When it comes to fishing heavy cover along the shoreline, Texas rigs are a go-to technique for many anglers. Since the tip of the hook is buried in the soft plastic lure, it's one of the most weedless styles of bass fishing.
You'll need high-quality hooks for Texas rig fishing, and it's even more important than with other techniques. The sharper your hook and the better its design, the easier it is to pull it through your rubber bait when a fish strikes.
This guide will walk you through the best Texas rig hooks on the market and help you increase your hook-up ratio. For other bass fishing hooks, see our guides to the best wacky rig hooks and drop shot hooks.
Hook Styles for Texas Rigs
There are three styles of Texas rig hooks, each used for a different type of soft plastic.
Extra-wide gap hooks are designed for rigging thicker baits such as Senko Worms and Yum Dingers. These are the most common and versatile Texas rig hooks.
Straight-shank hooks are best for shorter soft plastics, including Zoo Craws and Grubs. Their unique design helps baits stand upright and allows for good penetration of finesse lures.
Long-rigging worm hooks have longer necks and are designed for 10" to 13" rubber worms. The hook's longer neck holds more material and allows the hook to stick out farther down the bait.
1. Gamakatsu EWG Offset Worm Hook
4.8 Stars | 1,001 Angler Reviews
The highest-quality Texas rig hook is the Gamakatsu EWG Offset Worm Hook. It's a popular and versatile product made by the best hook producer in the industry. Regardless of the model, Gamakatsu hooks are the sharpest, and strongest, which provides the best hooksets.
This wide-gap style hook has a black anodized finish and a forged barbed shank. These components give it the ideal balance of qualities to be a versatile Texas rig hook. From Senko Worms and Trick Worms to Brush Hogs and Sweet Beavers, this hook does it all.
While anglers will debate about the best lures, rods, and reels, most agree that Gamakatsu makes the industry's best hooks. If you're not fishing with Gamakatsu hooks, you're missing out on a ton of fish.
We recommend 3/0 and 4/0 hook sizes for the most rubber worm and creature bait versatility.
2. Gamakatsu Weighted Worm Hook
4.6 Stars | 67 Angler Reviews
Some anglers have great success fishing weighted worm hooks. If you're searching for this specialized Texas rig hook style, the Gamakatsu Weighted Worm Hook is the best on the market. Gamakatsu's premium designs significantly increase hook-up ratios, which is why nearly all professional anglers use them.
Weighted hooks are ideal when you want to speed up your presentation's falling action and cover water faster. The elongated weight on this hook produces the best action as your bait falls through the water and doesn't make your worm or creature bait too top-heavy.
We recommend the 4/0 hook size for most lures, including soft plastic swimbaits, rubber worms, and creature baits. This hook passes easily over weeds, wood, rocks and offers the confident hooksets expected from Gamakatso.
Although it's a good idea to support your local shops, purchasing Gamakatsu hooks online will save you a ton of money. We've linked to the most current and least expensive product listings through the buttons on this page.
3. Mustad Mega-Bite Wide Gap Hook
4.6 Stars | 41 Angler Reviews
Some anglers prefer the modified design of the Mustad Mega-Bite Wide Gap Hook. While we've found it's not quite as sharp as Gamakatsu hooks, there are plenty of loyal Mustad customers who rave about these units.
Mustad uses a unique manufacturing process that leaves their metal almost as strong as Gamakatsu's. Their wire is certainly strong, and these hooks provide decent hookup ratios.
Other than the modified shape, the other benefit Mustad hooks offer is reduced weight. If you're looking for the slowest, most controlled fall, these lightweight hooks are a great option.
They never flex under pressure, and these Mustad hooks don't rust as easily as cheap Texas rig hooks.
4. Berkley Fusion19 Texas Rig Hook
4.6 Stars | 2,036 Angler Reviews
Whether you're on a tight budget or frequently lose hooks to trees and aquatic vegetation, the Berkley Fusion19 Texas Rig Hook offers the most value for the money. While these hooks aren't made with the professional quality of the others on this list, they're sharp and strong enough for the average angler.
These hooks resist hang-ups in the thickest of grasses and weeds. Berkley uses an intermediate shank length that's optimized to keep you from getting stuck or tangled. You'll find the ideal hook model for Texas rigs through the button above.
When you factor in all the tackle needed for Texas rig fishing, you'll be surprised by how much you'll have to spend. Besides, this technique requires you to make casts in hard-to-reach areas.
Sometimes it's worth sacrificing a bit of quality to save your bank account and enjoy more days out on the water!
5. Owner Rig N Black Chrome Hook
4.5 Stars | 38 Angler Reviews
The only hook that manages to compete with Gamakatsu's line is the Owner Rig N Black Chrome Hook. While expensive, these hooks have started to win tournaments and set records across the nation.
At the end of the day, hook preferences change, and you have to find the right tackle through trial and error. The Rig N hooks are sharp, rust-resistant, and feature a design with rounded corners.
We've found this hook's rounded design prevents soft plastics from tearing, saving you money in the long term. You'll protect your expensive creature baits and reduce your time-changing lures with Owner Rig N hooks.
6. Mustad UltraPoint KVD Wide Gap Hook
4.7 Stars | 106 Angler Reviews
Mustad also offers a unique hook style for Texas rigs. The Mustad UltraPoint KVD Wide Gap Hook has a pre-attached bait keeper that keeps your soft plastic stuck in place. If you've had problems keeping your worms and creature baits on a Texas rig, give this product a try.
We don't recommend this hook to anglers that change their baits and swap out their soft plastics all day. Doing this in excess will quickly damage your lures and make them unfishable. The Mustad KVD Texas rig hook is ideal for the consistent and budget-conscious angler.
Even with this extra metal material, Mustad keeps its weight low. You should try this hook out for yourself because you might reduce the number of soft plastics you need to buy each year.
