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.

Flipping Soft Plastic Baits for Summer Bass

Flipping soft plastic baits is a great way to catch summer bass in heavy cover. This technique involves quietly pitching or flipping a soft plastic bait into thick vegetation, such as lily pads, bushes, or laydowns. The bait is then worked slowly and methodically, with the angler imparting subtle shakes and twitches to create a lifelike presentation.

Here are some tips on how to flip soft plastic baits for summer bass:

Use a heavy-duty rod and reel combo. You'll need a rod with a lot of backbone to power through the thick cover, and a reel with a large line capacity to handle the weight of the bait and the heavy braided line you'll be using.

Use soft plastic baits designed for flipping. There are many different soft plastic baits that are specifically designed for flipping, such as craws, stick worms, and creature baits. These baits are made from durable materials that can withstand the abuse of being pitched and flipped into heavy cover.

Use the right weight. The weight of your bait will depend on the depth of the water and the thickness of the cover. In general, you'll want to use a heavier weight for deeper water and thicker cover but always use the lightest weight possible.

Make a good presentation. When flipping a soft plastic bait, it's important to make a good presentation. This means pitching or flipping the bait into the cover with enough force to get it through the vegetation, but not so much force that you make a lot of noise and tear it up. You should also impart subtle shakes and twitches to the bait to create a lifelike presentation.

Here are some of the best soft plastic baits for flipping summer bass:

Gary Yamamoto Senko

Zoom Brush Hog

Strike King Rage Craw

Berkley PowerBait General

Berkley Pit Boss

These are just a few of the many great soft plastic baits that can be used for flipping summer bass. Experiment with different baits and find what works best for you. 

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Hunter Shryock relies on flipping and pitching soft plastic baits to generate bites throughout the year. Take a few minutes and watch the following video where Hunter explains his approach to flipping for summer bass…

How to Flip and Pitch

Confused about the proper techniques for flipping and pitching baits into cover?

Take a moment and listen to BASS Pro Denny Brauer explains some of the does and don’ts of these two shallow cover presentation methods…

Very informative don’t you think?