How Do You Secure Your Texas Rigged Baits ? 2025

scaleface reply :

I use to make good solid hook sets with Texas rigs only to have the fish come off . Id get the bait back in and the worm would be balled at the bottom of the hook. So I have learned different ways to secure the bait. Parasite clip , barrel swivels and pieces of wire are what I have used and they all work well. I like using barrel swivels the best. How do you guys do it ?

Raul reply :

The Lord All Mighty in it´s infinite wisdom when on the eighth day said: "Let there be bass fishin´" and created the South also provided us southerners with, what appears to be an almost infinite supply, of thorny vegetation. Just snip a thorn from a bush, tree or if you are from more to the south, ( like Texas, Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona or Southern Californy or across the border ) a cactus and run it through the bait and hook eye, trim the excess and there you are.

Of course such method is not possible for you northern fellers, so you can use a toothpick.

Choporoz reply :

I used parasite clips for a while, but it seems the hook bends have gotten (almost imperceptibly?) better and I've had less problems this past year without using anything.

Bassguytom reply :

Small piece of 30lb mono through the hook eye like Glenn posted.

Catch and Grease reply :

Hmm I don't have that problem with the baits I use when using the correct size hook... At least not to the point where it interfered with hook sets.

Catt reply :

I would say the problem aint the bait...it's the hookset...ya slow pulling the trigger!

scaleface reply :

Its not the hook set. You guys are telling me , that you never had a worm slide down the hook during a hookset . Ive had them slide down on the cast .

gardnerjigman reply :

On 1/8/2015 at 1:20 AM, Catch and Grease said:
Hmm I don't have that problem with the baits I use when using the correct size hook... At least not to the point where it interfered with hook sets.

RSM789 reply :

I know that most people don't use them, but I don't have that problem with Mister Twister keeper hooks. The barbs on the point that goes into the front of the worm hold them well without tearing up the worm, even when using thin plastics like Roboworms. I have used these hooks for over 30 years and have never had problems with hook sets or the worm balling up on the hook.

It is similar to a shakey head without the weight on the hook.

scaleface reply :

On 1/8/2015 at 4:37 AM, RSM789 said:

I know that most people don't use them, but I don't have that problem with Mister Twister keeper hooks. The barbs on the point that goes into the front of the worm hold them well without tearing up the worm, even when using thin plastics like Roboworms. I have used these hooks for over 30 years and have never had problems with hook sets or the worm balling up on the hook.

It is similar to a shakey head without the weight on the hook.

I use the Owner keepers also. They work pretty good. You can never have too many tricks. I like the heavy momn one. I will definately try that ..

RSM789 reply :

On 1/8/2015 at 4:42 AM, scaleface said:
I use the Owner keepers also. They work pretty good. You can never have too many tricks. I like the heavy momn one. I will definately try that ..

I bought some of the Owner keepers and found that the screw on portion hung on to the worm a little too well for my liking. Different lake, different cover, they may be a better choice depending on the circumstances.

I like & use most of Owners other hooks, including their wacky model.

a1712 reply :

Grip pin hook, drop of glue, tooth pick through hook eye, etc.. Brian.

War Eagle 44 reply :

The absolute best way I've found to prevent this is the Owner twist lock hooks as others have already suggested. I have however made my own "keeper" for smaller thinner wire straight shank worm hooks that also work very well, for me at least. I've done this on Owner (pictured) and Gamakatsu straight shank worm hooks, it works equally well on both. I think I actually prefer the Gamakatsu hooks in this particular situation even though I'm more of an overall Owner fan. I prefer the regular point of the Gammy over the cutting point on Owner.

It's easy to do yourself, I just wrap a little braid around the shank of the hook and then put the heat shrink tubing over it. The small barbs on the hook shank hold the braid in place (make sure you go over both of them) and then in turn the shrink wrap holds the plastic in place. Cheap, easy, and as I said effective for me.

A-Jay reply :

I use Parasite clips & EWG hooks on Texas rigged baits.

Works for me.

A-Jay

Mike L reply :

Owner twist locks whenever and wherever I can depending on the size of the bait I want to tie.

Otherwise I use the skip gap style.

Between those 2 there's no need to use any other type of seperate anchor.

Mike

Catt reply :

On 1/8/2015 at 4:09 AM, scaleface said:
Its not the hook set. You guys are telling me , that you never had a worm slide down the hook during a hookset . Ive had them slide down on the cast .

There is one of two things happening,

Your hook is to small for the plastic you're using

Or you're slow on the hook set

Balling up on the cast is a worn out piece of plastic!

Gundog reply :

I use glue. Just one drop at the head of the bait where the hook is inserted and thats all it takes. Also I've found that only gel glue works, the other kind just gets absorbed by the plastic. Only problem is you can't just remove the bait once you have glued it to the hook. But I fish the same places most of the time so this doesn't affect me much.

Matthew2000 reply :

I don't like the baits that you have to do this with for them to stay on a hook.

papajoe222 reply :

I've used and continue to use a variety of methods, but a tooth pick (no cactus 'round here) through the worm and eye of a standard off-set worm hook gets the job done on worms and lizzards. As for a hook style that seems to work very well on beefier plastics like beavers and tubes, the SkipGap has won me over.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I don't do anything other than rig mine up. Never had a problem hooking them as long as I'm using the right hook/line/rod combo.

