How to Rig Soft Plastics for Bass: 5 Proven Setups Every Angler Must Know

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Soft plastics are the heart of every bass angler’s tackle box.

They’re cheap, easy to replace, and proven to work in a wide variety of situations. 

However, when you’re first getting into soft plastics, it can be a little difficult. 

These take more effort than chucking a crank or an inline spinner, and you really have to get the small details right. 

The first step in being successful with soft plastics is to get the rig right. So, the Bass Forecast team has 5 proven setups that will help you snag more bass with soft plastics and make every bag you buy more worthwhile. 

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1: Texas Rig for bass

We can’t make this list without putting the classic Texas rig first. 

The Texas rig is one of the first rigs every angler learns, and there’s a good reason for that. It’s extremely versatile, easy to use, and greatly reduces snags that often frustrate beginners to the point they might quit. Of course, the pros love it, too. 

Luckily, for such a great rig, it’s also easy to set up. So, let’s cover that first. 

You’ll need a bullet weight, an offset hook, and, for fatter plastics, an EWG hook and a soft plastic lure. We recommend rigging a worm first. 

Slip the bullet weight on so the tip slides up toward your rod, tie on the hook, and then insert the point of the hook through the lure’s face dead-center.

Push it about ¼ inch into the head, and pop it out the side of the bait.  Then pull the hook through until you reach the elbow-shaped “offset” part of the hook. Then gently pull & twist (180 degrees) the elbow shape of the offset hook through the plastic.  

When you are done with this, the line tie circle portion of the hook should just peek out the top of the worm. 

Finally, align the worm parallel to the hook shank and place your thumb at the exact place the hook point should be inserted back into the worm, such that the worm will lay flat after the hook is inserted. Insert the hook into the worm and straighten it out so it lays flat from the hook point to the eye of the hook. 

That’s it. You’ll mess up a little at first and get a pinched or cockeyed body, but it’s not too big of a deal.  

To make it weedless, lightly poke the hook point into the body of the lure. It’s pretty weedless even without this step, but it does help a bit. 

Now, let’s cover how to use it. 

This is mostly a bottom fishing rig. Your goal is to let it sink fast and bounce it off the bottom nose-first. That’s what the bullet weight is for. 

The strength of the Texas rig is in its weedless presentation.

Since the hook is either flat against the body of the lure or buried in it slightly, it glides right over debris and right through weeds and over wood. It’s not perfect.

Weeds can still collect around the front of it, and snap it off. If you get a little caught up and yank, you can expose the hook and stick it into stuff, etc. However, it’s a huge help without any fancy guards. 

The other strength is its versatility. 

The Texas rig is used with pretty much every type of soft plastic. As long as you have a bullet weight and a hook that is appropriately sized, you can Texas rig a plastic and expect it to work. Whether you’re using a worm, craw, creature, or even a fluke.

Some rigs just don’t match certain lures, but the Texas rig is something you can use when you have no idea how to use a new lure, and you can trust it’ll work fine. 

2: Weightless for bass

This is a far more specialized “rig”, and it’s kind of like the absence of a rig, really. In some conditions, and with some lures, you can benefit greatly by simply threading the lure onto a hook and letting it do its magic on its own. 

You can use an EWG hook and thread it as you would for a Texas rig, while skipping the weight.

We recommend it because it helps you get practice with your Texas rigs. However, you can also use a standard bait keeper hook through the nose of the lure, pierce it through the side, etc. 

There are two reasons to do this. 

With floating lures like the Zoom Trick Worm, this is how you make the lure float. This is great for dead sticking. If you’re using another type of lure, such as a fluke, a weightless rig can give it a very subtle, natural fall that works like a finesse presentation. 

The issue with a weightless rig is that, if you’re using heavier equipment, it can sometimes be harder to get good casting distance. If you notice this is a problem, switch to a lighter rod setup, or opt for a heftier soft plastic that can drag itself out a bit more.

With a bait-casting setup, this usually isn’t a problem because you can dial in your settings.

In the right conditions, with a light touch, a weightless setup is the finesse presentation you need to overcome high-pressure water and a slow bite, much of the time. 

3: Wacky Rig for bass

The wacky rig really gained popularity in the last decade. It came onto the scene and took off like wildfire. There’s a good reason for it, too. It’s extremely easy to do, and it will trigger bites with nothing else wanting your bait. 

To do it, you need a hook, a Senko, and a small rubber band. 

Tie your hook however you want. We prefer the Palomar knot. Right in the middle of your Senko, poke the hook through, and let the Senko rest in the belly of the hook. The two ends of the Senko should wobble around freely on the sides of the hook. 

That’s technically it, but if you stop there, you’re going to lose lures left and right. That’s the main problem with this rig. Not enough of the lure is connected to the hook, and they rip right off.

