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Old 06-20-08, 10:37 AM   #1
crankitup
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Default Texas Rig

Hey Guys. I am trying to learn to fish the Texas Rig on the boat. I went out to a local tourney last night and this is what everyone seemed to be fishing with. The problem that I am having is the wind blows hard on this lake, the boat drifts fast and I dont know how I should approach fishing this setup. I cannot feel my line for a bite or see it due to the heavy wind, etc. I am using 10lbs test on a baitcaster, 3/8oz bullet weight, and 7 inch berkley power worm. Put it this way. I didn't catch anything and 12 other teams had 8lbs or better worth of fish. i apprecaite all of the advice you can give.
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Old 06-20-08, 10:43 AM   #2
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10lb test doesn't tell us anything. What kind of line, Braid, Fluoro, Mono? Also what rod are you using? Sinsitivity is very important in fishing plastics.

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Old 06-20-08, 10:46 AM   #3
crankitup
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10lb Suffix. Im not sure what that is in refrence to braid, mono, flouro. I had a 6'6" medium duty rod but I broke off 6" trying to free a crank bait. Now its only 6' lol.
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Old 06-20-08, 10:52 AM   #4
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Couple more questions, then I may be able to help.

Suffix: mono or braid?
Rod: Brand?

I would suggest alonger rod 6'6'-7'. And MH would be my rod of choice ofr texas rigging. I have a 7'M rod now and I miss more than I do with my dad's 7'MH. Since some broke off, that will make the rod heavier (not weight wise).

If you're using suffix mono, try the performance braid. It'll add a whole lot of snesitivity to even the cheapest of rods.

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Old 06-20-08, 11:01 AM   #5
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The rod I am using is a American Rod Smith. I'm not sure on the line though. Everything is at the house. What is MH?
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Old 06-20-08, 11:05 AM   #6
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ok crank you could go to a braided line that has less stretch and might be easier to keep
an eye on , or if you like mono try a high vis line for days like that . medium is not bad for
plastics though i prefer med/heavy , and how were you fishing it from the boat , with the wind were you drifting towards your cast causing you to have a little slack in the line ?
A few more details and every one will def chime in but be patient plastics are very
rewarding when you get the hang of them , also on the lighter rod you might want to tex-pose as in t-rig normally then bring the hook though the worm all the way and put
the very tip of it back under the surface of the worm a little it will make it easier to
set the hook , people often underestimate how much force is needed to bring that
hook through the worm



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWiJHRb2a5c



hope that helps a bit man good luck
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Old 10-12-08, 01:24 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim80 View Post
ok crank you could go to a braided line that has less stretch and might be easier to keep
an eye on , or if you like mono try a high vis line for days like that . medium is not bad for
plastics though i prefer med/heavy , and how were you fishing it from the boat , with the wind were you drifting towards your cast causing you to have a little slack in the line ?
A few more details and every one will def chime in but be patient plastics are very
rewarding when you get the hang of them , also on the lighter rod you might want to tex-pose as in t-rig normally then bring the hook though the worm all the way and put
the very tip of it back under the surface of the worm a little it will make it easier to
set the hook , people often underestimate how much force is needed to bring that
hook through the worm



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWiJHRb2a5c



hope that helps a bit man good luck
Thanks for posting my video. I hope it helps alot of people. It's not much but it does cover some things that many people don't think about when hooking a plastic worm.
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Old 06-20-08, 11:15 AM   #8
crankitup
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Thanks guys. I have tried fishing it both ways. With the wind and against the wind. Against is immosible and with the wind I drift really fast.
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Old 06-20-08, 11:17 AM   #9
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I'd go to braid if you don't have it already. That rod should be plenty sensitive, I've heard American Rodsmith rods are good. MH is Medium Heavy. I'm assuming that it is mono that you're using and it is not nearly as sensitive as braid. Try the briad, and see if it helps you. Now, if you believe in the ish seeing the line, then you may wan tot try a fluorocarbon leader of about 2-2.5'. You could use mono for the leader, but it makes it way sess sensitive, making using braid pointless.

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Old 06-20-08, 11:21 AM   #10
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Crank, MH refers to Medium Heavy, which is a measure of the "weight" of a rod. Don't think about "weight" as in ounces or pounds, but stiffness/thickness/power. A "light" rod will have a bunch of give to it, and an "extra-heavy" will feel like a broomstick in comparison.
When fishing plastics, MH is probably good, with fairly heavy braided line, maybe 30# test, Suffix or PowerPro brand, which is what I use. Get some good Gamagatsu (sp?) EWG (Extra Wide Gap) 3/0 or 4/0 size worm hooks, and do as Jim says as far as T-rigging, then skin-hooking the very tip.
When you get a hit, or one taps the worm fairly hard, give it a second or two, then set the hook hard enough to cross his eyes. That'll make sure the hook pushes through the worm and into the fish's mouth, and may even disorient the fish for a second or two.
Do you have a trolling motor? Use it to keep you in one place, or an anchor.
My $.02...hope it helped.


