when to throw weight or a weightless texas rig

[Chanceb23]

In what situation is the weightless texas rig the better rig over the weighted texas rig?

[Lipripper]

I fish mine weightless most of the time unless it's real windy but I guess it would depend on how fast you want your bait to sink. I fish senkos alot and like them to sink real slow.

[bassn1]

I like to swim a 10" worm/lizzard weightless  in 6" - 5' of water over heavy cover. If I'm trying to get down to the bottom in grass, wood, brush, etc. I will weight the T- rig depending on the depth and thickness of cover.

[pawpaw]

I only fish weightless in water 10ft. or less. I fish Texas rigs in deeper water and around heavy cover. Also if the wind is blowing fairly strong.

[-Shawn-]

This Probably isn't the right way to do it, BUT... I only throw weightles if I can't get bit on a power fishing bite or if I am fishing standing timber for suspended fish and I want it to stay in the strike zone as long as possible.

[caddobass]

I feel I made a big mistake this weekend fishing a little tournament on a small grassy cypress tree lake here in northwest Louisiana. The surface temps had dropped from 50/52 which is what they were during a few trips earlier to 45/47 at tournament time. I went with heavy jigs and t-rig creature baits on tournament day, where I had been catching fish on light weight t-rigs on the earlier trips. I zero'ed, here is what I think. The fish did not go down under the grass or get tight on the trees. They stayed in the grass and would have hit on something lighter. On sunny days in the winter they will still sit up in the grass even on top of it, on cloudy days they may go under the grass. We had a sunny day and late in the tournament my partner went weightless and caught some.

[watsjigs]

I learned the same lesson recently, caddobass. I fished heavy jigs and T-Rigs all morning with water temps 48-52 degrees punching grass. By early afternoon i switched to a weightless T-Rig and a T-Rig with the smallest weight I could find in my box - Caught a 3lber and 2lber. Had to fish it in very strong wind, but the wouldn't touch anything else. 

I saw three fish hangin on yo-yos (one a bass). The shiners on the yoyos were only a foot in the water. That was my clue to go weightless 

[coldfront]

This Probably isn't the right way to do it, BUT... I only throw weightles if I can't get bit on a power fishing bite or if I am fishing standing timber for suspended fish and I want it to stay in the strike zone as long as possible.

it's a great question...and truthfully, one that has to be answered 'on the water, at the time'...

Most of the time, weightless works best for me in shallow water applications...and in 'dead stick' applications...

deeper water calls for weight...and here's where it gets interesting:  some days the fish want as slow a fall as possible...other times if it's not 'cannonballing' past them they won't hit it...

Have experienced this several times personally and talked it over with other anglers...sometimes those darned fish are pretty choosey in what they want...and how they want it...

for instance:  had a situation where I was on 'big' fish and looking to sack up about 20-25 pounds for a 5 fish limit...had the fish pegged...it was mid-summer so the patter was steady, solid...checked on the fish the week before the tx...went back for the tx...the fish were there...I could get them to hit...but instead of engulfing the bait...they were just grabbing the tail...I could pull back gently...the fish would be there...but when I would set the hook (sweep sets, power snaps, you name it) they were't getting hooked...plus the bait wasn't sliding down the hook...so they weren't getting 'much' in the mouth...

I didn't try a heavier weight to try and get a more aggressive 'commit' on a faster fall...THAT DAY...but since have...


back to topic:  I love fishing senkos, palm trees and flukes weightless...occasionally also tossing trick worms that way.  I've found since I graduated to the deck of a boat versus standing on the shoreline...that fishing truly weightless got harder...

But tossing a weightless zoom lizard and v.e.r.y. slowly creeping it back accounted for a lot of great fish...

[stickum]

If I want to keep the bait on the bottom I use a weight, if I want a slow fall or suspending fish, I  go weightless

[Chanceb23]

From all these answers I believe weightless is the best for me, I don't have a boat so all my fishing is from shore since I am extremely new to fishing.  But the pond I am a "regular" at the max depth is 7 feet and all the bass I caught were at about 3-5 ft.  I used YUM dingers (Senkos were too expensive for me) for about 5 times on a weighted T-rig and didn't catch a single fish on them.  But it looks like it might have been the weight (or my inexperience).

[Lee Smith]

From all these answers I believe weightless is the best for me, I don't have a boat so all my fishing is from shore since I am extremely new to fishing.  But the pond I am a "regular" at the max depth is 7 feet and all the bass I caught were at about 3-5 ft.  I used YUM dingers (Senkos were too expensive for me) for about 5 times on a weighted T-rig and didn't catch a single fish on them.  But it looks like it might have been the weight (or my inexperience).

Chance,

If your fishing a pond, I would actually fish both ways, with your cast to the sides of banks, I would fish the weightless, you can get a subtle presentation or you can walk it back like a fleeing baitfish.

I would use a light weight Texas Rig to throw out to the middle, try two different techniques.
1. Hop the bait moving your rod tip a couple of inches each time and bringing in the slack.  You will notice when you bring in the slack, you bring in more about six inches, the ratio on the bait as compared to the two inches of movement during a hop is about 3:1 in my experience.  Always feel before you hop again and keep an eye on your line and a finger under your line to see and feel them subtle hits.

