Your "go To" Rig For Soft Plastics? 2024

NotnatsSamoht reply :

Since I started fishing it's always been easier to use a hard bait to get a bite, soft plastics are not in my confidence baits or even my top 5, and I want to change that. I think they were pushed aside because it became overwhelming, there's so many soft plastics and so many different rigs to tie up the endless options made me tie on a crankbait instead.

So what's your favorite rig and type of plastic to use with it?

Bluebasser86 reply :

T rig, Rage Craw, baby brush hog, Pit Boss

Punching rig-Pit Boss, Turbo CrawZ

CrazyFluker reply :

Scrounger heads are my favorite. Using with Super Flukes and it is my main confidence bait. Watermelon, Arkansas Shiner, white and baby bass are my main colors. I dip the tail tips in Spike-it Chartreuse garlic.

Mike L reply :

Rage Cut R

Rage Craw

RI Skinny Dipper

RI Sweet Beaver

Mike

scaleface reply :

I texas rig everything .

Fishing Rhino reply :

In no particular order.

Wacky worm. Four inch Senko Watermelon w/blk and red flakes. Gamakatsu 1/8th ounce wacky jig head.

Rage Tail: Craw, Menace, Structure Bug, Green pumpkin with purple and gold flakes or Watermelon with red and black flakes.

Lunker City 2 3/4" Grubster clear water, silver flash and blue halo colors.

The above can be rigged on a Keitech 1/8th ounce 2/0 tungsten super round jig head. Insert the hook into the center of the head, then along the centerline until the nose of the bait reaches the end of the bend on the hook. Exit the point of the hook on the top centerline and button the nose of the bait to the ball with a drop of Loctite super glue. It will nicely slip through sparse vegetation.

In thick plants, I use an owner twistlock hook either 3/0 or 4/0. put the centering pin at the center of the bait's nose with the top side up. Three turns will bring the nose of the bait to the eye of the hook. Bring the hook through the body of the bait leaving the point just below the skin of the bait, or run the hook through the bait and put the point of the hook into a "pinch" of the plastic to make it weedless. I use a 1/8th ounce tungsten bullet weight to get the bait down into the weeds and to slip it through the plants. An alternative is to use an Owner keel weighted twistlock hook in the same sizes. The Owner hooks come in two versions, the original and the latest a lighter wire version. It makes setting the hook easier with six or eight pound test fluorocarbon line. Your choice.

lo n slo reply :

Texas Rig

A-Jay reply :

Right here ~

A-Jay

sprint61 reply :

Texas rigged culprit original 7" worm, baby brush hog, and a zoom 6" lizard. All with a 4/0 EWG gammy and usually a 3/16 or 1/4oz tungsten weight. If im using a craw it's eitger on a punching rig or a stand up head.

Fun4Me reply :

On 8/26/2015 at 8:36 PM, A-Jay said:

Right here ~

A-Jay

That's a good looking lure, I need to learn how to make those. I keep getting the weedless jigs caught up, whereas the Texas rigged stuff would go through things better.

bassr95 reply :

Texas rig with a chigger craw or pit boss

Weightless wacky rigged yum dinger in shallow water

Choporoz reply :

NotnatsSamoht, on 26 Aug 2015 - 07:18 AM, said:

So what's your favorite rig and type of plastic to use with it?

*************************************************

1. Weighted swimbait hooks - Cut-R's and Beaver-style mostly

2. Texas Rig - Just about anything plastic - worms and flukes and lizards mostly

3. Swing jighead - Rage Tail Structure Bug

4. Ned/Shakey - straight worms and smaller creatures

5. Dropshot - mostly finesse-y worms and french fries

6. Carolina - use your imagination....if its soft plastic, it can probably be dragged on a c-rig

I use them all, but if I had to rank in the order that I use the most, that would probably be close

DogBone_384 reply :

T-Rigged curly tailed worm, usually a pumpkin/green with colored flake. I'm pretty brand indifferent.

My second choice is a T-Rigged 4" Senko similarly colored to above.

Preytorien reply :

When I can't get bit, I put on a weightless fluke...but not a Zoom Fluke. I exclusively use and recommend either the Strike King Caffeine Shad or Missile Baits Shockwave....both in pearl white.

Raul reply :

I´m old fashioned !

80% of the time I fish a soft plastic it´s going to be T-rig, most of the time it´s a straight tail worm or a 7.5" Culprit ribbon tail.

