One of the biggest things that can contribute to a good day out on the water when Texas rigging is the bait that you use. When Pete's out on the water he likes to narrow down his bait choice using two factors, what color the bait is and what kind of action the bait has.
How to Choose the Right Color
The general rule of thumb with Pete is to stick with natural colors when it comes to a Texas rig. Try to mimic the natural forage of the lake closely. The go to choice for most of the year is green pumpkin as it works in both clear and dirty water. However, later in the summer, it can be lucrative to switch it up to flashier, brighter colors in combination with green pumpkin. This is because in the summer months many different kinds of forage, like bluegills, are past their spawning period and have vibrant colors. If you're having trouble with Green Pumpkin and are fishing in dirtier water, it can also be a good choice to tie on some blacks and blues.
How to Choose the Right Trailer Action
Baits with a lot of action are great if you're trying to cover water and find fish or if you're trying to get a bite when the fish are very timid. Often times the faster action baits trigger bites as they fall in the water column due to the legs kicking as the bait drops. Once you find these fish, in Pete's experience, it's a good idea to switch to a bait with less action as the bigger fish in those groups key in on the slower presentations.
