Grubs and jigs are normally fished on lighter line. Using a jigheaded-hook, thread the bait on the hook and cast it under a dock, near the bank, on a point, or around the pilings of bridges. Allow the bait to slowly arch back to your boat, keeping contact with your line so you can feel the strike or feed out line to keep it closer to where it was cast. You can hop these baits on the bottom or swim them under the water toward you. Use a hook size slightly smaller than the length of the body of the plastic, allowing the tail to move freely in the water. Some people also bend the point and barb of the hook out for an easier hook set. Grubs can, and should be, included in your list of Carolina rig baits to fish with. They can be added to spinnerbaits and buzzbaits as trailers, too. From the 2.5-inch and 4-inch Swirl Tail Grubs to the 3-inch Twin Tail Grub, all make excellent trailers or are great fished on their own. And there's also the big bass catcher, the 5-inch Super Tail Grub to choose from as well.

Do nothing, free-floating, jerkbaits like our Phish Stick, Scented Minnow, and Slither are really fun to fish. These baits can be fished in open water, over grass beds, near bridge pilings, under docks, deep and shallow water, through trees, near reeds, bushes, and grass lines.

You can fish them with or without weights depending upon the structure you are fishing. To fish these baits, cast out and let the bait move slowly through the water, twitching your rod occasionally to keep the bait moving. You will feel a tug on the line, so you will know when to set the hook.

You can also use these baits on a Carolina rig or, if it is schooling time for the fish, cast the bait into the school and be ready to set the hook. Schooling fish run fast and hit hard.

To place jerkbaits on your hook, stick the point of the hook into the head of the bait about 1/4-inch deep. Bring the hook through the plastic until the head of the bait reaches the offset top of the hook. Turn the hook toward the belly of the bait. Measure the length of the hook to the body of your bait. Where the bottom of your hook meets the body of the bait is where you stick the point of the hook though the plastic. Now, pull the shaft of the hook back toward your hand, slowly. Where the barb of the hook is close to the bait, gently pinch upward on the plastic bait, and cover the point and barb of the hook with the plastic. You now have a weedless lure. You can use this same technique whenever you put most plastics on a hook.

Or see the diagram for How to rig a Phish Stick

The hook size you use depends upon the size and shape of plastic baits you are fishing. Using offset hooks will help eliminate the plastic sliding down the shaft of the hook. Wide-gap hooks should be used when fishing the thicker plastic baits. The thicker plastic baits such as frogs can bunch up on a regular offset hook. It's hard to get a good hook set if you don't straighten it out. The weedless hook is normally used for fishing grubs and frogs. This particular hook helps protect the barb from snagging in heavy vegetation.

There are several ways to rig plastic baits. Carolina rigs have a weight either pegged or separated by a swivel, 12 inches to four feet from the hook. A swivel helps if you are fishing deep water. If your hook gets snagged, normally you will only lose the leader and not the weight. Keep extra leaders with the hooks attached in a zip-lock bag in your boat, and you can quickly retie your Carolina rig. The hook size you use depends upon the size of plastic bait you are fishing, so store different size hooks on those leaders in the zip lock bag. It's very simple - the larger the bait, the larger the hook.

A Texas rig places the weight just above your hook. This technique works well in water up to just over 20 feet deep, depending on the structure you are fishing. If you are fishing deep-point grass beds, use a Texas rig because it keeps contact with your worm. Using a Texas rig under these conditions makes it easier to feel a fish on your line.

The shape of the weight must also be considered. If the structure you will be fishing has a sandy, clear bottom, or grass, you can use a bullet weight. If there are rocks or tree roots, etc., use a barrel-shaped weight. It will roll over these obstacles better. When fishing light line, use a split shot that can be easily removed and replaced with a lighter or heavier split shot when the wind stops blowing or increases in strength.

A wacky style rig does not have a weight on the line. Tie your straight-line or weedless hook on the line. Push the point through the middle of the plastic bait, cast out the line, and let the bait move in the water either with the water movement or your rod tip. Because the weight is missing, your bait should not bog down coming across grass. Some people place a headless nail in the worm head to help it fall quicker.

Our fine line of quality products can provide you with hours and pounds of fishing fun. We hope these tips have helped you and good luck on the lake!