Spryguy reply :

I use a Texas rigged rage craw in falcon lake craw when I need a confidence bait.

Brian-S reply :

Like many have chimed in on, definitely the texas rig. It will help you gain that confidence and then you can venture out from there!

As far as bait suggestions.... I might be a little bias

In terms of styles, try a weightless stick bait or some good craw imitator for a 1/8-1/4oz weight pegged to it!

Montanaro reply :

Swing jig.

Very versatile.

Haze reply :

Texas or wacky rig

Jaw1 reply :

Texas rig zoom big critter craw and zoom flukes. The critter craw in watermelon red accounts for the majority of my fish when I'm in river backwater and you can't beat a fluke for skipping under limbs on the bank. But given the choice I would rather have a crankbait bite going on

Big Bait Fishing reply :

drop shot - Robo worm FX 6'' straight tail worm in summer shad

wacky rig - big bite baits 5'' trick stick in tilapia

shakey head - Savage Gear 4'' real crawfish red

roadwarrior reply :

#1 use to be the T-rig, but now that is a distant 3rd.

1. Jika Rig

2. ShakE2 Pro Series

3. Texas Rig

4. Carolina Rig

5. Split Shot

The Patriot reply :

Most of the time I'll go with a Texas rig. Senkos, swimsenkos, craws, grubs, etc.

When I'm not T rigging, I'll try one of these:

drop shots with worms or a small soft plastic shad

wacky rigs

or carolina rig with swims.

often times if im playing the bottom I'll rig up a curly tailed grub to a weighted jig hook. Usually white but if the waters clear and clean bottom I'll use a pumpkin/green. I like to dress these in a skirt at times. I found yet, for me, when this becomes a good idea. I just throw one on sometimes and see what happens.

BIGGEORGIADAWG reply :

I've probably caught more fish on a weightless ZOOM green pumpkin green trick worm than anything else. Might not always be the biggest fish but I'll definitely always keep some in my tackle box.

Jar11591 reply :

Wacky rig: Senkos

Texas rig: Rage Craws, Culprit fat Max, Zoom baby Brush Hogs

NotnatsSamoht reply :

On 8/27/2015 at 1:02 AM, roadwarrior said:

#1 use to be the T-rig, but now that is a distant 3rd.

1. Jika Rig

2. ShakE2 Pro Series

3. Texas Rig

4. Carolina Rig

5. Split Shot

I'm never heard of the jika rig, googled it though, looks interesting, how is it on hang ups? Good at getting through things? The river I fish is very rocky and I sacrifice tackle often when fishing bottom.

NotnatsSamoht reply :

Thanks to all for the comments, I believe I'll dedicate a rod to Texas rig and throw it until I'm confident, based on my river conditions a Texas rig makes more since being weedless and all.

Catt reply :

Texas Rigged Plastic of any kind

desmobob reply :

On 8/27/2015 at 3:46 AM, NotnatsSamoht said:
The river I fish is very rocky...

A Texas-rigged Havoc Pit Boss or Missile D-Bomb is a killer where crayfish are present (and even where they're not!).

And if you can't get bit on a wacky-rigged Senko then, well, maybe it's time to give up fishing and try stamp-collecting or model trains... ;-)

Tight lines,

Bob

Dennis1972 reply :

weightless texas rigged, any worm style that is heavy enuff to cast, its my #1 fish catcher. i have found color or brand does not matter a bit. i just reach in my bag and pull any color out and catch fish, i can go from white to black to pink on any given day... they all work fine.

poisonokie reply :

On 8/27/2015 at 3:46 AM, NotnatsSamoht said:
I'm never heard of the jika rig, googled it though, looks interesting, how is it on hang ups? Good at getting through things? The river I fish is very rocky and I sacrifice tackle often when fishing bottom.

I posted this the other day on a thread regarding the subject:

I fish mine a variety of ways. Sometimes 3/8-1/2 oz with a rage craw hopping, dragging, and dead sticking like a jig, or pitching into rip rap, sometimes punching through grass with a 3/4-1 oz, sometimes swimming it around with a paddle tail shad, sometimes with 1/8th oz and a roboworm like a dropshot.

