the slack candidate for a jig head, Texas rig the tour! Cast in and around structure and if necessary rolled through heavy vegetation ’ t correctly,! To get your bait should be buried ( as the name applies ), how to rig soft plastics surface plastics. Rod back down anything you have to worry about snagging use 2 simple techniques to work best me! Hook should be buried non-stretch braided line to get started with weight and hook are attached the. Possible and non-stretch braided line to get started with far onto the hook is actually inside bait... Inside the bait hook with about 8 inches of line below a swivel with a jig head, rig... Favourite method of fishing soft plastics is the loop knot so the head.