Just getting back to bass fishing after years away. I am not good at computer research so excuse me if this is obvious to others.

I was never good at fishing a Texas Rig, but I kept at it and still managed to catch some fish. But I have been watching videos and it seems like the way to fish it, according to them, is slowly drag the worm along the bottom and then set the hook when you feel or see something.

I think I can do that.

Years ago, when I was trying to figure it out the articles I read said something different. They said you will feel 2 taps and you should not set the hook then, but should point the rod at the fish, reel in slack, and then set the hook. That delay in hook setting is what I have always struggled with. My question is:

1. Is my old man memory just incorrect and that delay hook set was never the deal?

2. Was it the deal but the rules have changed?

3. Is my current understanding about a quick hook set wrong?

4. Is this question too dumb to ask?

Different ways for different days. There are so many different baits that are Texas rigged and each one is a little different. I am of the quicker preference for setting the hook on a Texas rig, but I’m usually throwing something like a rage bug where almost every time they are inhaling the entire thing on the first hit. When I’m pitching around a rage bug (either straight pitching into spots or hopping it back along the bottom), I’ll feel the hit, reel up the slack, and sweep the rod. If I’m throwing a zoom ole monster I’ll give it a half second because sometimes they will just grab the back half and not get the hook on the first eat. Anything Texas rigged on a spinning rod is fairly small and they are eating it from the first bite so I’m hitting them quickly.

I am of the strong opinion that waiting on a book set in any scenario will in the long run do nothing but reduce the amount of hooksets you convert into hookups. Realization, followed by dropping the rod, reeling the slack, and setting the hook is more than enough time for a bass to inhale a bait and reject it.

There aren’t many dogmatic opinions I have in bass fishing, but this is one of them. Don’t wait, ever.

I suspect that more fishermen lose fish on the "realization" step than on the hookset. The realization can be the most difficult to master. You read an article that suggested you will feel "two taps" and should then set the hook. Maybe you will feel two taps and get a good hookset. Maybe the first tap is the fish inhaling it and the second is the fish spitting it out. Maybe you won't feel a tap. You might only feel dead weight. When you feel anything (or nothing) I suggest you swing. No complicated 7-step process. Hooksets are free.

I increased my hookup ratio and catch rate SIGNIFICANTLY after @Catt patiently taught me to swing when I felt NOTHING. That is to say, I was feeling something (weight of the lure, current, wind, etc.) and then suddenly felt NOTHING. I thought I was catching all my fish. He explained this to me in a way that made it click in my head. I soon realized how many hundreds of fish I had missed over many years of fishing. It took a lot of focus and mental work to get me to the point that this became automatic, but it has changed plastics and jig fishing for me. Thank you, again, @Catt I miss you, my friend.

@SJS: Like you, I was told to wait a sec before setting the hook. Then, when I returned to largemouth bass fishing in my sixties, I learned that you do what the three anglers explained above. I think the currently prescribed method is best because bass inhale baits. They don't gum their way up a bait. And just as quickly as they inhale, they can exhale a bait. I've seen them do exactly this in clear water. So, take up the slack and sweep set.

BTW, it's a good question and I'm glad you asked it.

I was taught on anything except top water if you wait you are LATE. Feel the bite SET THE HOOK.

A lot of those old fishing writers didnt know much about bass fishing.

I have experienced the exact opposite. I used to yank back quickly as soon as I felt a bite. Sometimes I hooked the bass but usually I didn't get a good hookset.

After moor practice I learned not to get in a panic and pull the bait away from the bass, or only get a partial hook set. When I feel what I perceive as a bite, weather a tap, pull, heavy feel, or slack line. I carefully reel in the slack. If I feel the slight weight of a bass, I swing for the fences. I now miss far less of my bites. I do not wait, but I don't just jerk at the instant I feel something. I make sure I feel the bass and am ready before I set the hook. Many times I don't feel the bass when I reel in the slack, and usually If I don't move the bait the bass will hit again and then I'm ready.