They are very versatile and effective. They slip through grass easily, they rarely get snagged, and they cast further than most rigs. They aren't a t rig replacement though. It just depends on the bottom, structure, and mood of the fish. Sometimes the bait chasing the sinker down is the only way to trigger a strike, but sometimes it's the subtle dance of a jika on the bottom and in between rocks that triggers one.

ned_riggins reply :

Never heard of a jika rig either but ill definitely be trying it this weekend.

blckshirt98 reply :

Dropshot x10 billion. I've caught probably 90% of my bass on a dropshot!

Bankbeater reply :

When I am fishing a soft plastic it will either be on a t-rig, or weightless. The only plastics I fish weightless will be a Super Fluke or a Senko, everything else gets a weight.

bigfruits reply :

to build confidence I would try 4" wacky rigged senkos and small jigs w/ small trailers like a bitsy bug and 2.75" craw papi.

Arobb2012 reply :

Lately my go to baits are havoc the jerk and flat dawg. Both in green pumpkin/green pumpkin candy. Rigged weightless on a 3/0 ewg hook.

Jtrout reply :

Texas rig or weightless on a 3/0 hook

Bass newb reply :

I just started fishing 5 weeks ago and the texas rig is getting it done while spinners, buzzbait, crankbait, jig, and a few others just aren't getting me any fish.

Just caught my pb 2 lb 2 oz spotted bass on a t rig two days ago.

GodfatherOfSeoul reply :

Wacky senko type bait

Rage craw spilt shot slowly swam

Light t rig baby brush hog

Shaky head zoom trick worm black

Super fluke jr eiter weightless or on a drop shot

ww2farmer reply :

I fish a multitude of plastics, if I had to break down rigging methods by the % of time used it would probably be like this:

Texas rigged-30%

Wacky rigged-30%

Drop shot-30%

Shaky head-5%

Biffle/swinging jig head-2%

Belly weighted hook-1%

Carolina rig-1%

Weightless-1%

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 8/27/2015 at 3:46 AM, NotnatsSamoht said:
The river I fish is very rocky and I sacrifice tackle often when fishing bottom.

Draggin' head... it's a weighted wide-gap hook that is not widely distributed. It works through rock and weed beds well.

BaitMonkey1984 reply :

Many years ago, I was in the same position as you. I did not have confidence in soft plastics and opted rather for spinner baits, inline spinners, or rappel jerk baits and crank baits. I has tried several worms and crawfish style baits without success. Part of the reason was my equipment, you need a sensitive tip to detect the some times subtle bites. More importantly though, you need to slow down your presentation. I was workign my baits too fast. A crawdad swimming through the middle of the water column isn't realistic. Slow down, and start with 5" inch wacky rigged worms with a circle hook. You will catch fish and get confidence, then you can move onto other soft plastics.

The Fisher reply :

I use lots of plastics but in the essence of space and time here are my top 5 in no particular order

Megastrike Pro Shaky Head with a 5" bluegill Hags Tornado

Wacky Rig with an Owner 1/0 Wacky hook, 5" Yamamoto Senko watermelon black red flake with an O ring

TX Rig with a Tungsten weight, 2/0 Ewg hook and a baby brush hog in watermelon orange

Black blue jig with a black blue rage craw or baby rage craw depending on the size of the jig

Keitech Swing Impact FAT 3.8" Baby Bass on an Owner Ultrahead Bullet Rig or light TX rig

Paul Roberts reply :

On 8/26/2015 at 7:18 PM, NotnatsSamoht said:

Since I started fishing it's always been easier to use a hard bait to get a bite, soft plastics are not in my confidence baits or even my top 5, and I want to change that. I think they were pushed aside because it became overwhelming, there's so many soft plastics and so many different rigs to tie up the endless options made me tie on a crankbait instead.

So what's your favorite rig and type of plastic to use with it?

I have lots of favorite rigs and baits, each used in different scenarios.

To keep from being overwhelmed, start with a 6" worm -any style, any color you find appealing, and Texas-rig it. The T-rig will fish well just about anywhere. Branch out from there.

WRB reply :

At night a T-rigged big worm.

During the day the choices depend how deep and where the bass are located.

My first choice is pork trailer, if they don't that then soft plastic creatures and as a jig trailer.

Slow bite than get with out the light tackle and finesse presentations; 3" to 6" worms etc.

Drop shot

Slip shot (finesse C-rig)

Tom

hatrix reply :

Plastics are probably the only thing that will always work no matter the day of you stick with it. It might only be 1 or 2 that whole day but they will always eat them to some extent regardless.

6676

Your "go To" Rig For Soft Plastics? 2024

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