A small rubber band, like the kind you use for ponytails or tying off braids, makes a huge difference.

Just slide it down and cinch the Senko to the hook with it. You can get hundreds of these for a couple of bucks at practically any store that has a hair section, and they’ll save you tons in Senkos.

You can also try this rig with other types of lures. Typically, worm-style lures are going to be the best.

However, we have seen people use craws and flukes just fine, and sometimes, being weird with your setup is what gets you the bite. How do you think people came up with these rigs? 

4: Free Rig for bass

The free rig is another finesse setup, but it’s a lot easier to cast than a weightless rig. 

Take a bell weight and slide it on your line. You can use any size or weight that your rod can handle. If you use a lighter weight, the lure will fall more slowly, but you’ll lose casting power.

If you use a heavier weight, the lure will plummet quickly, but you might overload your rod if you go too heavy. Start with a smaller weight and see what works for you. 

Then, tie on an EWG hook, and thread your favorite soft plastic bait on. 

 What you get is a rig where the weight reaches the bottom way before the lure does, and the lure can flutter down like a weightless rig. You also get more casting distance thanks to the weight. 

One thing to make sure you do is use the same hook method that you would with a Texas rig.

The weedless feature is invaluable, and when that lure is fluttering out of control, you’re going to appreciate that. You can cast close to the weeds and think you got it right on the spot, but it can flutter right off into the submerged weeds and get tangled up. 

There’s also an optional adjustment you can make. You can use a stopper to set the maximum free line at whatever length you want.

If you want 14 inches of free line for the lure to swing around on, set the stopper right around the 16-inch mark (to leave room for tying the knot and trimming the line). This gives you more control, and you can always adjust the stopper if you need to. 

Look for the easy slide-on stoppers that are sold for a slip bobber. They’re just strings on a plastic tube.

You slide the tube on, pop the string off the tube, cinch it, and then you slide a little crafting bead onto the line. The string knot stops the bead, and the bead stops your weight. However, you can easily adjust it with a little wiggle of the string knot and then re-cinch it. 

A good thing about this one is that it can be used for most soft plastics without any drawbacks. A fluke is just as effective as a worm on this, and that lets you match the hatch on the same rig. 

5: Carolina Rig for bass

The Carolina rig is right up there with the Texas rig. It doesn’t operate the same way, but it’s a staple for bottom fishing deep. 

To set it up, put a ball of bullet sinker on your line. The heavier it is, the faster you will get to the bottom. However, you can also overload your rod. So, be careful. 

Then, tie on a swivel. This is going to stop the ball weight and add some freedom to the tag end. 

You’ll want to tie on about a foot of leader line, use a Palomar knot to get an EWG hook on the end, and then thread on your soft plastic lure. 

The weight can slide freely up and down the line, but everything beyond the swivel freely flutters around. 

If you drag and lift, the weight will come up and drag the lure with it, but when you let the weight sink, the lure is left fluttering behind in the same trajectory at a slower rate.

This can be used for worms, grubs, creatures, underwater frogs, and craws with great results.

We love it when it’s time to bust out the craws. It gives them a slower and more realistic flutter than a traditional football jig setup does, but they still hop backward like real craws do.

The issue with the Carolina rig is that it tends to get snagged more than a Texas rig. 

This is largely because of all the extra line fluttering around and the less predictable fall pattern of a ball weight. The dragging motion that you’re supposed to use can also cause you to pull it right under large objects, and then you have a problem. 

However, it’s a great rig that offers lots of versatility, and there’s room to play around with the leader length, weight size, and more to change things up. 

How to Choose the Right Rig for Bass Fishing

If you’re a more experienced angler, you probably have this part down. If you’re brand-new, you just got five new rigs to try and have no idea when each one is best. The Bass Forecast team is here to help with that. 

For starters, if you have never used a soft plastic before, just use the Texas rig. It’s a hassle-free setup that you really can’t go wrong with.

It’s going to work well with all your soft plastics, it’s easy to set up, and it won’t get snagged left and right. Use it to build some confidence before trying the others. 

Otherwise, you’re going to want to look at the lure you’re using and the way the fish are acting. 

If they’re on the bottom in the fall when bass love craws, use a Carolina rig. If it’s a high-pressure day with tons of heat, go weightless for plenty of finesse. 

You want to avoid using a rig that will present your lure in a way that doesn’t match the prey it’s mimicking. Otherwise, it comes down to matching the type of movement the fish is likely to bite, given the conditions. 

Catch Your New PB with Soft Plastics

Soft plastics are among the most versatile and effective baits in bass fishing, and mastering them is essential for any angler looking to grow.

Try these five rigs, and before long, you’ll be setting a new personal best.

To take your skills even further, download our fishing app for real-time patterns, proven tips, and maps that put you on the fish faster!