Best Line for the Texas Rig: The Ultimate Guide

The Texas Rig for Bass Fishing

The Texas rig I believe is one of the techniques that draws many anglers to bass fishing. The process of accurately casting a soft plastic in and around exposed cover is extremely satisfying, and it’s also a technique that pulls out some of the biggest bass in any system.

It’s a power fishing technique that involves a lot of casts and reaction bites from bass. The point of a Texas rig, like a flipping jig, is to give our bait access to strike zones in highly covered areas — which is where bass love to sit. This is achieved by having a weedless presentation, as the hook point is hidden within the soft plastic.

That being said, the Texas rig requires a bit more protection than a hidden hook point. This technique requires a rod, reel, and line that is strong enough to pull bass out of tight areas as quickly as possible. Bass love to wrap us around any cover they can find, so stronger tackle helps us alleviate this threat.

Fishing Line Selection for the Texas Rig

Line selection is crucial when it comes to targeting bass on a Texas rig. We need line that we can rely on when fishing heavy, threatening vegetation and other cover so that we can land more fish.

We also need line that has little stretch — as this helps us produce a better, more direct hookset when we feel bites. Line with more stretch (such as monofilament), will cause a slight delay after we strike, and will ultimately result in a less clean hookset on some occasions.

Presentation of our bait remains paramount, and this is why we need to prioritize line diameter as much as possible, without compromising on strength and abrasion resistance. A thinner line diameter will always give our bait a less rigid and more lifelike presentation.

To summarize, we need 3 main features in our fishing line for the Texas rig:

• Abrasion resistance and strength
• Little to no stretch
• As thin of a diameter as possible (better presentation of our soft plastic)

Now, which line features all of the above? Quite simply, it’s going to be fluorocarbon.

The Best Overall Line for the Texas Rig

Although many will argue, in my opinion, fluorocarbon is the best overall line for the Texas rig. The reason for this is that it displays the following qualities:

It excels in abrasion resistance

Top-quality fluorocarbon is extremely resistant to abrasion and fraying, making it a superb option for fishing around harsh vegetation and other forms of shore-based cover.

It has very little stretch

This is crucial when it comes to getting strong and direct hook sets. Although it has more stretch than braided line, fluorocarbon has way less stretch than monofilament.

It has a very thin diameter in relation to line strength

Another massive perk of fluorocarbon is its thinner diameter. Fluorocarbon lines are constantly evolving to be thinner in diameter without losing out on strength. The benefit to a thinner diameter is that it sinks faster while giving the bait more freedom of motion.

It’s less visible than braid

Although braid may take the cake when it comes to strength, sensitivity, and castability, braid has one weakness that won’t be ideal when fishing in clearer water conditions. It’s more visible as it isn’t translucent, and this may be spotted by bass — especially if they’re more pressured. Fluorocarbon is labeled as the least visible line (more invisible than monofilament). This is what you want if you’re fishing in less stained water, or targeting more pressured bass.

It’s sensitive!

It may not be as sensitive and direct as braid, but modern fluorocarbon is optimized for sensitivity, and you’ll feel the difference greatly compared to the likes of monofilament.

Fluorocarbon has everything you need to fish the Texas rig confidently. Many will argue that braid is the way to go, but overall, fluorocarbon is line that you can trust when fishing around heavy cover and targeting big bass.

Best Line Strength for the Texas Rig

When it comes to line strength when fishing fluorocarbon on the Texas rig, you'll need to go heavier in order to deal with threatening cover as well as pull bass out of zones where you could get cut off. 14-20lb fluorocarbon is a good option, but you may want to lean near 20lb if you're targeting big bass around harsh vegetation.

If you're fishing straight braid around dense vegetation, you can look to 50lb+.

Best Fluorocarbon Line for the Texas Rig: 3 Elite Options

Gamma Edge

Although not the most supple, Gamma Edge is like wire when it comes to strength. This line will literally cut through grass and other vegetation, making it a powerful weapon for throwing soft plastics into the thick of it. 16lb will do the job in the thickest of cover, but you can use 20lb if you need to hit even heavier spots.

Sunline FC Sniper

This line is absolutely awesome when it comes to castability and knot-tying. It’s a favorite for many bass anglers for finesse techniques, but the 14-20lb range is fantastic for a Texas rig around shallow cover. If you’re looking to present your bait in the best way possible, Sunline's FC Sniper will help with that.

Sunline Marionette Special Shooter

The Marionette Special Shooter is a favorite for the likes of John Crews. Like the FC Sniper, this line helps present your bait in the most attractive manner, whilst displaying impressive abrasion resistance and castability.

Can You Use Straight Braid for the Texas Rig?

The simple answer to this is yes, you can. Braid is an amazing line for casting, sensitivity and setting a hook, plus, it is the strongest form of line out there. This makes it a powerful option for targeting bass and around heavy cover.

However, as mentioned earlier, braid is the most visible line underwater. This means that it may put off bass when fishing in clearer water, or the system sees a lot of anglers.

Fishing straight braid is more suitable for more stained water, or if bass are literally sitting in vegetation (reeds, heavy grass lines). This way, the visibility of the line is less of a concern, and fish will just react to the soft plastic.

Wrapping Up

Line selection is something that needs to be nailed down quickly when looking to master the Texas rig. It contributes majorly to our success when fishing in the heavy stuff, and the sooner you can find confidence in your favorite line, the sooner you’ll be nailing them around the banks. We hope this guide helps you get started with choosing your line for the Texas rig.