It’s Texas rigging basics but with an advanced electronics twist with Ott DeFoe in this informative video. He breaks down his approach to fishing offshore structure with a Texas rig during the summer and early fall. DeFoe highlights the importance of using your electronics to locate structure and cover-oriented fish, then target them using a setup that fishes clean in mixed cover environments.
FEATURED PRODUCT (retail links)
- PLASTIC – Bass Pro Shops Bull Hog: Buy Creature and Craw Plastics at Bass Pro Shops
- HOOK – VMC Redline Series Hybrid Worm Hook, 4/0: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- CRANKBAIT – Rapala DT-20: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
BOAT SETUP
- BOAT – 2021 Nitro Z21-XL: Check out at Nitro
- FISH FINDER – HELIX 12 CHIRP MEGA DI+ GPS G4N: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging Transducer – Ultrex: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LIVE SONAR – Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging Transducer: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- TARGET LOCK – Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging TargetLock Adapter Kit for Minn Kota Ultrex Trolling Motor: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST, 112lb, 36V, 52″: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- MOTOR – Mercury Pro XS 250 hp: Check out at Mercury
FINDING FISH USING ADVANCED ELECTRONICS
While you can easily find and fish offshore spots without high-end electronics, DeFoe explains how he uses 360 and live sonar in unison to visualize a spot’s makeup and location. From there, he makes smart lure choices based on the structure and cover and how fish are positioned. Knowing distance and direction, he can make accurate casts to fish-holding areas, whether deeper grass, brush, or rock formations. DeFoe demonstrates how making repeated casts to the same spot can lead to numerous fish when they’re grouped up.
PERFECTING THE TEXAS RIG SETUP
DeFoe emphasizes the importance of choosing the right hook for various soft plastics. He details his all-around go-to Texas rig hook, the VMC RedLine Series Hybrid Wide Gap. The hook features more gap than a traditional worm hook, ideal for bulkier plastics, and more streamlined than a typical wide gap. The strong yet thin steel also handles the rigors of hard hook sets on beefy rods and even braided lines.
