I am having trouble hooking fish with the Texas Rigged Worm. The other day I lost three bass because the hook wasn't set very well. My biggest problem is feeling them on the line to actually set the hook. I don't think they hit the worm like they do with a bait. Don't they inhale it? Anyways anyone who can help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

Sometimes it may be hard hit, sometimes a tap-tap-tap, sometimes it may be so light that you don't feel it.  I have been struggling with it lately at a specific body of water.  

Swings are free.  

You may also want to check your hook point and how deep it is buried in the worm as well.

When I first started fishing, I couldn't feel a darn thing.  I upgraded my rod and changed to a different line and that help tremendously.  Although I am not advocating goign out and spending a bunch of money at this point.

Best of luck

You may want to try texposing the hook or skin hooking the bait.

Also, try using a braided line and dont forget to cross their eyes on the hookset!!!

Wayne

Nice work BK42. T will be pleased  

Why thank you Mr. Bead.  Perhaps you could re-post your comment about our discussion on bluegill hits from the other day.  Very insightful.  Should allow some nice fish to be caught.  

Welcome aboard!

There are a couple of replies in this thread that address you question:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1183987811

Yellowcard,

Welcome to the best forum on the internet.

Just post your questions and be sure to save them in a special folder for future reference.

Please consider rigging up your Texas rig just like you are ready to go fishing and throw it into the water.  And see how it feels.

When your bait feels DIFFERENT you have something on. Be it a bass, bream, weeds, catfish, tree branch or whatever, SET THAT HOOK HARD.

Throw your T-Rigged bait out and WATCH YOUR LINE.  Keep the pole up around 11 o'clock so you can see where your line hits the water.

Run the line from the reel OVER YOUR INDEX FINGER towards the rod tip to feel for the tap-tap-tap.

When you move your bait with the twitch of the rod tip be ready for a hit.  Be ready as the bait falls.

Remove all excess slack in the line and keep that rod tip high.

When the line moves or you want to set the hook drop your pole to point at the bait, reel in the slack, and set that hook HARD.

Remember, IF THE BAIT DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT SET THE HOOK.

Tuesday night I was fishing on my way home when I thought I saw the line move every so slightly.  I put pressure on the Senko and it was heavy.  I was not totally sure I had a fish on so I let him run with it a little more.  Then I set that hook.

But I was too late, The bass had almost swallowed the hook and it took me forever to get it out. The fish survived but I was upset at the time it took to remove the hook and it was my fault as I did not set the hook when I first felt the heavyness of the bait.

So 1) always watch your line as it enters the water and when it goes in any direction set the hook; 2) be ready for a bass to take the lure as it falls on the cast; 3) put that line coming off your reel over your index finger go feel for strikes; and 4) if the weight of the bait does not feel like it should then set that hook.

Use a light bullet sinker and peg it.  Use a 1/0 or a 2/0 Extra Wide Gap hook or straight shank hook.  If there are big bass in your area go to a 3/0 size hook.

Just go and fish and you will get the hang of it. And remember to wear sunscreen and a cap and be ready to have a heart attack when you hook that big one.  It is so much fun fighting those fish and seeing their beauty and power.

Try using a light wire hook instead of those heavy superline ewg hooks.I had the same problem when i was using superline hooks my hook-ups were horrible.Lightwire hooks seem to penetrate better.

If you have to sharpen your hooks you are using the wrong hooks; a quality hook should not require sharpening, if it should dull while fishing chunk it & put on a new one.

If you are using 1/0 or 2/0 hooks you are using the wrong size; a Mustad 3/0 Straight Shank Denny Brauer Flipping Hook is the smallest hook I'll use; most of the time it's a 4/0.

Never peg your weight, you want the weight & worm to slide up the line away from the bass. A pegged weight will act like a jig & force the bass to open its mouth; this is the main reason most people miss bass on jigs. You'll hear all this talk about hanging up if you don't peg your weight; I say if you aint getting hung up; you aint fishing in the right place. So shake you cotton picken little rod tip till the worm slides free & pause cause a hawg is fixin to eat that worm.

Come on guys when you use a Carolina Rig your weight is 3 or 4' away from your bait; when you fish a drop shot your weight is 2 to 3' away from your bait & when you fish a Senko you don't use a weight at all. So why in the heck do you insist on having your weight next to the worm on a Texas Rig; you don't!

When a bass inhales my Texas Rig all I in her mouth is worm & hook  

If you have to sharpen your hooks you are using the wrong hooks; a quality hook should not require sharpening, if it should dull while fishing chunk it & put on a new one.

If you are using 1/0 or 2/0 hooks you are using the wrong size; a Mustad 3/0 Straight Shank Denny Brauer Flipping Hook is the smallest hook I'll use; most of the time it's a 4/0.

Never peg your weight, you want the weight & worm to slide up the line away from the bass. A pegged weight will act like a jig & force the bass to open its mouth; this is the main reason most people miss bass on jigs. You'll hear all this talk about hanging up if you don't peg your weight; I say if you aint getting hung up; you aint fishing in the right place. So shake you cotton picken little rod tip till the worm slides free & pause cause a hawg is fixin to eat that worm.

Come on guys when you use a Carolina Rig your weight is 3 or 4' away from your bait; when you fish a drop shot your weight is 2 to 3' away from your bait & when you fish a Senko you don't use a weight at all. So why in the heck do you insist on having your weight next to the worm on a Texas Rig; you don't!

When a bass inhales my Texas Rig all I in her mouth is worm & hook  

Doesn't the florida rig have the screw in spring on the weight to screw in the worm/plastic?I have a few of those i found on sale,i ripped the springs right off them.I like my weight sliding up and down as well.

Yellowcard,

When your bait feels DIFFERENT you have something on. Be it a bass, bream, weeds, catfish, tree branch or whatever, SET THAT HOOK HARD.

Throw your T-Rigged bait out and WATCH YOUR LINE. Keep the pole up around 11 o'clock so you can see where your line hits the water.

Run the line from the reel OVER YOUR INDEX FINGER towards the rod tip to feel for the tap-tap-tap.

When you move your bait with the twitch of the rod tip be ready for a hit. Be ready as the bait falls.

Remove all excess slack in the line and keep that rod tip high.

When the line moves or you want to set the hook drop your pole to point at the bait, reel in the slack, and set that hook HARD.

Remember, IF THE BAIT DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT SET THE HOOK.

AMEN!

There is NOT a thing wrong with setting the hook hard when something is "just not quite right".  It was the BEST information I got when learning to fish for Bass.  The older members in my club told me just that and it took a couple of tourneys for it to register in my noggin.

Watch your line.  PERIOD DOT.  Forget looking towards the sound of a boil on the water once you have made the cast.  COMMIT TO IT.  Treat it like it was your life on the line.  Watch the line.  If it goes in ANY direction abnormally GO FOR IT!  I had a senior club guy laugh incessantly at me on a pre-fish day telling me I had a fish....I thought I didnt...never felt the proverbial "TAP TAP TAP".....the line went back and forth...finally he said..."Set the friggin hook or you get off the boat"....I set her hard and got a nice 4lb bass.

The tip that mentions the finger on the line.....DO IT IF YOU DONT ALREADY......feel everything......dont expect BIG BERTHA to slam your bait and go on a trip to Mexico.....sometimes (more than most in my cases) it is very subtle....again...SET THE HOOK!

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Mike

the only time i peg my weight is when im fishing really  thick weeds and the weight keeps me from getting the bait to the bottom,then ill peg it to create a better entry to the weeds