Texas rig vs Carolina rig: two soft-plastic setups

In this guide

1. Tie a Texas rig for cover
2. Tie a Carolina rig for a trailing bait
3. A two-cast comparison

Start with the job. To put a soft plastic through a gap in cover, start with the compact Texas rig. To feel the bottom with the weight while the bait follows on a separate leader, try the Carolina rig.

Tie a Texas rig for cover

1. Slide a bullet weight onto the main line, narrow end towards the rod. Tie an offset worm hook to the line. Use a terminal knot suitable for your line and test it before adding the plastic.
2. Enter at the nose of the worm and bring the hook out near its head. Slide the nose up to the offset, turn the hook, then lay the worm alongside it to see where the point should re-enter.
3. Bring the point through at that mark and tuck its tip just under the surface. The worm should lie straight. If it bows or the point sticks out, rethread it before the cast.

Tie a Carolina rig for a trailing bait

1. Pass the main line through a sliding sinker. If you use a bead, slide it on next. Tie the main line to one eye of a barrel swivel.
2. Tie a separate leader to the other swivel eye and a hook to the free end. Thread the soft plastic straight as above. The swivel keeps the weight on the main-line side.
3. Lay the rig out before casting. Make sure the weight slides freely, the leader has no wraps and the complete load is within the rod’s casting rating. Choose a leader length you can control in the space available.

A two-cast comparison

At a weed edge, place the Texas rig beside a visible opening and watch how it comes back through cover. On a clearer bottom, pull the Carolina weight a short distance, pause and retrieve the slack. The bait can lag behind the weight; bottom contact tells you where the sinker is, not the exact height of the bait. If either rig returns covered in weed, inspect the point and change the casting lane before adding weight.

Want to hold the hook above the sinker instead? See the drop-shot assembly guide. Select both rigs in the rig comparison tool to compare their controls.