Rigs & Setups Glossary

Rigs and setups determine how your soft plastic or lure behaves in the water, how it falls, and how many bites you convert into fish in the boat. Understanding the strengths of each rig lets you match your presentation to the cover, depth, and mood of the bass you are targeting.

Texas Rig

The most versatile bass rig in existence, built with a bullet weight, offset worm hook, and a soft plastic threaded weedless. It slides through grass, wood, and rock without hanging up, making it the go-to choice for flipping and pitching heavy cover. Adjust weight size based on cover density and how fast you want the bait to fall.

Carolina Rig

A heavier sliding weight is pegged above a swivel and a long leader (18 to 36 inches) leading to the hook and bait. This setup keeps the weight on bottom while the bait floats up and drifts naturally behind it, which is deadly for covering large flats and points. It excels when bass are relating to bottom structure but not buried in heavy cover.

Drop Shot

The hook is tied above the weight using a Palomar knot, leaving the tag end to run down to a small weight at the bottom. This keeps the bait suspended at a precise depth, perfect for finicky bass holding on ledges, brush piles, or suspended over deep structure. It shines in clear water and cold fronts when bass want a subtle, stationary presentation.

Ned Rig

A small mushroom or standup jig head paired with a short, stubby soft plastic, usually 2.5 to 3 inches. The buoyant plastic stands up off bottom at rest, mimicking a defenseless baitfish or goby, and it catches both largemouth and smallmouth in finesse situations. It is especially effective on tough, high-pressure lakes and clear water.

Wacky Rig

A stick worm is hooked through the middle so both ends flutter independently on the fall. This creates a slow, seductive shimmy that triggers reaction bites from bass sitting tight to docks, laydowns, and shallow cover. Fish it weightless for a natural glide or add a nail weight for faster fall in deeper water.

Neko Rig

Similar to a wacky rig but with a nail weight inserted into one end of the stick bait, causing it to fall head-down while the tail stands up off bottom. This creates a more erratic, vertical fall than a standard wacky rig and gets more attention in deeper or slightly stained water. It pairs well with a small weighted or weedless hook for skipping under docks.

Split Shot Rig

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best rig setup for bass fishing beginners?

The Texas rig is the easiest starting point because it's weedless, simple to tie, and works with almost any soft plastic like a worm or creature bait. Just thread a bullet weight, tie on an offset worm hook, and you can fish it in cover without constant snags. Once you're comfortable with that, the drop shot rig is a great second setup to learn for finesse fishing.

What's the difference between a Carolina rig and a Texas rig?

A Texas rig has the weight pegged or sliding right against the hook, so the bait falls with the weight and hugs cover tightly. A Carolina rig separates the weight from the hook with a swivel and leader line, usually 18 to 36 inches long, letting the bait float up naturally above the bottom. Carolina rigs work better for covering open, deeper water while Texas rigs excel in heavy cover.

What line and hook size should I use for a drop shot rig?

Most anglers run 6 to 8 pound fluorocarbon for clear water finesse fishing, sizing up to 10 or 12 pound braid with a fluoro leader if you're fishing around rock or cover that can fray line. A size 1 to 2 octopus hook or a drop shot specific hook handles most small finesse worms and minnow-style baits. Tie the hook with a Palomar knot so it stands out perpendicular from the line, which keeps the bait presented horizontally.

Does Glenmore ship rig components and tackle internationally?

Yes, Glenmore ships hooks, weights, swivels, and all rigging components worldwide to the US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, and New Zealand with free shipping on every order. There's no minimum purchase required to get free shipping, so you can order small terminal tackle restocks without paying extra fees.