Most bass anglers waste half their time with baits that aren’t running right — twisted, rolling, dragging weeds, or moving stiff. The secret to fishing soft plastics effectively is rigging them so the bait runs straight. If the lure moves naturally, it gets bit. If it swims weird, fish ignore it.

The good news? Once you learn this, you can out-fish almost everyone on the lake.

Let’s break it down simple and clean.

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🟢 Step 1 — Know When You Actually Need to Rig Something

Most DeLong lures are already pre-rigged — meaning the hook is professionally set and glued inside the bait so it:

• Never slides out
• Never tears loose
• Keeps the bait swimming naturally
• Lasts through multiple fish

If the lure came with a hook in it — you don’t rig anything.
Just tie on and fish.

Pre-rigged baits include:

Lure	Status
10″ Twister Tail	✅ Pre-Rigged
Squirm	✅ Pre-Rigged
Twin Tail	✅ Pre-Rigged
XL Tadpole	✅ Pre-Rigged
Weedless Tadpole	✅ Pre-Rigged
16″ Weedless Snake	✅ Pre-Rigged

So when do you rig a lure?

Only when you’re using unrigged baits, which give you more control over:

• Depth
• Fall speed
• Action profile
• Weed resistance

These are the ones we rig:

Lure	Hook Choice
16″ Unrigged Snake	5/0 Offset Worm Hook
6″ & 9″ Unrigged Bass Witch	Weedless Wacky Hook or 3/0 Offset
Unrigged Twister Tad (coming soon)	2/0 Offset or 2/0 Straight Shank

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🎯 Step 2 — Choose the Rig Style Based on Presentation

If you want the bait to…	Use this rig:	Use this hook:
Glide naturally and look alive	Wacky Rig	Weedless Wacky Hook
Bump bottom, slide through weeds, or trigger aggression	Texas Rig	3/0–5/0 Offset Worm Hook

Wacky Rig = Natural, easy meal

Perfect for:

• Summer heat
• Clear water
• Pressured lakes
• Docks, shade lines, weed edges

Texas Rig = Search, cover, trigger

Perfect for:

• Spring bottom crawls
• Thick grass
• Pad tunnels
• Cold front fish

If you want to know when each lure works best, read the Best Bass Lures by Season Guide.

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🐍 The 16″ Snake — Your Most Important Unrigged Rig

This is where anglers usually make the biggest jump in confidence and catch size.

⭐ The Setup:

16" Unrigged Snake
+
5/0 Offset Worm Hook
(Weightless or light bullet weight)

How to Fish It:

• In grass + pads → Weightless
• On bottom + slow crawl → ⅛ oz bullet
• In shallow shade pockets → Pause + glide
• In deep timber → Lift → Drop → Let it fall on a slack line

The strike almost always comes on the fall.

If someone learns only this, they can catch big bass for the rest of their life.

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✋ How to Check if Your Rig Is Right

After rigging, drop the bait in the water next to the boat/bank and watch:

What You See	What It Means	Fix
Bait falls straight, tail kicking	Perfect	Go fish
Bait rolls to one side	Hook is off-center	Re-insert hook straight down the spine
Bait barely moves	Hook is too large or inserted too deep	Use same hook but back it out slightly

Run straight → Get bit.
It really is that simple.

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🧠 Why This Works (Bass Behavior 101)

Bass don’t always hit because they’re hungry.
They hit because something looks:

• Alive
• Injured
• Easy to eat

A straight-running bait looks alive and real.
A crooked bait looks like plastic and gets ignored.

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🛠 Recommended Hook Pairings

Lure	Best Rig	Hook
16″ Snake	Texas Rig	5/0 Offset Worm Hook
6” Unrigged Bass Witch	Wacky Rig	Weedless Wacky Hook
6” Unrigged Bass Witch	Texas Rig	3/0 Offset Worm Hook
9” Unrigged KILR Worm	Wacky or Texas	Weedless Wacky Hook or 4/0 Offset
Unrigged Twister Tad	Bottom Trick	2/0 Offset or 2/0 Straight Shank

want to know what color works best? check out our The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Lure Color for Bass Fishing