Carolina Rig Tips?

[Todd2]

Ok, until about 3 weeks ago, I'd never caught one fish on a C-Rig. Never had much use for it. But I bought some Carolina keepers about a month ago and it's been the only rig that's worked lately. I've been throwing jigs and t-rigs, but not until I've switched to a C-Rig have I caught anything. I just want to get some pointers from some of you guys that have been fishing it for a while. Should I use the keepers or go to a standard swivel setup? How many beads? What type of weights? Retrieves? Lures? As you can see, I'm trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks...

[00SKEETER]

Ok, until about 3 weeks ago, I'd never caught one fish on a C-Rig. Never had much use for it. But I bought some Carolina keepers about a month ago and it's been the only rig that's worked lately. I've been throwing jigs and t-rigs, but not until I've switched to a C-Rig have I caught anything. I just want to get some pointers from some of you guys that have been fishing it for a while. Should I use the keepers or go to a standard swivel setup? How many beads? What type of weights? Retrieves? Lures? As you can see, I'm trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks...

You'll get many different opinions on this. The way I like to fish it is
with a 7-1/2 foot MH rod. I use 17 lb. Fluorocarbon main line and a 14 lb 2-3 foot mono leader depending on water clarity. I use a 3/4oz egg sinker with one bead and a barrel swivel. Some like to use a tungsten sinker but with them being smaller I've found myself getting hung up more because they slip in between rocks easier. And it's not fun losing those high dollar tungsten weights. However, there's a ton of different ways to fish a C-rig so don't limit yourself to one way. Experiment with different weight sizes, leader lengths etc. Good luck

[crazyfishinnut]

I fish it with a 7-1/2 foot MH rod. I use 15 lb. p-line main line and a 12 lb 2-3 foot mono leader depending on water clarity. I use a 3/4oz bullet sinker (gets hung less) with 2 beads a brass ticker (protects the knot and has a great sound) and a barrel swivel. I do use the C-keepers on my kids spinning rigs but usally the line will start to twist real bad. I love baby brush hogs, lizards, senko, tubes and even 10 inch worms at times. I fish it all year and in all depths even aftrer dark, you just cant beat it as a search bait.

[bereabasser]

Rig ya a white fluke up and see what happens when your around shad

[DJD]

Ok, until about 3 weeks ago, I'd never caught one fish on a C-Rig. Never had much use for it. But I bought some Carolina keepers about a month ago and it's been the only rig that's worked lately. I've been throwing jigs and t-rigs, but not until I've switched to a C-Rig have I caught anything. I just want to get some pointers from some of you guys that have been fishing it for a while. Should I use the keepers or go to a standard swivel setup? How many beads? What type of weights? Retrieves? Lures? As you can see, I'm trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks...

Are you talking about the little red plastic peices that you open up and slip your line through? If so I still use them above the swivel and my glass and sinker hit that instead of my knot. Makes more sense to me than having the glass or sinker hitting the knot. JMO

[Todd2]

Are you talking about the little red plastic peices that you open up and slip your line through? If so I still use them above the swivel and my glass and sinker hit that instead of my knot. Makes more sense to me than having the glass or sinker hitting the knot. JMO

Yeah that's them, mine are actually clear instead of red. They sure make rigging up alot easier, tying one knot versus three is nice. The down fall I guess is that my leader is the same as my main line and since I use fluoro I guess my lure is not floating up behind the rig like it should.

[DJD]

The flouro as a leader is a desired thing so your ok anyway. I think if the way your doing it works stay with it. It gets kinda hard with the 3/4 oz and 1oz lead because the weight culd slide the keeper down.
Most lures don't float high they glide or they sink. Maybe a high floating worm works that way? Not sure.
Pre-tying leaders and wrapping/sticking them on a piece of foam might work for you. You can tie different lengths for different times of the year and keep them so when your ready all you have to do is tie one knot. Just keep them protected so you don't damaged them while in storage.

[Todd2]

The flouro as a leader is a desired thing so your ok anyway. I think if the way your doing it works stay with it. It gets kinda hard with the 3/4 oz and 1oz lead because the weight culd slide the keeper down.
Most lures don't float high they glide or they sink. Maybe a high floating worm works that way? Not sure.
Pre-tying leaders and wrapping/sticking them on a piece of foam might work for you. You can tie different lengths for different times of the year and keep them so when your ready all you have to do is tie one knot. Just keep them protected so you don't damaged them while in storage.

Your dead on about the heavier weights. What I figured out was that by placing two keepers back to back it seems to help. Very little if any slippage. I do like the idea of pre-tying the rigs, I'll tie some up and have em ready for the next time out.

As far as retrieve, what works best. I've been doing long slow drags with very short pauses. Thanks again

[DJD]

Sounds like your doing it perfect. The retrieve can vary and trying different ones until you find one that works that day is kinds how it goes. I have been out there and found that the slow almost dead retrieve works and then other times that fast retrieve works but I have found that 99% of the time I'm really hunting for something on the bottom when I'm dragging the weight around. So when you feel that rock pile or wood or drop just get ready because that's usually the sweet spot.

[Cobra190]

Most of the components for the c-rig are personal preference. The one thing i do is pre rig. I keep a bunch of rigs with a barrel swivel on each end, 1/2 and 3/4 ounce egg weights, bead on each side of the sinker to protect both knots. Total length about 7-8 inches. Then when I'm in a situation to throw it, I tie one end onto my line, tie onto the second swivel for my leader and adjust my leader length as I tie onto the hook and I'm ready. I like to use flukes, floating worms, creature baits, but my favorite would have to be a 4" watermelon candy Zoom lizard.

