A Texas rig is one of the simplest but most effective presentations ever, surely responsible for having tricked millions of bass by now. The simplest version of a Texas rig consists of a bullet weight, hook and soft plastic lure. Some anglers like to mix things up a bit, using one style hook in place of another. Then there’s also the option to use a bobber stopper or peg to secure the weight, or neither which allows the weight to move freely up and down the line.

But there’s a new way to Texas rig out now. I recently learned about it from a buddy of mine named Tom Frink, who used it in part to finish 3rd in the 2022 Bassmaster Open on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes a few weeks ago. With the exception of the weight, the basic setup is the same. But the weight alone is totally different and definitely sets this thing apart.

Ryugi Black Bean Tungsten Sinker

Using an innovative new tungsten sinker, you can completely transform a traditional Texas rig into something quite different. The Ryugi Black Bean Tungsten Sinker is shaped somewhat like a tear drop, with an insert running through the skinny end of it at an angle. This differs from the traditional bullet weights used to rig Texas rigs quite a bit, since they come to more of a point and the line runs the length of the weight— into the pointy end and then out the wider end.

Due to the angle of the line coming through the Black Bean weight, the majority of the weight stays on the bottom when this style Texas rig is fished. Maintaining better bottom contact means more sensitivity from the overall rig. So now, you can tell a lot more about the bottom composition in the area you’re fishing. This makes a big difference when looking for areas with gravel, sand or clay bottoms. Being able to tell if the bottom is clean versus mucky is a big deal too, as bass tend to relate more to cleaner, harder bottoms when possible.

Action of the Bait

When rigging a Texas rig with this new style of weight, you’re also able to get more action out of your soft plastic due to the way the insert creates a new point of contact between the weight and the bait. It works somewhat like a wobble head, for those of you familiar with that piece of terminal tackle. But basically, the bait is able to hinge behind the weight and drift and float around a bit more compared to a bullet weight that holds the bait down closer to the bottom.

You can even increase the motion of your bait by using a Z-Man ElaZtech Soft Plastic with this setup. The ElaZtech material floats. So on this rig, even though the bait is still pinned to the bottom, a Z-Man soft plastic lure will try to float up and drift around even more than a lot of other traditional soft plastics. Using baits like the Z-Man FattyZ, Boar HogZ or GOAT Twin Tail GrubZ along with the Black Bean Tungsten sinker will give you a unique presentation compared to traditional Texas rigs.

In Conclusion

The Texas rig is a fish catcher, no matter which way you rig it. But spicing things up a bit with the new Ryugi Black Bean Tungsten Sinker could really set your Texas rig apart and should lead to more bites. Not only do you get a little more action out of your bait, but most importantly you can tell a lot more about the bottom contour where you’re fishing. And that alone can make all the difference.