Dadgum it, BB, give a guy a chance to reply, would ya?
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Old 06-20-08, 11:31 AM   #11
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crank i would def give braid a shot myself and a lot of guys use power pro but again
line is personal preference power pro does make a red braid that might be easier for
you to see on a day like that and like mb set the hook hard .
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Old 06-20-08, 02:33 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crankitup View Post
I cannot feel my line for a bite or see it due to the heavy wind, etc.
In general, the stronger the wind, the heavier the weight needs to be to maintain contact with the bait in order to feel a fish bite or feel the bait hit bottom etc. In a really strong wind, you totally lose contact with your bait if the weight is too light. Also, it's almost impossible to fish plastics effectively drifting with the wind. You've got to fish into the wind and if your trolling motor won't push you into the wind, you don't have a TM with enough thrust. One of my maxims is that you can never have a TM with too much power.
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Old 06-20-08, 06:57 PM   #13
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If you can't feel your bait due to wind use a heavier weight. Use the lightest you can get away with, but if you can't feel the bait you are going to limit your success.
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Old 06-20-08, 09:00 PM   #14
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I never though of the heavier weight thing, but good to know, since it's quite windy where I live. It does make sense.

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Old 06-21-08, 06:03 PM   #15
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one of the benifits of the heavier weight in a t-rig is added distance to your cast letting you cover a little more water rather than the glass bead and a heavier bullet weight I normally throw a smaller bullet and a larger one on top of it same idea just a different method i also put a bobber stop an inch or two up to keep the weights from traveling to far from the worm but thats just me and it has worked for me so i keep throwing it .
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Old 06-21-08, 07:20 PM   #16
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The bad thing about a heavy weight though is that is sinks into the bottom and limits your feel. For example, many people use 3/4- or 1-ounce weights for fishin' Carolina Rigs, but all that does is dig the weight into the bottom, collecting more weeds and debris, limiting feel.

Ditto, Reb; go with the lightest weight possible, although you may have to move up/down, depending on what the fish want.

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Old 06-21-08, 10:47 PM   #17
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I usually use 1/8 or 1/4 oz weights, occasionally moving up to 3/8 and rarely 1/2.

Buzzie, the heavier weight helps keep contact with the bottom, INCREASING feel.

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Old 10-12-08, 10:07 AM   #18
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Also, it will help a great deal to carry a wind sock on board....they put drag on the boat and are invaluable in a strong wind situation. If two are fishing, tie it off on the windward side of the boat in the middle....both of you can fish that way....if you are by yourself and want to really slow things down, tie it on the bow. It should have a strap on the small end you can tie a second cord to in order to haul it in easily....it flips it around making the sock reverse and collapse as you draw it in. I have one from Cabela's and have used it for several years now.....some folks use two socks, to really slow the boat down. You, if tying off at the side of the boat, can still use your trolling motor to adjust your drift direction.....very handy when the wind is at an angle to a weed edge or dropoff you want to fish. This will probably solve your problem.

If you dont' want to spend the money, try dragging a couple of 5 gallon paint buckets....put a few holes in the bottom so it will drain when you lift them out....I'd suggest using 5 one inch holes for starters.....spaced evenly along the bottom near the sides. When on board, you can stack them and keep your anchor or other equipment in the buckets.

Another possibility is to use a drag that some folks use in river currents, but which will also work in drifts from wind......get a three foot piece of heavy logging chain, cut a bicycle inner tube and slip it on the chain to cover it....wire the tube on at the second link and tie your anchor-chain on your anchor rope with the first link. The tube keeps it from catching so much and also keeps it mostly from rattling underwater. Drag just as much as needed...sometimes in a gentle wind maybe only a foot or less rests on bottom, in stronger winds you will need more. Personally I like the windsock/buckets ideas more, but this may be a viable option if you don't have a lot of wood. You may get the chain through wood, but would be banging and thumping quite a bit on the way through.

I'd go with the wind sock or buckets and save the chain for river fishing.....one thing the drag chain does nicely in a river, it keeps you centered in the deepest part of the river channel...Good Fishng, Mac

Last edited by Mac2; 10-12-08 at 10:10 AM. Reason: addition
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