[Dave Stewart]

Here is the setup I recommend:

7 to 7.5 ft MH graphite rod (fast tip) 20lb copolymer base line with 10lb or 12lb copolymer leader. (I prefer copolymer line for one reason...it is more nick resistant than any other line out there. Fishing here on Ky/Barkley you are dragging thru rocks and mussel shells which will nick and cut your line...these lakes eat florocarbon and regular mono and shred braid when you are bottom fishing). If you use one of these lines just be prepared to retying very often or you are going to be sorry. I myself prefer Gamma copolymer line...it is just as strong as other copolymers but does not have the stiffness nor memory associated with most copolymers.

I use lead egg sinkers...these tend to come over rocks etc better than bullet sinkers which tend to hang up more. The rule of thumb on weight of the sinker is: If the sinker comes off bottom when you drag it...go up 1/4 oz in weight until bottom contact is maintained. I have found that I can pretty much fish a 3/4 ounce on all the ledges here unless the current is very strong..which is a rare thing on these lakes anymore. If fishing shallow with the rig...you can easily go lighter...but the lighter the weight normally the less casting distance...it is a tradeoff.

I use two glass beads between the sinker and a brass barrel swivel. The lead weight will not give you any clacking noise..but having two glass beads banged together by the weight of the sinker will make up for the lack of sound of one glass bead and a lead weight.

My rule of thumb on leader length is shorter in the spring and longer in the summer months. I find that most bass will sit tighter on cover in cooler water and tend to suspend over cover in warmer water. Through experience I have found that 18" to 2ft in spring and 2.5 ft to 3.5 ft in summer seems to work best for me.

Lures: If it is soft plastic you can C-rig it...I have caught fish on just about any soft plastic lure. Some of my favorites are: creature baits (lizards, brush hogs), worms, tubes and flukes.

Technique: Here is what I teach and recommend:

Keep your rod tip low...at the 7 or 8 o'clock position the rod at a 90 degree angle to your body....keep a TIGHT line at all times....DO NOT get any slack in your line...drag the bait in one to two foot sweeps....take up the line while keeping the line tight and then pause for a few seconds (fact is most C-rigged caught fish take the lure after it drops back to bottom). Yes, this is a slow way to fish...but experience over the years has shown me that fishing it slow gets more bites: Ask any bass guide and they will tell you that women tend to outfish men 90% of the time when using a C-rig...the reason is women tend to fish slower.

When fishing the rig with a tight line as I recommend...here are some tips:

1. You will feel the same bite on the tight lined C-rig as you feel of a Texas rig. Sometimes you will just feel the weight of the fish..this is a fish that has just inhaled the bait and is sitting there with it in its mouth or slowly swimming off with it, sometimes the fish will slam it and run..this is an indication that there are more fish there and the fish is trying to get away from other fish there competing for the bait, and you will get the bump, bump, bump bite you tend to feel more often when fishing a T-rig. If you have slack in your line..such as you will have with a rod held high like a T-rig...you will not feel this bite...this is because the weight on a T-rig is against the lure...on a C-rig the heavy weight is on bottom and the weightless lure is on the end of a leader...keeping your line tight and and rod low will allow you to feel this bite. The bump, bump bite is a fish that has taken the lure in its mouth and is turning it around to swallow it...one of two things happen here when you don't feel this type bite...the fish will either swallow the lure and many times this means a gut hooked fish or in most cases the fish decides he does not like the feel of this lure and will spit it out...which means you are not even aware that a fish has taken your bait and spit it out because you had slack in the line.

2. When tight lining a C-rig...the hook set is a hard, quick side sweep in one continuous motion...DO NOT drop your rod to get slack in the line and then set the hook...doing so will move the heavy sinker and many times the fish will feel this and spit the lure and you will be setting the hook on nothing but water. DO NOT set the hook and then move your rod forward again (putting slack in your line) to get a second hook set..(slack in the line gives the fish an opportunity to shake the lure free). Fight the fish from a tight line and when you can gain some line on the fish to get the rod in a position to set the hook again on tight line...do so.

3. Caution: When fishing a tight lined C-rig, make sure you have a good grip on your rod....a big Smallmouth hitting a tight lined C-rig can take the rod right out of your hand and into the drink...I now have 3 rods on the bottom of Ky Lake from folks tight lining a C-rig and loose grip on the rod.

Like was said above...there are a myriad of ways to fish a C-rig...what I have said here is what I have found to work for me and seems to put more fish in the boat..actually I know it puts more fish in the boat...try it and the other suggestions here and see what works best for you and then go for it....the C-rig is one technique that works year round..and is one of the best if not the best search technique there is.

[Todd2]

Here is the setup I recommend:
The bump, bump bite is a fish that has taken the lure in its mouth and is turning it around to swallow it...one of two things happen here when you don't feel this type bite...the fish will either swallow the lure and many times this means a gut hooked fish or in most cases the fish decides he does not like the feel of this lure and will spit it out...which means you are not even aware that a fish has taken your bait and spit it out because you had slack in the line.

Dave, thanks a lot. Great post! Reading the part above, I just wonder how many times I've felt something a little different (not the obvious bump, bump) and thought I was just caught up on something when really a bass just nailed it and didn't run. I guess it's like they say, "hook sets are free".