Ode To The Texas Rigged Worm 2024
Catt reply :
With all the hype, high pressure sales, and the desire for magical mystical lures or techniques anglers have been deceived into believing the Texas Rig is an old antiquated technique that should be shelved like Jitterbugs, Tiny Torpedoes, Johnson Spoons, and Inline Spinner baits.
The lure that had the biggest impact on American fishing started in the late 1940s in a basement in Akron Ohio. That's where Nick and Cosma Creme cooked up the perfect combination of vinyl, oils and pigments to produce a molded worm that not only looked and felt soft and alive, but also stayed that way when exposed to air over time. 1949 would be the official birth year of the now famous Creme worm. But we’ve been told that today’s modern “Trick” worms bare no resemblance to this old tired chunk of plastic.
We have even been convinced that the “Super Mystical” Punch Rig is not a Texas Rig because they have added a skirted bead between the weight and hook.
We’ve been convinced that flipping & pitching if far more productive than casting your Texas Rig out and finessing it back to the boat along the bottom feeling for nooks-n-crannies and twig-n-limbs.
We’ve even forgotten that the plastic worm is the only lure made that a BASS CANNOT REMEMBER!
That is, a bass will continue to strike a worm even after repeated catches, whereas a bass will "turn off" to other lures, spinner baits and crank baits etc. after wearing them out on them. That’s why you cannot continue to catch them on your honey hole with the same lure over and over. Bass will stop eating that which will eradicate them. Not true with the plastic worm, however. Although we all know bass will prefer a different bait at different times (i.e. "the pattern") you can always go back to the worm to catch them.
I guess y’all can label me Ole School since I refuse to give up on the #1 most productive lure and technique ever invented.
Hooked_On_Bass reply :
I've got one tied on 100% of the time.
Nitrofreak reply :
On 9/20/2011 at 7:47 PM, Catt said:With all the hype, high pressure sales, and the desire for magical mystical lures or techniques anglers have been deceived into believing the Texas Rig is an old antiquated technique that should be shelved like Jitterbugs, Tiny Torpedoes, Johnson Spoons, and Inline Spinner baits.
The lure that had the biggest impact on American fishing started in the late 1940s in a basement in Akron Ohio. That's where Nick and Cosma Creme cooked up the perfect combination of vinyl, oils and pigments to produce a molded worm that not only looked and felt soft and alive, but also stayed that way when exposed to air over time. 1949 would be the official birth year of the now famous Creme worm. But we’ve been told that today’s modern “Trick” worms bare no resemblance to this old tired chunk of plastic.
We have even been convinced that the “Super Mystical” Punch Rig is not a Texas Rig because they have added a skirted bead between the weight and hook.
We’ve been convinced that flipping & pitching if far more productive than casting your Texas Rig out and finessing it back to the boat along the bottom feeling for nooks-n-crannies and twig-n-limbs.
We’ve even forgotten that the plastic worm is the only lure made that a BASS CANNOT REMEMBER!
That is, a bass will continue to strike a worm even after repeated catches, whereas a bass will "turn off" to other lures, spinner baits and crank baits etc. after wearing them out on them. That’s why you cannot continue to catch them on your honey hole with the same lure over and over. Bass will stop eating that which will eradicate them. Not true with the plastic worm, however. Although we all know bass will prefer a different bait at different times (i.e. "the pattern") you can always go back to the worm to catch them.
I guess y’all can label me Ole School since I refuse to give up on the #1 most productive lure and technique ever invented.
AWESOME POST catt and I am in the same boat as far as being "ole school".
My tackle box used to be as big as my boat lol or it seemed it was anyway with all of the latest and greatest stuff on the market.
Today it almost fits in my hand and in the bottom are an assortment of yep you guessed it WORMS for my Texas and Carolina rigs, Yes there are cranks and spinners and jigs but no more than 2 or 3 of each.
When these so called "Wonder Lures" hit the market or when these other lures fail to catch fish you know are there I go back and simply pick up my Texas rigged worms and catch fish.
It has almost always worked when all else has failed, The only reason I say it almost always works is because of a lack of attention to detail on my part.
I think Glenn said it best "It is the SUV of fishing rigs"... and one that I will never go without.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Great post indeed! Thank you! I always rely on the plain ole' Texas rig with a 7" worm of one kind or another. When all else fails, it can usually be counted upon to save the day.
