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Old 09-28-09, 09:32 PM   #1
DJ_Callahan_27
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Default T-rig worm?

Ok, guys this may seem like a dumb question but I have never been much of a worm fisherman. At least not in the traditional worm fishing since, the T-rig & weight. My question is about how, when and where to fish the T-rigged worm. Not weightless flukes or trick worms or anything like that. Not pitching or flipping T-rigged worms or craws to heavy cover. Not the C-rig (although I haven't given it a alot of attention either). I know how to pitch and flip and love the fluke. I need help with actually fishing the T-rigged worm. What conditions make you want to pick up a worm and start casting? I really feel like I'm at a disadvantage not knowing how to properly fish this rig. Please help

Thanks guys
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Old 09-28-09, 10:58 PM   #2
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I have always used the TRig as a search bait and many days don't take it off. For me I like it in the shallows, in weed beds, all around laydowns and I fish it VERY slow. You cannot fish it too slow.
I like it with Slider heads too. If the bite is subtle I like to let him have it THEN set the hook. The tic tic tic seems to go with the rig and I think often times more than a single fish is messin with it. When the line takes off I'll drop the tip and hook him.
Its my favorite bait with exception of maybe a TRig'ed brush hog for flippin real heavy cover.
It used to be said more bass are caught on a TRig worm than any other bait. That ought to start some folks howlin
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Old 09-29-09, 09:56 AM   #3
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T-rigging is my favorite app. I like fishing it in shallower water as well.Usually between 2-7' of water..Against rocky banks, hydrilla, structure, and coverage. A favorite,find tree limbs hanging over the water,cast your worm underneath to mimic fallen prey..You can get some strong strikes that way. When you cast it out, let it sink, I usually use a 1/4 ounce slip sinker...I'll let sit from anywhere between 5-15 seconds.....Then pop my rod tip from 9 to 11 oclock....Let it sit, then repeat.

Like TnTOM said, you cant fish it too slow! Another method I been using alot lately is keeping my rod tip low, and sweeping the bait keeping it low, and slightly dragging the bottom...Still using the pause method. It's been working wonders for me.

Just play with different retrieves, it's hard to fish wrong. A lot mistakes I see, is people tend to 'over present' their worm...popping the tip too high and hard, and retrieving too fast..gentle, softs flicks is all it needs. Take your time with it,you'll get it.

You will really learn to feel the bottom using a worm...HAHA, just get ready to hook up some logs!! Cause its gonna happen!

Good luck!

I failed to mention a MH rod with fast tip works best in my opinion.
I use a 7' rod for worms...I also like a higher speed reel to compensate for the slack on my line while fishing a worm. Everytime you pop/twitch it, you will generate slack in the line. A 6:3 to 7:1 reel should do the trick perfectly. I use a 6:3 ratio and it works more than fine, But I really wanna see the difference with a 7:1 that so many swear by. lol
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Old 09-29-09, 01:01 PM   #4
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A t-rig is good anywhere that fish live. Shallow flats, deep humps, under docks, you name it and those fish will eat it. Some basic colors that I use are green pumpkin seed, blue fleck, watermelon, black, and red shad. As far as retrieves go, you can drag it and stop it, or jig it off the bottom and let it fall reeling your slack in between jigs. Some times I pitch them in to cover such as laydowns and weed beds, and sometimes ill drag them along a baren flat.

There is no wrong time to use a t-rigged worm. Also I usually start with a 10" worm and if the fish don't take it real well then ill down size to a 7". But if you want to catch a lot of bass and a lot of big bass you definitely need this in your arsenal. By the way, use the smallest bullet weight you can get away with. but as a starting place start with a 3/16 or 1/4 oz.

Good luck.
PS. the 5# bass in my avitar was caught in 5' of water. The water temp was 50 degrees. And it was snowing a sleeting on me. I caught him on a 10" power worm. we took 8th at large tourney dragging 10" power worms across a pea gravel hump. in the heat of July.

Last edited by rangerryan; 09-29-09 at 01:13 PM.
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Old 09-29-09, 01:52 PM   #5
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Now wait, if we're adding bullet weights, haven't we crossed over to a Carolina rig?