Everyone bass angler has seen the video where a bass inhales a crankbait spits it out and the angler doesn't feel even know he was bit. I have news for all the anglers that see this and think they need to set the hook at anything. No matter how fast a person sets the hook that bass is gone. That bass spit that lure out so fast by the time of even the fastest hookset, the lure was already spit out and by yanking the bait away the bass will not bite again.

Most fish will take a lure, and turn to get away with their meal. If you set the hook when they turn the bass is yours. Many times that is when a person first feels the bite. Other times a bass inhales the lure instantly spits it out in order to reposition the meal. Yank when they are in the process of spitting out the lure and you will not hook the bass.

Again, I'm not saying to wait, or count to three or something similar, I'm just recommending making sure the bass still has the bait before swinging for the fence.

In my experience those light tap tap bites are usually small bass, that can be difficult to hook. Most of the larger bass I have caught on soft plastics feel slightly heavy or mushy. Those are the bites I reel and set almost at the same time. The Tap Tap bites I take my time bringing in the slack hoping the bite changes to that heavy mushy feeling. Sometimes it does, and I am rewarded with a big fish that bit like a dink.

I will say I have always been a very high strung, twitchy angler. My instict has always been set like a trap. Breath on a lure and the trap goes off. There are many techniques, with many different species of fish, that I have had to learn to not pull the bait away from the fish without first making sure I will hook the fish.

The one bite that fools me, is draggin a worm into an abandoned gill net. I reel down, feel the bass, sweep set, and even fight the net for a second or two. Nothing feels like a bite better than a net. I have a 98 percent hook up ratio on nets, unfortunately my lure loss rate is almost as high as the hook up ratio.

We have a lot of silt here on bottom, so I don’t do a slow drag , mor of a two hop yo-yo kinda thing. I’m a line watcher too, when I real up the slack. I look to see if the line is more in a direction it’s not supposed to be going. If I feel any resistance or the line is moving …. I set the hook. Or try too haha

Hooksets are free

OK I will achieve one of two things with this post.

1. I will convey what I am trying to say and it will make sense or,

2. I will sound like a complete idiot and I should probably have my meds checked.

   Either way, here goes.

   When I am fishing a bottom dragging lure such as a Texas rig I try to simplify things as much as possible. If I can "Feel" or "see" the fish I try to set the hook as soon as possible. By feeling or seeing I mean feeling a tap, thump, or watching my line go sideways. Bass usually hit a lure after you stop moving it so this is the key time to be paying attention. Now If I don't feel the bass but something doesn't feel right I make sure and wind all the slack in, because in mind if I don't feel anything I picture the bass is swimming towards me and I need to tighten up before whomping him. Probably most importantly though, remember, bass eat fish with spines, crawdads with a shell and pincers so I believe that they don't really care what the lure feels like in their mouth. They get poked and prodded with sharp stuff they eat all the time. So if they spit it out it isn't because they were like "Uh oh this isn't food!" and spits it right back out. I think alot of time they spit because when they eat they feel even just the slightest amount of tension from the line pulling on the bait which sets off alarm bells.

33 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I do not wait, but I don't just jerk at the instant I feel something.

I agree, but it's hard to explain it.

34 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Most of the larger bass I have caught on soft plastics feel slightly heavy or mushy.

Most of mine are either a heavy weight, or nothing at all.

More often than not, I usually have movement on the bite with T-rig bait.

The Bass pick it up and go and that's where I set the hook.

It's worked so no reason to overthink.

No dumb questions @SJS !

The old adage of wait for the tap-tap never really worked for me. One tap is a bite, a second is something else (fish dropping the bait, cover, rock ,,,etc.) Typically more than one tap I associate with a bluegill (or similar) pecking at the bait.

I fish a t-rig a lot, like every time I go out. It’s my confidence bait. “Feeling” the bite is my best attribute, but I fish it on a tight line. Hardly ever slack in my line, rod pointed at the bait and using the reel more than the rod. I set the hook instantly, without hesitation because hesitation allows the fish to inhale the bait causing deep hook penetration. Which I hate! Most of the time it’s just “something different “, a thump, limp feeling in the line, the line moving off or a dead weight or pulling resistance as I reel.