When did you all first "discover" this rigging? My baptism accured after Al Lindners "Big Book of Fishing", back in the early 70's. I still have that tattered paperback somewhere! 
Nitrofreak reply :
On 9/20/2011 at 8:28 PM, Crestliner2008 said:Great post indeed! Thank you! I always rely on the plain ole' Texas rig with a 7" worm of one kind or another. When all else fails, it can usually be counted upon to save the day.
When did you all first "discover" this rigging? My baptism accured after Al Lindners "Big Book of Fishing", back in the early 70's. I still have that tattered paperback somewhere!
HOLY CRAP YOU STILL HAVE THAT!!!lol.
For me it was the late 70's fishing with my dad standing on a bank fishing next to a guy we never met who showed us both how to rig it up and use it, Although the technique has changed a little it is still not much different than the way it was used way back then.
tholmes reply :
On 9/20/2011 at 8:07 PM, Hooked_On_Bass said:I've got one tied on 100% of the time.
X2 ^ I ALWAYS have a t-rig on one rod. Many times, I'll leave the big tackle box at home and just carry one rod, a few extra hooks and bullet weights along with a handful of worms.
Tom
Catt reply :
The first bass I caught on a Texas Rig was back in the mid60s but I was reintroduced to the Texas Rig in 1972 when I started tournament fishing Toledo Bend full time.
When anglers talk of “reaction” lures I picture a worm slowly and seductively falling through the water column with its random movements, little noise, and few negative cues, making it hard for big bass not to hit.
I don’t count on the Texas rig to save the day: I start the day out with it 
00 mod reply :
Anyone who has ever fished with me, knows I am a worm fisherman at heart! I have one tied on 120% of the time. Because most of the time, I have 2 rods with them on!
Jeff
Lucas412 reply :
Great post and I totally agree. Worm fishing is my favorite. When I was a kid it seemed ridiculous that you could catch a bass on an old piece of rubber so I never really tried it. The first time a bass nailed one for me I was hooked. I've always got a t-rig tied on.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Here's an oldie for ya! Right out of the "Big Book of Fishing".
I still have some of these too!
South FLA reply :
T-rig is my go to confidence lure, have caught more fish off a t-rigged worm than all other lures combined in my lifetime. If you think about it, flipping, pitching, punching, fluke, skinny dippers, etc are all variations of a T-rigged worm! Classic t-rig fishing for me is a 1/4oz bullet weight with a 3/0-5/0 hook and a 8-12" worm of choice!
Old school for me was a Tru-Turn hook, an original bullet weight, and a Squirmin'worm, in purple fire-tail or black with chartreuse tail By the way does anyone here still use Tru-Turn hooks? I still have tons of Squirmin worms though, still deadly as every!
Raul reply :
On 9/20/2011 at 11:35 PM, South FLA said:Old school for me was a Tru-Turn hook, an original bullet weight, and a Squirmin'worm,
X 2 but the worm, mine was a Mann´s Jelly Worm.
Nitrofreak reply :
On 9/20/2011 at 8:54 PM, Catt said:When anglers talk of “reaction” lures I picture a worm slowly and seductively falling through the water column with its random movements, little noise, and few negative cues, making it hard for big bass not to hit.
catt that is rip your heart out tender right there !!!
How eloquent can one be when speaking of a soft plastic worm.
MAKES ME WANNA GO FISHING !!!!
WRB reply :
+1 Catt, good history. Also google "The Lowly Worm".
Nearly every bass angler has fished with the Texas rig worm. I can still remember my first encounter with Creme's rubber worms. Fishing lake Shasta in NoCal back in '57, two old timers came off the lake with a stringer of big bass and I asked them what they caught them on and they said rubber worms. Being a curiuos teen ager they gave me a packaged pre rigged rubber worm with a small metal propeller, red beads with 2 hooks molded into the worm on a mono leader. They also showed my how to add a sliding egg weight, like a trout rig and told me to drag it down a steep bank. When I got home and wrote to the Creme company they sent me instructions how to rig their worms Texas style with red painted bullet weights which I ordered. 54 years later I'm still catching bass on the Texas rigged worms...thanks to Nick Creme.
Tom
Eriewormer reply :
Great post, made me feel better about how I fish 90% of the time 
!! I still try to do new things, but always come home to my favorite rig.