I use the T-Rig w/no weight on an offset 'J' hook. As far as the retrieve, there is no wrong way and often you'll get hits right after the cast as it sinks to the bottom. I try to simulate a living creature or a creature in trouble. A twitch retrieve is often successful as it looks like something struggling. Remember, worms don't scoot across the bottom like race cars...they wiggle and flop around...sometimes get very still, then flop around some more. I think the wacky rig is successful because it looks more like how a night crawler would look than a stiff plastic bait might.
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Old 09-29-09, 02:42 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbeysdad View Post
Now wait, if we're adding bullet weights, haven't we crossed over to a Carolina rig?
A Carolina rig is completely different. With a C-rig, you slide on a weight and maybe some beads for noise, then tie on a swivel. Add a leader, then tie on a hook and plastic lure to the leader. With a T-rig, slide on a weight, then tie the hook and add the plastic, no leader.
The swivel on a C-rig keeps the weight and beads ahead of the lure, whereas the T-rig doesn't separate them.

Found an old thread about it:

http://www.bassfishin.com/bassfishin...ad.php?t=11719
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Old 09-29-09, 03:14 PM   #7
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I also sometimes add a red glass bead under the bullet weight on my T-rigs..For a little extra ''clacking''
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Old 09-29-09, 03:15 PM   #8
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The difference is the WEIGHT - the [proper size] bead really is intended to keep the weight from smashing the knot - the swivel is kinda optional.
(Just my $.02)
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Old 09-29-09, 03:26 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbeysdad View Post
The difference is the WEIGHT - the bead just keeps the weight from smashing the knot - the swivel is kinda optional.
The bead is to generate noise....Thats why its glass and not plastic,or something else...The weight isn't the difference, Its how they are rigged. I've never seen a carolina rig without the swivel, or leader. To me, that's just a T-rig

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Old 09-29-09, 03:44 PM   #10
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Then Wafflejaw, based on what you've written,
Quote:
I also sometimes add a red glass bead under the bullet weight on my T-rigs..For a little extra ''clacking''
You're saying that the only difference between a T-rig and a Carolina rig is a swivel - interesting.
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Old 09-29-09, 03:50 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbeysdad View Post
Then Wafflejaw, based on what you've written, You're saying that the only difference between a T-rig and a Carolina rig is a swivel - interesting.
Yea, and I still stand by it....What I did there is a ''fancy'' T-rig
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Old 09-29-09, 04:33 PM   #12
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Swivel + leader= Carolina rig
No swivel, no leader = Texas rig
Beads are for noise/flash/color.
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Old 09-29-09, 05:09 PM   #13
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I never fish a T-rig worm with out a weight unless its a fluke or senko type bait. The idea of a carolina rig is to get the weight at least a foot or more above the worm so that the worm will float to the bottom slower and so that when a bass sucks it in he wont feel the weight. The C-rig is more of a finesse tactic where as a t-rig is more of a power tactic (usually). You can cover more water in a short time with a T-rig. Waffle Jaws illustration is exactly what a t-rig looks like. If your not rigging it like that then you are not fishing a T-rig. Now there is nothing wrong with adding beads to the underside of the weight for added noise or adding a sinker stop above the weight to keep the sinker from sliding.

Last edited by Kevin; 09-29-09 at 05:37 PM.
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Old 09-29-09, 06:15 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbeysdad View Post
Then Wafflejaw, based on what you've written, You're saying that the only difference between a T-rig and a Carolina rig is a swivel - interesting.
The bait is also put on a leader. Both have weight in the front. Depending on how you look at it, they are variations of each other insofar as the weight is in front of the bait.

C-Rig - Weight is ahead of a bead (bead can be omitted), then swivel. Other end of swivel has the leader to which the bait is attached. Floating baits are typically used but this technique is not limited to floating baits. It can be likened to a reverse drop shot in which the weight is behind (under) the bait as opposed to being in front of it. The length of the leader can change the height of the bait above the bottom if the bait floats. No can do on a weighted T-rig.

T-Rig - Can be with or without a weight. The weight can be free to slide or be kept in place by a variety of methods.
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Old 10-03-09, 09:19 PM   #15
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My understanding is and my primary purpose for the bead is to protect the knot from the bullet weight. As it plows the bottom it will destroy the knot without the bead to protect it unless you retie frequently. The noise is the bonus for a c-rig.

