# carolina rigs.



## chopper (May 15, 2004)

What do you think of them? It remains one of the ways that I don't use. I think that I want to learn but when I tie one on, I just can't stick with it. If I could catch just one bass on it, maybe I could have more confidence with it. What baits do you guys like best? Thanks,


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

I like a c-rig for actively feeding, deep fish. I use flukes, ribbontail worms and lizards. The best way to learn is to use it for a year. You can't expect to master it on a single trip.

I use #55 braid with a 2-3' leader. I use a heavy powered 7'2" rod with a 6.3:1 gear ratio reel. You need a fast reel to pickup slack prior to the hookset.

Good luck!


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

C-Rigging is one of the absolute best ways to catch bass, deep or shallow. I have caught 3 of my 4 biggest ever tournament fish on a C-Rig.


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## Wolfhook120 (Oct 17, 2007)

Agreed on the braided line with a 2' to 3' leader of florocarbon. Lizards, tubes and beaver style baits are also a good choice. a good 7' med/hvy fast action tip and a reel with at least 6.3 to 1 ratio. I nornally go with a 1/2oz weight for my rigs if I'm fishing 10 to 20 FOW. There will be times when you WON'T feel the bite or pick up, you'll just see your line moving off or it will feel heavy as if you're suddenly dragging weeds, reel up slack to load the rod and set the hook with an upward swing. This will give you good leverage on the fish during the initial fight, especially with smallmouth. I threw the C-rig for 6 months straight just to learn how to use it correctly. I tried different lines, weights, set ups, etc. Alot of anglers call it the "last resort" rig and avoid using it but sometimes it's the first thing I'll pick up and throw. Always have one tied on especially in tournaments because you never know when a good point or rocky flat will be holding staging fish in transition or actively feeding. A C-rig will cover the bottom of those structures better than say a deep crank or texas rigged worm. Hope this helps.


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## cmalinowski (Aug 25, 2007)

This is a good topic. I don't fish tournaments but I have been wanting to learn to fish deeper when this warm weather hits. It seems like I can catch shallow fish this time of year but they all seem to be fairly small, 16" or less. What kinds of areas do you guys throw the Carolina Rig? I typically fish Hoover and Burr Oak and was thinking of trying to use it off points in deeper water. I also wander when I'm off shore by a drop off, should I cast it from shallow water and from deep water and work it up the slope or should I sit out deep and work it down the slope. 

Any advice on locations I should target would be great. Also - do you want a plastic that will float off the bottom or something that will stay on the bottom?


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## thelatrobe33 (May 19, 2008)

cmalinowski said:


> Also - do you want a plastic that will float off the bottom or something that will stay on the bottom?


I've never caught a bass on a C-Rig, but I do know that you want a floating plastic. Any plastic without salt impregnated will float depending on your hook size/weight.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

cmalinowski said:


> This is a good topic. I don't fish tournaments but I have been wanting to learn to fish deeper when this warm weather hits. It seems like I can catch shallow fish this time of year but they all seem to be fairly small, 16" or less. What kinds of areas do you guys throw the Carolina Rig? I typically fish Hoover and Burr Oak and was thinking of trying to use it off points in deeper water. I also wander when I'm off shore by a drop off, should I cast it from shallow water and from deep water and work it up the slope or should I sit out deep and work it down the slope.
> 
> Any advice on locations I should target would be great. Also - do you want a plastic that will float off the bottom or something that will stay on the bottom?


I tend to throw it in deeper water, with a 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz weight. For shallow water, there are techniques I like better. It will work shallow.

I like it in 10' FOW or deeper near hard cover or structure with a muddy bottom. You want the mud coming up from the glass and brass. Weeds are problematic to me with a c-rig. A floating lure is nice, but a sinking one will work too. Experiment with that they want.

Good luck!!


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## cmalinowski (Aug 25, 2007)

How long of a leader do you guys usually work with?


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## Wolfhook120 (Oct 17, 2007)

If you want a subtle presentaion and not a lot of action on your bait, use a shorter leader say 6" to 8". If you want more action out of your bait then extend your leader 18" to say 36". The more line you have on your leader the more action your bait will have because it's further away from the weight and less likely to be dragged on the bottom, it'll move and swim more freely giving it more action. A bait with alot of appendages like a lizard need more leader because you want that bait to have plenty of action on the moving parts. But for crawdad type bait, you want it to crawl on the bottom to give it a realistic appearance so you'd shorten up your leader. Experiment and see what works best for you and the baits you use.


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## dholth01 (Jan 21, 2008)

I forced myself to use the C-Rig this year and it is great. I use a 2ft leader with a 1/2 ounce brass weight with glass beads. The brass and glass make a ton of noise and get their attention. I went to Georgia back in april and it was the only thing working


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## young-gun21 (Mar 14, 2006)

I'm more partial to a Tru ungsten flippin weight and a force bead as opposed to brass and glass....again, personal preferance.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

young-gun21 said:


> I'm more partial to a Tru ungsten flippin weight and a force bead as opposed to brass and glass....again, personal preferance.


You really need that Force Bead with the tungsten...


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## meanstreets (May 22, 2009)

As I am mostly confined to fishing from shore, I have wondered whether casting a C-rig from shore into deeper waters (like at a gravel pit lake) would work around here. I tried once, but the brass sinker I was using snagged too heavily in a line of heavy weed growth. Beyond switching to a less snag prone weight (a Lindy?), anyone have ideas on whether or not this is likely to work?


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## Wolfhook120 (Oct 17, 2007)

Instead of a "traditional" style C-rig, just Texas rig a soft plastic, add the glass bead behind the bullet weight sinker. I had better luck NOT snagging up using this rig when fishing from shore.


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