J Francho reply :
I was expecting poetry. 
dhami013 reply :
Melted and molded, cooled then fished.
The plastic worm is a bait that can never be dissed.
Its colors, and shape, and size never end.
The longer in the water, the more fish for you friend.
There's your poetry Francho.
Nitrofreak reply :
On 9/21/2011 at 4:09 AM, dhami013 said:Melted and molded, cooled then fished.
The plastic worm is a bait that can never be dissed.
Its colors, and shape, and size never end.
The longer in the water, the more fish for you friend.
There's your poetry Francho.
OH YEA!!!
CWB reply :
On 9/20/2011 at 10:36 PM, Crestliner2008 said:Here's an oldie for ya! Right out of the "Big Book of Fishing".
I still have some of these too!
I'm pretty sure I have a few of those hooks somewhere too.
Wow you guys are bringing back memories. I recently bought a bag of 100 6" Lindy Swipes, which I believe are the best quality worms ever made when it comes to detail and lack of flaws etc, and I have a hard time using them due to the memories they evoke. Oh the good old simpler days. Thanks for taking us down memory lane Catt.
MuffinMan reply :
I have a setup dedicated to this rig and I do not give up on the bass until I have tried this rig.
BassinMidWest reply :
Couldn't agree more catt!! LOVE a texas rigged with a straight shank hook! 
Grandpa taught me way back when, and I'm still using it today, and frequently!
Also why do you never see old school colors like blue and red? 
@ Crestliner I still have some of those from Grampa's tackle box. In my opinion they hold a worm better then a regular straight shank... wish these were still around! 
J Francho reply :
QuoteWith all the hype, high pressure sales, and the desire for magical mystical lures or techniques anglers have been deceived into believing the Texas Rig is an old antiquated technique that should be shelved like Jitterbugs, Tiny Torpedoes, Johnson Spoons, and Inline Spinner baits.
OK, serious now. Good starting point for a thread, tons of discussion can be had on this topic.
Where ever did you get the idea that anglers are shelving the Texas Rig?!?
I mean, if you were to take a gander at what is on the deck of any given number of bass boats, you'd probably find one or more rods rigged with a soft plastic on a Texas Rig. Even guys that don't like them use them. It is ALWAYS the soup of the day on my boat (I usually have three or four rigs out, dedicated to a Texas Rig), and I honestly only know one or two anglers that won't use one. One is a crankbait specialist, and other than some beginners, I can't think of anyone else.
In my classes, the Texas Rig is the FIRST thing I show anyone that has at least caught a fish. True, I am a believer in starting n00bs off with a moving bait, but as soon as I can, I try to get them into feeling the bait, and a Texas Rig - especially a basic ribbon tail worm - can really hammer the point home. I think a ribbon tail worm, on this rig will teach an angler a heluva lot more than wacky rigged stick worm will.
Nitrofreak reply :
On 9/21/2011 at 9:00 PM, J Francho said:OK, serious now. Good starting point for a thread, tons of discussion can be had on this topic.
Where ever did you get the idea that anglers are shelving the Texas Rig?!?
I mean, if you were to take a gander at what is on the deck of any given number of bass boats, you'd probably find one or more rods rigged with a soft plastic on a Texas Rig. Even guys that don't like them use them. It is ALWAYS the soup of the day on my boat (I usually have three or four rigs out, dedicated to a Texas Rig), and I honestly only know one or two anglers that won't use one. One is a crankbait specialist, and other than some beginners, I can't think of anyone else.
In my classes, the Texas Rig is the FIRST thing I show anyone that has at least caught a fish. True, I am a believer in starting n00bs off with a moving bait, but as soon as I can, I try to get them into feeling the bait, and a Texas Rig - especially a basic ribbon tail worm - can really hammer the point home. I think a ribbon tail worm, on this rig will teach an angler a heluva lot more than wacky rigged stick worm will.
Good post J, I am thinking he was just a little tired of reading most of the posts in here with all of the new stuff hitting the market and most not getting the results the so called bait was supposed to produce, I am only assuming that he posted this to draw attention to us to show just how important the Texas rig is to an arsonal of baits.
Of course that is just my opinion, I really can not imagine that with all of the tallent that is in this forum, The Texas rig would be a thing of the past and even suggesting it should be put on a shelf is as about as ludicrous a statement as one could make.