I have found if I'm fishing a c-rig my knot gets chaffed pretty fast without the bead and a break off is eminent. With the T-rig the bullet weight can't abraid the knot as its protected by the worm.
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Old 10-04-09, 10:28 PM   #16
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Generally a bead is used to protect the knot on Lindy rigs for Walleye and for Carolina rigs. Keep in mind a small plastic bead can be used instead of glass to have the protection without the sound. Unless I have a braided main line, I always use a bead to protect the knot.

However, you can Texas rig your hook far enough back in the bait that the weight cannot touch the knot. Rig it as if you're using a screw-in weight and you need to leave some worm to screw into in front of the hook.
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Old 10-13-09, 10:00 AM   #17
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When fishing a texas-rigged worm I like to use a brass weight and a faceted red glass bead. The brass and glass combination is not to protect the knot, it is for the clicking sound. It has been used for many years as an attractor and still works well today. My favorite texas rig set up is a 1/4 oz brass weight, a 10 mm red glass bead and a Gamakatsu 3/0 offset worm hook. I use a wide varitey of worms, but prefer a 7" ribbontail most of the time. As far as where to use a texas rig? Just about anywhere that you think might hold a fish. The idea of the texas rig is to be able to fish a worm that is basically weedless and snagless so you can throw it into weeds, brushpiles, laydowns etc. I like working edges. Bass relate to the weedline edges, the edge or corner of a boat house or dock. The edge where a laydown and the bottom connect, etc. As mentioned fishing a texas rig slowly is usually the right thing to do, but in shallow water cover swimming a texas rigged worm through pads or mats and letting it fall into the holes does work when the bass are active. Remember to retie a texas rigged bait often as you are constantly rubbing the line against cover and the glass bead will damage the knot over time.

To help answer a the question about carolina rigging. Normally the main line has a weight slid on it and then a glass bead and PLASTIC bead followed by the line being tied to a swivel. The plastic bead is to protect the knot, glass would either break or damage the knot. The glass bead is to click against the weight for some attraction. From the swivel a leader with a hook is attached. The idea being if a fish picks up the bait the line is supposed to slide through the weight so the fish does not feel the weight.
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Old 10-16-09, 09:35 PM   #18
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Thanks guys for all the great info. Going to be cold this weekend but I'm hoping to get to try my luck. And to put some of my newly found tips to use.

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Old 10-16-09, 10:16 PM   #19
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Good info guys!

I might as well add my 2 cents.

First off, I like to use a heavier weight to start, it gives the bait a much faster fall. This can trigger a strike when you're fishing it fast. If you hop the bait up sharply, than the bait will go up, and fall fast, and trigger a strike. I just do this to start, if I don't get bit, I use a lighter weight. I've added beads to my t-rigs, and Honestly don't think it works to well. But my all time favorite Texas rig bait is a craw. a yum wooly craw I believe. In the winter I rig it on a 1/4 oz keel weighted hook, cast it out let it sit. But rather than hoping it like you would with a worm, I do this: I put of rod at the 8 o'clock position. I reel in slowly, and stop it. the keel weighted hook keeps the craw pretty flat on the bottom. Looks incredibly reel, just like a craw scooting along the bottom in cold water.

Also, if you're ever down in Fl in the winter, use a BLUE craw. Sometimes they turn blue in the winter.. it's really weird.

Good luck!
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Old 10-20-09, 09:13 AM   #20
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I do not use beads on my T-rigs, but I do use bullet weights. The rate of fall and the size of the weight is determined by the amount of cover and mood of the fish. Sometimes I peg my bullet wieghts with a toothpick or use the Gambler "screwlock" weights to keep the worm and weight together. Other times I use the lightest weight that I can for a very slow fall.

Folks get confused about the hooking method as being the sole determining factor for the method, when in fact the bullet weight is actually part of the original T-rig method (I grew up with the method from the time it originated on Sam Rayburn reservoir in East Texas). In fact, on my C-rigs I do not use Bullet weights at all, either egg sinkers or cylinder style weights because they don't hang up as easy as the bullet weights.
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Old 12-13-09, 09:49 PM   #21
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I like to mainly use 6" plastic worms, they are overall the "standard" size. Texas rig them with a 2/0 Eagle Claw (Or Gamakatsu) EWG hook and a 1/8oz bullet weight. I cast mine out in deeper water, around no visible cover. I let it hit the bottom. I give my rod a bounce bounce bounce motion, and pick up my slack.
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