Adjusting Rate of Fall of Texas-rigged Soft Plastic Baits

The Texas rig is a versatile fishing rig that can be used to catch bass in a variety of situations. One of the advantages of the Texas rig is that it allows you to adjust the rate of fall of your soft plastic lure to help trigger more strikes. 

There are a few factors that affect the rate of fall of a Texas-rigged soft plastic lure including:

• Matching the fall rate to the water depth: If you are fishing in shallow water, you will want to use a lure that falls slowly so that it doesn't sink too quickly and spook the fish. If you are fishing in deeper water, you will want to use a lure that falls more quickly so that it reaches the bottom faster.
• Matching the fall rate to the baitfish: Bass are ambush predators, so they often target baitfish that are moving slowly. By matching the fall rate of your lure to the movement of the baitfish, you can make it more attractive to the bass.
• Creating a more natural presentation: A slow-falling lure will create a more natural presentation, which can be especially important in clear water.
• Triggering strikes: Increasing the size of the weight or limiting the number of appendages on a soft plastic bait increases the fall rate helping trigger strikes from finicky bass.

There are a few different ways to adjust the rate of fall of a Texas-rigged soft plastic lure including:

• Use a heavier weight: A heavier weight will cause the lure to fall more quickly.
• Use a smaller weight: A smaller weight will cause the lure to fall more slowly.
• Use a different type of weight: There are different types of weights available, such as bullet weights, round weights, and split shot weights. Each type of weight will affect the rate of fall differently.
• Use a different soft plastic lure: Some soft plastic lures are designed to fall more slowly than others.

Bassmaster Elite pro Hunter Shryock relies on adjusting the fall rates of different bass baits to trigger more strikes throughout the tournament season to ensure his success. Take a few moments and watch as Hunter describes his approach to adjusting fall rates in his pitching and flipping game:

Bottom line: Experiment with different weights and soft plastic lures to find what works best for you in different situations.