J Francho reply :
A guy in a fancy bass boat trolls up to our dock, where I am tossing a Rebel Deep Wee R. He asks if he can cast in next to the dock. No problem, I'm thinking there's nothing in that slop next to the dock - all my fish come from the deep ledge out front. He tosses in, and I watch as his bait just zips through the weeds without much ado. Then he stops, drops his rod tip while reeling up slack, and sets the hook into a decent bass. It was probably just a three pounder, but to an eleven year old it was huge. He says, "How could you leave that fish just sitting there?" laughing. I laughed too, and use that line to this day when I catch a fish in front of someone. he let the fish go, and I asked him what the heck that was he used to catch it. He came over, showed me the bait - a Culprit worm - and how to rig it. It was a fishing epiphany right there on our dock. He gave me a few hooks, sinkers and a pack of worms. He also showed me how to pitch, and said to save up for a baitcaster. That was in the mid 80s - that Rebel Deep Wee R was a HOT BAIT at that time. I don't know where that guy is now, but he single-handedly changed me into an avid fisherman from a kid that liked to cast off the dock. I still consider myself a heck of a crankbait fisherman, but I would have never guessed I could fish in stuff like that with something as simple as that Texas Rigged worm.
brushhoggin reply :
I'm in complete agreement here. a buddy and i were talking yesterday while fishing about how it's the all time quarter back of lures. in a lot of situations, it's all you really need! would definitely be my lure of choice if i were restricted to one lure.
Catt reply :
J Francho
If you pick up any magazine, go to almost any forum, or listen to most Pros you’ll get replies like “When all else fails, it can usually be counted upon to save the day”. The Texas Rig has been relegated to a backup lure when it should consider it as a startup lure.
Few anglers will cast a Texas Rig out on structure and slowly crawl it back to the boat or use it dissect a piece of cover. They say “it’s too slow” or “I don’t have the patience to fish like that” or “you have to look for the reaction bite”.
I think the Texas Rig is the most well kept secret in the fishing industry
acajun2 reply :
I fish 90% of the time with a plastic worm. Unfortunately, I've had little success with the Texas or Carolina rig. They always seem to get hung up in the undergrowth and I wind up pulling in a large mass of undergrowth on just about every cast. When I fish the worm with no weight, I can usually manage to pull the worm through the undergrowth with little collection of growth on the head of the worm. The downside is that I can't cast more than about 50' because the worm isn't heavy enough to carry out. I still love the worm.
Catt reply :
On 9/21/2011 at 11:47 PM, acajun2 said:I fish 90% of the time with a plastic worm. Unfortunately, I've had little success with the Texas or Carolina rig. They always seem to get hung up in the undergrowth and I wind up pulling in a large mass of undergrowth on just about every cast. When I fish the worm with no weight, I can usually manage to pull the worm through the undergrowth with little collection of growth on the head of the worm. The downside is that I can't cast more than about 50' because the worm isn't heavy enough to carry out. I still love the worm.
Try a 1/16 oz weight or a small paneling nail inserted for additional distance
Nitrofreak reply :
On 9/21/2011 at 11:45 PM, Catt said:The Texas Rig has been relegated to a backup lure when it should consider it as a startup lure.
No offence catt but are you saying you do not use search baits?
If I am fishing in a location for the first time or if I am just looking to find fish quick I will utilise one and if I do get a strike I do switch to a Texas rig to "pick apart" structure.
For the most part my Texas rig is my primary rig and a rig I spend most of my time with on the water, so to me just because I utilise other baits first at times does not mean I am ready to abandon it and put it on a shelf.
J Francho reply :
QuoteFew anglers will cast a Texas Rig out on structure and slowly crawl it back to the boat or use it dissect a piece of cover. They say “it’s too slow” or “I don’t have the patience to fish like that” or “you have to look for the reaction bite”.
Only a few anglers are true winners, or trophy catchers. I'd rather count myself as the few, then.
WRB reply :
The Texas rig worm has also generated an industry of worm hooks, unbelievable amount of different designs have been developed.
The basic straight shank sproat hook; like the Mustad 3/0 worm hook being one of the first and still very popular. Eagle Claw was a big worm hook company back in the 70's and came out with several off-set designs, followed with round bends. The Japanese hooks like Gamakatsu introduced premium sharp hooks and it just keeps on expanding; the KVD Grip Pin off-set EMG being one of the newer offerings that looks a lot like the hook posted in this thread.
