Best time to use Carolina Rig

[publican57]

I have been fishing about five years now. I am learning every year as much as I can. I finally got a boat in 2007. I just saw a really neat set-up for a Carolina Rig in the recent Bass Master magazine where the guy used a jig as his weight. I have done this when drop shotting but the concept for Carolina rigging was interesting.

Anyway, that is really what has brought up my thought; yeah cool; but when is the best time and place to apply this? And when is the best time and place to Carolina rig? When is it better to used a Carolina rig than a jig or texas rigged plastic?

[DJD]

I know there are alot of theory's, situations and conditions but I have alway's done better on the C-rig in the Summer and Fall. I have caught fish on the C-rig at other times but that's my preference. Jigs work year round to me. I really like using a C-rig when I'm searching for structure offshore but a Jig works as well and sometimes better. JMO

[mastin03]

Someone correct me if im wrong here, but from what I know about this setup of the c-rig, it seems to be used most when fish are biting the sinker instead of the bait, which makes some sense.
I have been throwing the c-rig a lot more lately but still havent tried this rig...could be interesting to try.

[publican57]

Mastin03 - Why would you C-Rig over T-Rig or Jig?

[artcarney_agr]

I love the carolina rig. It's a great tool for learning what is on the bottom, especially with rocky areas. I've fished it so long that I have a good feel of exactly how big or small the rocks are, or if it's sand or mud. The carolina rig really shines during post spawn conditions when the fish are on secondary and main points, and even on the ledges. The beauty of the carolina rig is that they can take the bait, and start swimming off without any resistance as the line slides through the egg weight.

The carolina rig allows the bait to suspend up off of the bottom more, and gives it a much wider range of movement as you drag the rig along the bottom. The longer the leader, the wider the range of movement. I like the Texas Rig for shallower plastics presentations, usually 8 ft or less, and then switch to the carolina rig for deeper presentations of more than 8 ft. Using the jig instead of an egg weight might help if the fish are biting the weight, but that's the only advantage I see. I tend to hang up frequently in rocks and brush piles while carolina rigging, and I'd rather be losing cheap sinkers as opposed to jigs. I guess if you've got a bunch of cheap jigs lying around, go for it!

[artcarney_agr]

I know there are alot of theory's, situations and conditions but I have alway's done better on the C-rig in the Summer and Fall. I have caught fish on the C-rig at other times but that's my preference. Jigs work year round to me. I really like using a C-rig when I'm searching for structure offshore but a Jig works as well and sometimes better. JMO

I agree with ya on this. Most times it's a matter of the fish's mood. Some days they like that lizard on the c-rig to float in their face for a while before they bite, and then other days they like snatching that jig up off the bottom better. Most times you have to switch between the two to find out which they like better. Then on some days you'll catch lots of fish on both, but the bigger ones might have a preference that day as to which they like better...which 9 times out of 10 is that jig. My rule of thumb is to first find the fish with the C-rig, and then catch the big ones out of that spot with the jig.

[thebassman30]

4 shizzle! What he said...and twice on Sunday. I like using it this time of year too.

[Dave Stewart]

I could spend a lot of time writing here about the Carolina rig but will just try and hit some of the highlights.

C-rig is bar none the best technique to use to learn your water..ie..what type bottom structure...type cover...cover location. If fished properly the C-rig will tell you more about the area you are fishing than your depth finder.

C-rig is a great search bait technique and shines during transitional periods, post frontal, post spawn and deep summer patterns.

C-rig can be fished at any depth....and any time of the year....like any technique, it is sometimes the best technique to be using on any given day or time of day and sometimes it isn't...ie....you normally can catch some fish on it in most situations (shallow to deep) but sometimes another technique (jig, crankbait, spinnerbait, topwater, t-rig....you get the idea) may the most prolific to be using...only way to find out is experiment..this is why it is a good search technique.

Some tips:

Generally speaking bass tend to sit tighter to cover in spring and fall and suspend over cover in summer and winter...adjust your leader length accordingly.

Maintain constant contact with the sinker...that is do not have a bow or slack in the line...you do this by dragging the rig with rod down and at angle to the rig....this is the only way you can feel the fish biting your lure and the best way to feel the structure/cover you are searching out and fishing. If you are dragging the rig and the sinker is losing contact with the bottom you need a heavier sinker.

I prefer to use a lead egg sinker with my rig rather than a bullet type sinker. The rounded egg sinker tends to come through cover better by virtue of the rounded ends rather than having a bullet nose jamming up into the cover. Since I use the lead egg instead of a brass bullet..I use two glass beads between the sinker and swivel...lead against glass has no sound..glass against glass does.

98% of the time you need to fish it slow..you can't fish it too slow. Ask any bass guide and they will tell you most women will catch more fish on the C-rig than a guy will...the reason is most women have more patience than men and will tend to fish slower.

As for the jig as a weight..it works...my experience with this is that unless the fish are keying off on jigs that the amount of fish taken on a jig rigged C-rig is not enough to warrant the expense of losing a lot of jigs..because if done properly the weight is going to be constantly pulled into cover. If you use this rig and the fish are taking the jig a lot..you need to just throw a jig and work it better than you can on a C-rig.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different plastics. I have taken bass on virutally every type soft plastic lure made on a C-rig. Just like the T-rig...you gotta match the bait to what the fish want...ie..they not want a lizard or brush hog right now with all that action but they may inhale a do nothing bait like a french fry.

Well, I will stop here...I could write for a long time here about this technique and bore you to death if I got started...lol.

[mastin03]

Mastin03 - Why would you C-Rig over T-Rig or Jig?

I think artcarney and dave pretty much summed that up....to be honest im still learning the rig myself. Im getting pretty confident with it but still have a ways to go....just cant seem to find the same confidence in the c-rig as I have with a jig when I "need a bite"

[publican57]

I appreciate all the responses; especially Dave Stewart's lesson.

Dave, it sounded like you were just getting started; I certainly was not bored.

I will be copying these notes and copying and pasting them into my notes. And I am definitely excited about practice with the C-rig more.

One point from Dave Stewart's lesson to add that I read; was use of a Brass Egg Weight; these do allow noise with the glass bead. And of course for anyone that is really worried about it; the brass is safer for the environment than the lead. My confession is I used brass because of the noise; not because I was so worried about the lead in the bottom of the lake if I lost it. As I practice using C-Rig more; I may go to lead and two glass beads; the brass weights are often 30-60% more expensive than lead.

[JBryant]

An alternative to lead, brass, and tungsten that is supposedly safe for wildlife and priced the same as lead is Ultra Steel. Bullet Weights make ultra steel egg sinkers that I know of and can find in stores in central Kentucky. I haven't used them, but the company claims they are more sensitive. Has anyone else used them that can provide any feedback?

[catdaddy863]

what works best for u guys as far as swivel ,bead ,sinker set up? I personally dont fish water thats over 10-15foot deep because the creeks and small lakes (big ponds) I fish aren"t that deep,but when I go to C-land or Dale it puts me at in a real pickel during winter fishing when fish are low in water column.C-rigs and drop shottin is kinda new to me.