Soft plastics are without question one of the greatest weapons in the bass fisherman’s arsenal. They come in hundreds of shapes, colors, and can be fished effectively in almost any scenario encountered on the water. With so many options, you probably end up asking yourself how to rig a soft plastic.
To maximize their effectiveness, bass anglers have developed almost as many ways to rig soft plastics as there are styles. A good baseline knowledge of these different ways can be the difference between a so-so day on the water and a whack-fest.
Here are 4 of the most critical ways to rig a soft plastic.
1. Texas Rigging A Soft Plastic
Probably one of the most common ways to rig a plastic, Texas rigging is ideal any time you’re fishing around any sort of snaggy cover – whether, rock, wood, or the eponymous vegetation.
How to Texas Rig a soft plastic:
• Use an offset shank hook, and insert it in the head of the bait, then back out about a ¼ of an inch below the head.
• Slide the hook through the bait and rotate it back around so the head sits in the offset shank.
• Then push the hook point back into the body of the bait, making the bait weedless.
2. Shaky Head Rigging A Soft Plastic
A shaky head is a great alternative to a standard Texas rig. A shaky head provides a more finesse presentation and is great for fishing in deeper water. A shaky head includes a hook attached to some form of shaky head weight that causes the worm to stand on end beneath the surface. Shaky heads excel around rocks, wood, and boat docks.
How to Shaky Head Rig a soft plastic:
• Use a shaky head hook (there are hundreds of variations), and insert the hook point into the head of the bait, then back out about a ¼ of an inch below the head.
• Slide the hook through the bait and rotate it back around so the head sits in the offset shank.
• Then push the hook point back through the body of the bait, leaving the hook point just below the surface of the plastic.
3. Wacky Rigging A Soft Plastic
Like nose hooking on a dropshot, wacky rigging a plastic is a great way to free up the action and create a profile that bass can’t resist. It’s a well-known way to present a stick bait, but don’t be afraid to experiment with wacky rigging other plastics, like soft jerkbaits, worms, and even creature baits. Moving the anchor point to the middle creates an action unlike any other.
How to wacky rig a soft plastic:
• Take a small sharp hook and hook it through the middle of your plastic bait.
4. Nose-Hooked Rigging A Soft Plastic On A Dropshot
One of the things that makes soft plastics so effective is their natural appearance and action. Want to maximize the action of your plastics? Try nose-hooking them. Ideal around sparse cover on a drop shot – nose hooking minimizes the amount of action-dampening hook running through any bait, and creates an action that even the most finicky bass can’t resist.
How to rig a soft plastic nose-hooked:
• It’s pretty simple – take a small sharp hook tied perpendicular to your line above a sinker on a dropshot and hook the plastic through the nose.
All credit for these awesome tips goes to Karl’s Bait Shop. https://shopkarls.com/blog/how-to-rig-soft-plastics/