Why so many hooks designs for the Texas rig? It's a combination of worm body diameter, soft plastic, line strength, rod strength and hook setting technique and timing. With everything said and done, the original straight shank sproat sharp worm hook, size 3/0, works great for the average 6" to 7 1/2" soft plastic worms today.
In todays high speed world it's hard for many anglers to start the day off slowly and the Texas rig, like most under water soft plastics, is a slow presentation.
Like todays top water lures are fished fast, yet can be extremely effective fished very slow like we did in the past; let the ripples fade before moving the lure. Slow works about 80% of the time any given day on the water.
Tom
tyrius. reply :
On 9/22/2011 at 12:27 AM, WRB said:Like todays top water lures are fished fast, yet can be extremely effective fished very slow like we did in the past; let the ripples fade before moving the lure. Slow works about 80% of the time any given day on the water.Tom
I love fishing a Hula Popper just this way. Smooth water, cast out, let it set until the ripples are gone and then SLOWLY work it back. A bass coming out of glass smooth water to nail a topwater bait is awesome!
Catt reply :
On 9/22/2011 at 12:19 AM, Nitrofreak said:No offence catt but are you saying you do not use search baits?
If I am fishing in a location for the first time or if I am just looking to find fish quick I will utilise one and if I do get a strike I do switch to a Texas rig to "pick apart" structure.
For the most part my Texas rig is my primary rig and a rig I spend most of my time with on the water, so to me just because I utilise other baits first at times does not mean I am ready to abandon it and put it on a shelf.
I do not “search” for bass with lures; I “search” for bass with Topographical Maps, Aerial Photographs & Satellite Imagery, & the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
I dislike the terms “search lures” or “reaction lures”
All lures are used to search the cover for bass
All lures are reactions lures, bass see lure – bass reacts to lure
Many anglers start their day off in shallow water and then move deeper; I start my day of in deep water and generally stay deep.
Nitrofreak reply :
On 9/22/2011 at 4:44 AM, Catt said:I do not “search” for bass with lures; I “search” for bass with Topographical Maps, Aerial Photographs & Satellite Imagery, & the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
I dislike the terms “search lures” or “reaction lures”
All lures are used to search the cover for bass
All lures are reactions lures, bass see lure – bass reacts to lure
Many anglers start their day off in shallow water and then move deeper; I start my day of in deep water and generally stay deep.
Thank god for modern technology!!!
The simple worm search has come a long long way huh. lol.
Jim_M reply :
From a nOOb bass fisherman's perspective, not a nOOb business man mind you, all I need to see is the amount
of display space tackle shops (big and small) devote to plastics. They WORK, plastic worms especially.
Recreational dollars are scarce and getting scarcer. Shops interested in staying around for the long haul can NOT
afford to risk limited marketing space to "maybe" items. If we aren't catching, we're not buying either.
I have not had much success with the worm, yet. Attention deficit, no question. Someday, someday.
Jim
J Francho reply :
Jim, good point. It's also just as simple as durability. A $10 crankbait can catch 100's of fish. A 10 pack of Culprit worms, maybe a dozen or more. People that use them, go through them.
BrianSnat reply :
When I started fishing I almost exclusively used the pre rigged Creme worm with the beads and small spinner. I remember going fishing with my uncle and we were in the tackle shop and the owner telling my uncle that never mind the other brands, Creme is the ONLY brand he should use. This was probably the early 70's.
I'm not sure where I learned about Texas rigging. Perhaps it was diagrammed on the back of a pack of worms I bought. I was skeptical. 1 hook? Buried inside the worm? I was used to the Creme worms that were rigged with a trailer hook. Even when I rigged my own plastic worms I emulated the Creme two hook rig.
Anyway, I first tried the T rig some 25 years ago and I really started bringing in the bass. I used it pretty much exclusively until I discovered the C rig about 5 or 6 years ago and the wacky rigged Senko more recently, I still use it and always have at least 1 rod with a T rigged plastic tied on in my boat. I admit I use an unweighted Senko or the C rig more often these days, but if those aren't working I go right to the T rig before anything else.
BTW, my dad's pretty much retired from freshwater fishing and gave me his freshwater tackle box. There are about half a dozen packs of Creme worms in it. One of these days I'm going to tie one on for old times sake.
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