Paddle tail swimbaits are core bass fishing lures due to their rigging versatility and fish-catching ability, yet Texas rigging them remains an overlooked option. Florida-based bass pro Tyler Woolcott shares his system for rigging and fishing weighted Texas rigged swimbaits for bass scatted across expanses of shallow water loaded with cover.
While other moving baits such as spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits are excellent options, they’re prone to fouling in heavily vegetated areas. A weighted (and pegged) Texas-rigged swimbait comes through cover with minimal fouling while excelling as a baitfish imitator.
Woolcott details how he rigs the setup, which consists of a pegged tungsten bullet weight, wide gap hook, and a paddle tail swimbait of your choosing. Lastly, he shares his preferred rod, reel, and line setup for fishing the system and how to adjust for clear water situations.
FEATURED TACKLE
- 13 Fishing Pleasure Shad Swimbait, color – Collard Greens
- Hayabusa Power Stage Wide Gap Hook, size – 5/0
- WOO! Tungsten Flippin’ Weight, 3/16-ounce
- WOO! Tungsten Bobber Stop
ROD | REEL | LINE
- 13 Fishing Omen Black 3 Casting Rod, 7’5″ Extra Heavy
- Concept A2 Casting Reel, 7.5:1
- Sufix 832 Braid Lo-Vis Green, 50-pound
