Texan rig fishing - All you need to know about the Texan rig fishing technique

The Texan mount fishing or Texas Rig is one of the first fishing techniques that every lure angler should master. This is because, fishing with a Texan rig is not only versatile, it's also simple and extremely effective to use.. You can throw it into any obstable (woods, grass, rocks,...) without having to hold on, right where the biggest fish hang out. But that's not all! The Texan rig can also be used in other situations. For example, in our opinion, the texan is the most versatile assembly that you can use it in a few centimetres of water up to dozens of metres. What is a Texan rig? How do I fish with a Texan rig? When should I use a Texan rig? Here's everything you need to know about Texan rig fishing.

What is Texan rig fishing?

The Texan rig is simply made up of a sliding sinker, a Texan hook and a soft lure. Nothing more, nothing less. The main aim of Texas rig fishing is to cast your lure into obstacles where others won't go.

You can cast vertically and present it under the obstacles or cast it skippered into the cover. You can also cast it and then drag your Texan rig along the bottom or make it bounce. You can also combine many types of soft lure with a Texan rig.

The major advantage of montage Texan lies in its very low holding capacity. Its compact profile and Texan hook hidden in the body of the lure allow it to pierce obstacles without the hook getting caught.

The Texan is one of the first rigs that all lure anglers need to master.It also depends on the size of the fish caught.

How do you make a Texan montage?

The Texan assembly is a simple assembly that you can quickly reproduce at the water's edge.

To do this you need :

• A Texan hook
• From leader to fluorocarbon (option)
• A transparent or coloured pearl (optional)
• A sliding lead ball

The setup is as follows:

• Place your sliding ball lead on your fluorocarbon leader or directly on your line body. Note, however, that the more crowded the environment, the shorter your leader should be.
• Adjust the weight (usually between 5 and 30 grams) according to the desired depth, but above all according to the density of the obstacle you want to pierce.
• Add a pearl to the leader. This will protect your knot from the weight of the sinker. The pearl can also provide an extra stimulus when it hits the sinker.
• Attach a Texan hook to your leader to match the size of the lure.

Many anglers like to use a stop-flot in front of their sinker when fishing near obstacles. This keeps the weight, hook and lure together so they don't get tangled up in branches. It also makes it easier for the lure to get through the denser areas.

If you're wondering which lure to use when fishing with a Texan rig, we'd advise you to go for either crayfish imitations, or the more common creatures or imitations.

The fish targeted are primarily black bass, but also perch and pike-perch. Pike can also be caught. However, if you don't want to get cut, it's best to avoid them.

What equipment should you choose for Texan fishing?

Fishing with a Texan rig requires basic equipment, which is actually quite simple. We prefer to fish with casting gear for greater responsiveness and speed. However, the Texan also works very well with spinning tackle. You need a rod with plenty of power to quickly extract a fish from obstables or dense vegetation.

Here are a few details we can give you

Which hooks for a Texas rig?

Here is a list of some of the hooks we like to use for Texas rig fishing:

• VMC 7347 WM Worm for worm-type lures
• Owner J Hook Light for crayfish lures
• Gamakatsu Worm 323 Monster for large lures

Which lead ball for a Texas mount?

The choice of shot is one of the most essential elements in a Texan rig. A lead ball that is too heavy is likely to get stuck in obstacles too often. On the other hand, if the weight is too light, you may not be able to pierce them. You therefore need to adapt the weight to your spot. So, if the obstacles are less dense and the water is clear, we opt for the lightest weights possible. The lighter the weight, the more natural the bait will behave. Conversely, if the obstacles are dense, increase the weight of your sinkers.

Personally, we prefer to use a tungsten bullet because it transmits contact much better than lead. What's more, tungsten weights are generally quite a bit smaller than a lead of the same weight.

Here is a list of some of the weights we like to use for Texas rig fishing:

• VMC Flipping Tungsten
• Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten
• Berkley Fusion19

Which rod for Texan fishing?

At Rodmaps we prefer rods averaging 7ft (210cm) in length, with MH to H power and fast to moderate-fast action to cover most situations. You really need to hook and retrieve the fish as quickly as possible from the cover. So it's essential to have a responsive rod. When fishing for finesse or with light lures, you'll want a rod that's supple enough to make accurate casts, yet stiff enough to hook the fish. If you're fishing close to dense areas, a heavier rod should do the trick.

Which reel for Texan fishing?

Texan rigs don't often require specialist equipment. A casting reel with a 6:1 to 7:1 ratio, or even faster, could do the trick. However, bear in mind that the ratio becomes increasingly important when the area you're fishing is dense. This is so that you can quickly block your fish's rushes.

Which colour is best?

In our opinion, there is no wrong answer. However, it is important to take into account certain seasonal factors when considering the type of food that carnivores might feed on at a given time of the season.

Although natural colours such as pumpkin or watermelon work all year round, we find that crayfish imitation colours are most effective in the spring when the fish come up to spawn. Bright colours such as white or chartreuse are excellent choices in heavily stained and dirty water.

Not only do bright colours make your bait easier to see in the water, they also add an extra element that can provoke fish to attack.

Most of the year, however, natural colours that mimic food are a good place to start.

When should you fish with Texan and what kind of animation?

Texan rig fishing is a fishing technique that works all year round at different depths and around different types of cover. So it's more a question of finding the spot than the time. From spring to winter, shallow vegetation, docks and wooden structures, dead trees and foliage are the spots we systematically attack with Texan rigs.

As far as animation is concerned, there are essentially two types of movement.

Either a long cast where you let the lure touch the bottom, then you start to lift the rod to make it swim a few centimetres above the bottom, and you catch the slack as it sinks back to the bottom.

Either when fishing close to obstacles with precise casts, the lure is made to bounce slightly by small movements of the tip. This allows the lure to gradually pierce the cover and also provides a discreet vertical action.

Always keep your rod at about 10 o'clock whenever possible, because you never know when a fish is going to bite. You have to be quick to react before it runs into obstacles. So if you raise your rod too high or too far to the side, you have to come back down to take up the slack and hook the fish. These precious seconds can lead to ineffective strikes and lost fish.

Texan rig fishing is a very versatile technique and above all very effective for catching educated fish in crowded areas, but it's not the only one. Don't hesitate to use it when the conditions are right. You'll be amazed at the results this type of rig can produce when other techniques fail.

Useful links to complete this article on fishing with the Texan rig

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Pike jerkbait: our selection of 5 pike jerkbaits

Pike lures: 10 pike lures to have in your box of lures

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