Master Bait'r reply :

Hitchhikers, man. Get a whole pack for like $3 and never have a problem again.

Jrob78 reply :

This

On 1/8/2015 at 2:56 PM, Bluebasser86 said:
I don't do anything other than rig mine up. Never had a problem hooking them as long as I'm using the right hook/line/rod combo.

and this.

On 1/8/2015 at 8:59 AM, Catt said:
There is one of two things happening,

Your hook is to small for the plastic you're using

Or you're slow on the hook set

Balling up on the cast is a worn out piece of plastic!

If you set the hook well, it won't matter if the plastic slides down the hook. That hook point will go through any plastic worm I've ever used, if it doesn't, you need some new hooks.

Brent Bartman reply :

I think this a small hook problem combined with a soft hook set. I like big hooks for t rigging I like offset owners in 3/0 -6/0 and when my bait balls up there is still room for the fish. I lay into aT rigged bait to bust the hook through. I l lay into my fish. I reel into him load my rod and extend my arms with my rod at 2 o'clock and set my hook as fast as I can to 10 o'clock and reel him as fast as I can. And if it was in his mouth he is hooked

If I'm using anything bigger than 3/8 oz weight I slow my hook set to prevent from busting his mouth open

Don't be afraid to load him up on your rod. you will feel him before he feels you.

Bass don't like to spit a lure it seems. If you go to bass pro when they demo lures with no hooks in the tank they want to hold on it . I have seem they fight the fish off the lure to get them to spit it.

My 2 cents

scaleface reply :

I dont have problems with my bait balling up anymore because i learned to peg it. I just wanted to know all the different ways others peg their worms.

I still dont believe that some of you have never missed a fish because your worm has balled up. I just dont believe it. I think its happened to KVD , Rick Clunn , Larry Nixon and everyone who has ever fished a texas rig .

Sam reply :

Toothpick through the plastic and eye of the hook.

I don't do this as I want to know if I missed a fish or is it structure that caused the "bite."

So getting a balled upped finesse worm back tells me that I missed one.

Catt reply :

On 1/13/2015 at 6:15 AM, Sam said:

Toothpick through the plastic and eye of the hook.

I don't do this as I want to know if I missed a fish or is it structure that caused the "bite."

So getting a balled upped finesse worm back tells me that I missed one.

Yelp! When I miss one it's operater error

Brent Bartman reply :

On 1/13/2015 at 6:04 AM, scaleface said:

I dont have problems with my bait balling up anymore because i learned to peg it. I just wanted to know all the different ways others peg their worms.

I still dont believe that some of you have never missed a fish because your worm has balled up. I just dont believe it. I think its happened to KVD , Rick Clunn , Larry Nixon and everyone who has ever fished a texas rig .

I dont think the worm balling up is why you miss fish. if you set the hook in open water hard you will slide your worm down into a ball in the bend of the hook. I think the fish is missed because the barb wasn't through his mouth or he never had all the hook all the way in his mouth. Every fish i catch on a texas rigged worm the worm is either 2 feet above the hook with the line through the head and mid section or S-curved around the shank.

I will fish fat bodied worms on a 3/0 or 4/0 hook with no issues, I think if your worm is balled up you set the hook prematurely or set him on a slack line. Remember just because your line seem tight above the water doesn't mean you dont have a big arc under the water, especially fishing mono or flouro far away from the boat. Thats why i like fishing a rod with alot of back bone but a really soft tip.I can load up on him, feel him arc my rod so i know my line is tight before I move that fish 15 feet through the water by his jaws

I personally think i miss more fish with a pegged worm becuase it has no where to go.

Fish are lost Texas rigged because you didnt keep pressure on him. you keep solid pressure on that fish and you use a strong hook set to drive the hook and that fish is coming home to papa

Matthew2000 reply :

It sounds like the fish are pecking at your bait quite a bit. Or you wait to long to set the hook.

Jrob78 reply :

On 1/13/2015 at 6:04 AM, scaleface said:
I still dont believe that some of you have never missed a fish because your worm has balled up. I just dont believe it. I think its happened to KVD , Rick Clunn , Larry Nixon and everyone who has ever fished a texas rig .

Everyone has missed fish with t-rigs. It has more to do with your hook set or your hook than anything the worm is doing though.

scaleface reply :

I have fished Texas rigs for forty years now. I have caught thousands , tens of thousands ? Never have tried to figure it up. I have lost more than my share of bass by every way possible. Rod to wimpy , rod to short, late on the hookset , line stretching , baits balling up.... Its called learning LOL

mjseverson24 reply :

If my bait is bunched up at the bottom of the hook one of two things happened, I set the hook on a weed or stump, or a fish grabbed it in a way that when I set the hook he didn't get stuck... if the bait is still good I just put it back up on the hook and keep fishing, if not I get a new one... The less junk I add to my bait that is not used to lure in a fish the better...

Mitch

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How Do You Secure Your Texas Rigged Baits ? 2025

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