Is there really much of an action difference between dragging a t-rig and just slow reeling one? For whatever reason I can't commit myself to dragging the lure and while I'll get bit slow swimming lizards and ribbon tails, I think I'll might not be catching as many fish as I should. 

What do you mean by dragging?  You can drag with the rod or the boat.  I do it both ways.  Shaky I always drag with the rod.  Neds are deadly when dragged with the boat.

10 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

What do you mean by dragging?  You can drag with the rod or the boat.  I do it both ways.  Shaky I always drag with the rod.  Neds are deadly when dragged with the boat.

Dragging the rod. I normally try to sweep across my body and then reel the slack up. 

That’s interesting.  I’ve never even tried to fish that way.

I bounce slight slack and drag frequently.  I do spend some time looking in shallow water to make sure I calibrate my body to my eyes.  In open water or scrub grass, it really looks like a vulnerable and unaware crawfish to me.  It also helps me glue to the bottom when working downhill.

 

scott

I would say there is a difference. If you drag you are changing up the action because the lure will fall when you go to reel up the slack. If you slow reel the action never really changes.

 

I fish both ways and some days they like the slow reel and somedays they like the drag it just depends.

Dragging is just that, moving the weight on bottom.

Slow swimming is moving the lure off the bottom.

The “classic” T-rig with sliding butler weight worm is casting out and letting the weight hit bottom with the rod tip up at 2 o’clock. Reel in the slack and lift the rod tip up to 12 o’clock. Fast rod tip lift hops the weight-worm. Slowly lifting the rod tip drags the weight-worm. Lifting the rod tip to 11 o’clock and slowing reeling swims the weigh-worm. Resting the weight-worm on the bottom then shaking the rod tip is doddling or shaking the t-rig worm. Sweeping the rod is ripping the T-rig worm.

What ever works for you.

Tom

I drag a worm one of three ways.

 

#1: l drag the Texas Rig sideways like y'all would a Carolina Rig with the rod.

#2: Again like the Carolina Rig but dragging with the rod tip up.

#3: Dragging the Texas Rig with the rod tip down & slowly turning the reel handle.

 

Dragging requires maintaining bottom contact at all times.

 

Swimming a Texas Rig requires no bottom contact & is done at any depth of the water column including the surface.

 

Hopping is short stroking the Texas Rig up off the bottom with frequent pauses.

Another subtle difference for me when dragging with my rod vs dragging it while reeling is this — slack 

 

A really long drag will create slack that will eventually get picked up when you reel up the slack

 

”Dragging” by way of reeling pretty much takes up the slack while the is being dragged. 
 

Both have caught bass for me but honestly I’ve never done an official tally to see if one might be more effective either numbers wise or given the current conditions.  
 

However, winter in over so I probably won’t give this another thought until then. 

When I say I'm dragging a bait, I'm fishing much slower than I am if I'm slow swimming one. Dragging a worm is jig is something I also refer to as "counting rocks".  I'm trying to move it slow enough to feel every rock on the bottom.

Dragging allows you to leave the bait in the strike zone longer. 

If it's working for you, then don't worry about it.  If it's not working, then try it another way.  

 

I find it easier to maintain bottom contact by dragging.  But you can slowly reel a bait, pause it, and give the fish pretty much the same presentation.  To me, dragging gives you a better feel for what's going on with the lure as it slides across the bottom, and this allows me more control.  

 

One thing I'll do, that I don't really see other people do, is I'll tickle the line.  I'll wiggle my finger on the line right in front of my reel and ever so slightly, to give the bait a tiny bit of action while it's otherwise sitting still.  Most people I've seen will gently shake their rod tip, but I find that's often too violent of an action, probably because I'm just not that good at it.  It's a technique that I've developed that works for me.  It's okay to figure your own ways of doing things.  So long as it works for you, then there's nothing to worry about.  

Constant bottom contact or the attempt to scrape the bottom regardless of how fast the weight or bait is moving.