Set The Hook!

Sensitive rod and line with excessive concentration and paying attention to the details are all parts to the presentation.

I seldom feel a tap when a bass takes anything Texas rigged. Usually I can tell a fish has taken the bait one of three ways.

I’ll see the line twitch slightly, I’ll notice the line moving to the side, or the line just goes slack. If any of these occur, I set the hook immediately.

If you really want to learn how to fish a Texas rig don’t bring anything else to fish with. When I wanted to learn how to fish a jig I would bring two jig rods and leave everything else at home. I did this for a solid year at the end of which I had total confidence in jig fishing.

I set the second I feel anything out of the ordinary. If you feel a bite, he’s already had it a couple seconds. And better to set too soon and miss, which gives you the opportunity to cast back and catch it, than to set too late and either deep hook the fish or give them the opportunity to realize it’s not food and spit it back out. In the latter scenario they aren’t gonna eat it again. Many times I’ve swung on a fish 4-5 times and missed before finally hooking up

Lots of comments on watching the line. If concentrating on texas rig fishing is there a particular kind of line that is best?

11 hours ago, river-rat said:

don’t bring anything else to fish with.

I did the same thing with hard baits, one whole season nothing but crank bait or jerk baits. I had a lot of days with no fish, but at the end of the season, I was catching fish.

@SJS as far as line goes… I use Berkeley Big Game mono, green. Is it the best for Texas rigging… don’t know…. I use it on everything.

I was told a looong time ago that there are 3 taps you feel from a bass bite on plastics.

First is the bass biting it, the second is the bass spitting it out and the third was the tap up side my head by my buddy😂

I’ve always gone by, when in doubt, rip it out.

if you feel anything he doesnt have hands ,its in his mouth. set the hook

11 hours ago, SJS said:

Lots of comments on watching the line. If concentrating on texas rig fishing is there a particular kind of line that is best?

I use Trilene xl Clear blue fluorescent 17 lb test for most texas rig fishing. I'm a line watcher.

13 hours ago, SJS said:

Lots of comments on watching the line. If concentrating on texas rig fishing is there a particular kind of line that is best?

I T-rig fish with both 8-12 lb. mono and 30 lb. braid. I don't notice any difference.

Like @king fisher i am a big fan of the “reel and feel” approach to determining whether to set the hook or wait for another hit. Sometimes they don’t have it but you pop it really hard knowing you just got bit and they slam it good.

There’s a lot of practice and personal stuff that goes into developing your hook set and it’s largely dependent on your personal fishing style and gear preferences with regard to line and hook diameter and weedlessness and rod action etc.

Basically there isn’t really a right or wrong way but I will say these things - you can not catch the fish that inhale and spit your bait no matter how fast you think you are - @king fisher is wise - I agree with this and basically this is more philosophical than practical to even worry about - of course we don’t catch the bass that don’t commit to our presentations - that’s kinda how it works.

That being said - I also agree with @Catt via @Jar11591 - don’t wait for nothin.

I think there’s a nuanced but learned little series of events that take place when you feel a bite that you yourself have to develop in tandem with your gear. But don’t “wait” - if you feel the bite - start the series of events and get to settin’ the dang hook if she’s there!

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

don’t “wait” - start the series of events

This perfectly sums it up!

OP, you have more than enough good info above to go out and be successful with t-rig today.

Practice. Time on the water, etc. And then, going forward, keep following good info in mind.

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

There’s a lot of practice and personal stuff that goes into developing your hook set and it’s largely dependent on your personal fishing style and gear preferences with regard to line and hook diameter and weedlessness and rod action etc.

I react differently to bites in different conditions. A 5/8 oz weight on braid on a windy day may find me setting the hook very different than 1/8 oz fished on fluorocarbon on a calm day.

Fish attitude that day may also affect my hookset. If I miss a couple in a row with a one-tap and immediate swing, I may slow way down to see if giving them an extra second or two to get the whole bait in their mouth works better that day. Cover matters, too. There will be times in heavy wood that giving a fish any time means I may have less chance of getting it moving to me before she's hopelessly wrapped up.