2. Drag the bait up to the shallows from the deep.  You might find that you have a small indention, ledge, stick ect.. there and those fish at times will be tight to anything available in a pond.  They want move and you got to have patience to get a weightless down that far, as well as, when you move a weightless in deep water, it moves, UP.  When dragging, anything that stops, pops or has a spongy feeling is usually a bass.  Set the HOOk!  The one free thing left in Bass fishing is the hook set, never pass one up!!

Lee

[Lipripper]

Chance I do most of my fishing from the bank and in ponds also and fish my GY senkos ( buy them when they are on sale  ) weightless and like Lee said you have to watch your line and be in tune with whats going on . Most of the time you won't get that jerk it out of your hands bit heck I don't think I've ever had one of them. You either will see your line swimming off or you will fill a tap tap like a bluegill bite. you will get the hang of it. 

[pawpaw]

One other thing you can do is put a nail weight in it for a faster fall and deeper water. If you put a nail weight in the head of a tx rig Sticko it will glide away from you just like one of them flying lures. It probably works in a Senco too although I haven't tried it.

[caddobass]

Also Chance don't forget to try that senko type bait rigged wacky. I fsh it weightless on awacky hook and on a light weighted weedless wacky hook when wanting to get it down a little faster. The action you get from a senko rigged wacky is great. Good luck with your fishing

[bassn1]

A nail in the senco does work very well. I will cut the nail to get the desired fall rate. It will work both T-Rigged and Wackey Rigged. Good Luck

[aydensdad]

This Probably isn't the right way to do it, BUT... I only throw weightles if I can't get bit on a power fishing bite or if I am fishing standing timber for suspended fish and I want it to stay in the strike zone as long as possible.

I am the same way...I start heavy and go lighter as needed. Not that it is correct but it works enough for me to be happy

[gdaddybassmaster]

I always perfer weightless if possible. Think of the bait as what it is:  a imitation of nature (the night crawler) or the (red earth worm).   Doe's a natural worm fall into the water and sink to the bottom quickly? No

Does it slip into the water and slither all the way down? Yes

It is more likely than not: A senko is the truest form of flattery to natures own night crawler, it shimmys all the way down.

I can see weight used sometimes due to fishing conditions such as current, dense cover, high wind, or a need for long casts to spooky bass.  However limit weight use and fish weightless when possible.

Quick flashback story: 30 years ago I started with pre-rigged worms (3 exposed hooks) and snelled together. Fishing with my father-in-law mostly back then.  I would get some he would get some as we fished the same lure the same way.   Reading a fishing article about making a natural approach: I opted to not use a snap swivel and pops did. 

I consistently out fished the old man but never let him in, it was a badge of honor to razz him. 

GD

[pawpaw]

What you say is true gdaddy, but sometimes fish prefer a faster fall. I think they are biting as a reaction when they see the bait zoom past. (no pun Intended ) 

[OHbassaholic]

In what situation is the weightless texas rig the better rig over the weighted texas rig?

I always love watching the answers pile up for questions of this sort.  All have fantastic information relating to what works for an individual.  The real answer after all is said and done is "whatever is working at the moment".  Knowing all the techniques is a must to be able to utilize your tackle inventory to the max.  Learn them all, be prepared to use them all, but in the end it will be whatever ends up catching the fish.  I've had to make changes throughout a day to keep catching, running the gambit from weightless to heavy and even changing techniques from T-rig to C-rig to mojo rig etc.

[gdaddybassmaster]

Yep it's the fish that make the choice relating to the speed.  Based on fishing pressure and small lakes and lots of catch and release: In my neck of the woods slower is better 95% of the time.

Heck when I wacky rig: You would be going nuts if your a power fishermen, it's like watching paint dry.

Isn't any wrong way:  but I like posts like this as it gets the dialog going. 

End result all learn a little, I will quit learning when I am no longer on this earth.

UB rocks and I love this site!

GD

[Chanceb23]

Yep it's the fish that make the choice relating to the speed.  Based on fishing pressure and small lakes and lots of catch and release: In my neck of the woods slower is better 95% of the time.

Heck when I wacky rig: You would be going nuts if your a power fishermen, it's like watching paint dry.

Isn't any wrong way:  but I like posts like this as it gets the dialog going. 

End result all learn a little, I will quit learning when I am no longer on this earth.

UB rocks and I love this site!

GD

The 2 small ponds Ifish are very pressured and you are not allowed to keep any of the fish you catch.  So I believe that "my" ponds are similar to yours.  I will have to try weightless and wacky this spring and summer.

[summerville_tom]

if windy i use weighted. i try to get away with weightless otherwise. nothing for the fish to feel increasing the hook ratio. but because it is slower i only use it when fishing the shallow areas no deep areas. i use it both in light cover and fairly open water and in heavier cover try to keep it out of the thickest part of the cover or just above it until clear.