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Stay in the Bass Strike Zone with Texas & Carolina Rigs

They're easy to rig and they flat-out catch bass, says host Todd A. Kuhn in this episode of Beyond the Bait Powered by Streamlight.

Texas and Carolina rigs are among the most-popular ways to catch bass for a good reason.

They're easy to rig and fish, and they flat-out catch bass.

In Episode 3 of Beyond the Bait Powered by Streamlight, Dr. Todd A. Kuhn goes into detail about the bass-fishing advantages and disadvantages of Texas and Carolina rigs. You can fish either rig with a variety of soft-plastic lures (lizards, Senkos, finesse worms, creature baits and more) and in a variety of ways.

Texas rigs — typically a hook with a sliding worm weight above — is almost a fool-proof bass bait, Kuhn says. It’s hard to fish a Texas rig completely wrong, which is why it's a good tactic for bass anglers to get their starts in the sport.


>>WATCH: More Beyond the Bait Powered by Streamlight episodes

Carolina rigs — tied with a leader, swivel and sliding weight — is one of Kuhn's favorite ways to fish soft plastics. The leader allows you to customize your presentation, keeping the bait above the bottom at whatever length you choose, and in the strike zone longer than most other baits. The worm weight stirring up the bottom and added glass beads will produce clicking sounds; both will get a largemouth’s attention.

Learn more about Texas and Carolina rigs in the video above.


Beyond the Bait Powered by Streamlight is a 13-episode video series on gameandfishmag.com that focusses on the best baits for bass fishing. Join Game & Fish’s Dr. Todd A. Kuhn every Tuesday this spring as he goes deep into how bass lures work, what bass find irresistible about them, and how you can catch more on your next trip.

Beyond the Bait Powered by Streamlight

Scheduled videos


  • Episode 1: Soft Plastics — Flukes, Worms and Lizards
  • Episode 2: Soft Plastics — Tubes & Creature Baits
  • Episode 3: Rigging Soft Plastics — Texas & Carolina Rigs, Live Feb. 25
  • Episode 4: Rigging Soft Plastics — Jig Heads, Live March 3
  • Episode 5: Rigging Soft Plastics — Swimbaits, Live March 10
  • Episode 6: Selecting the Right Soft-Plastic Hook, Live March 17
  • Episode 7: Spinnerbaits from Top to Bottom, Live March 24
  • Episode 8: Technical Topwater, Live March 31
  • Episode 9: Choosing the Right Bass Rod, Live April 7
  • Episode 10: All About Lines, Live April 14
  • Episode 11: Baitcasting Vs. Spinning, Live April 21
  • Episode 12: Find More Fish with Search Baits, April 28
  • Episode 13: Weighting Your Bait, May 5

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