Carolina rig....how do you do it?

[glfgd82]

Last tourney for our club of the season is in two weeks, I'm not in the running for much of anything so I'm thinking that I'm going to use this time to work on a new technique I've not used before. The lake is relatively shallow overall, but there are some 15-30 foot sections in the middle. I've got a game plan for the morning, and I'm confident in throwing around a jig in the 8-12 foot areas, but I'm wanting to throw a c-rig around some as well.

I have the basics on how to rig it, I'm probably throwing a trick worm or larger 10" worm. Wondering what depths you guys target when throwing a c-rig? are you looking for sparse grass, deeper edges or gradual depth changes?

I understand it's a slow technique and keeping bottom contact is key, I'm just unsure of bottom composition that is targeted and what to look for on the graph.

Thank you,
James

[06 SB]

In addition to worms, craws work on a C-rig too...brush hogs as well. Go slow, drag it. Watch your line as a lot of fish will pick it and swim with it. Hook sets need to be a side ways motion..not up. Vertical hook sets lifts up the weight and takes some punch out of it.

[Dogfish_Jones]

Two ways I fish a CR. One for shallow water and one for deep water. The depth I break the two into is anything shallower than 10' is shallow and I use either a 3/8 to 1/2 oz weight. Deep water I will use from 3/4 to 1oz weight.
Shallow water I will use a smaller type lure; i.e, finesse worm, baby brush hog, small type lizard. small beaver tail
Deep water I will use, curly tail worm up to 10" long. Full size brush hog, large lizard, larger beaver tail
I throw it out let it sink to the bottom and drag it, let it set, drag it. If I feel it hung up on something, I will hop it over it and resume the dragging technique.
Be a line watcher when doing this. At times the fish will suck it in and move in a very subtle way, other times they grab it and run with it. Reel in your slack and blister their hide......

[glfgd82]

Two ways I fish a CR. One for shallow water and one for deep water. The depth I break the two into is anything shallower than 10' is shallow and I use either a 3/8 to 1/2 oz weight. Deep water I will use from 3/4 to 1oz weight.
Shallow water I will use a smaller type lure; i.e, finesse worm, baby brush hog, small type lizard. small beaver tail
Deep water I will use, curly tail worm up to 10" long. Full size brush hog, large lizard, larger beaver tail
I throw it out let it sink to the bottom and drag it, let it set, drag it. If I feel it hung up on something, I will hop it over it and resume the dragging technique.
Be a line watcher when doing this. At times the fish will suck it in and move in a very subtle way, other times they grab it and run with it. Reel in your slack and blister their hide......

Thanks guys, do you vary the leader length depending on depth? Or vary leader lb test?

[Dogfish_Jones]

Thanks guys, do you vary the leader length depending on depth? Or vary leader lb test?

I go from 8" to as long as 24" depending on how the fish react.
I normally do not vary my lb line. I do use Monofilament line fishing it. I'm not a fan of Fluorocarbon as it seems to break off too much on the hookset for me.
I will use around 12 to 17 lb test line.

[Nowater2shallow]

this is not the norm but i fish it in the reserviors around here on 8# on a spinning rig and 1/4 oz for weight 18-24 leader and a tube in that 10 -12 foot of water. that aside i would fish a tube, zoom centiped, and if you can find them the old mad man craw tube

[Luke]

haven't thrown a Crig for a while but did the last time I was out last week.
25 foot drop into 32
way I rig mine is I still use floro for my mainliune, I use Sunline FC sniper for everything I throw but I do use mono for the leader. I do lower my LB on the mono. I normally run 16lb sunline and ill use 12 lb floro. for me I do it just for the fact if I hang up the bait and it breaks off I at least get my 1/2oz tungsten weight back and just have to retie the leader only.

something else I do is tie my leaders in more than quantity. ill have 5-10 of them already tied and just roll them up on a piece of pipe insulation just to save time.
Tungsten weights are the big thing the feel of lead anymore or even brass just isn't in the same class as tungsten.
baits wise I mostly run Baby brush hogs or a craw bait of some type.

[bassboat1]

I mostly use the Carolina rig for summer smallies in 20'-30' on hard bottom flats adjacent to rock shoals. I run 30# braid to swivel/bead/mono leader with a 3/4 or 1 oz bullet weight (not tungsten - lead. I paid BBC cash for my boat, but I cain't afford those!). Mono leaders in the 2'-4' range (I used to think the bait would glide up, but YT vids this year have informed me that's untrue). I use 6" Zoom lizards with the head bit off or some NOS Hales Craw worms mostly. I'll use the same rig for summer largemouth on pressured lakes, where they've been pushed off any grass, and out to hard slopes in the 18'+ region. I generally run a 4" Centipede in Watermelon Candy (apt to run into smallies on these lakes too, and they seem to favor that color in these super clear waters).

[glfgd82]

I know I said I have the rig figured out, but I'm wondering one thing:

Do you run a bead or bobber stop between the weight and your knot to the swivel? I plan on just throwing this rig on my rod I use for frog and punching (Dobyns 746C with zillion 7.1 reel) and it already has 30+ lb braid on the reel. I'm excited at the possibility of finding a new technique to fish on these very high pressured lakes we have, and I love drop shotting 20 foot water so this might be perfect for my mindset.

Thank you all again

[Alumicraft145]

Lizard!!! Try weed points and inside weedlines. Look for hard bottom/ sand.

[Dogfish_Jones]

Here is the easiest and fastest way to rig a C-Rig is use the Carolina Keeper.
I put one of these on and you can adjust to any leader length in seconds. I will put the glass bead on first, then my weight then slide the Carolina Keeper on, adjust to whatever length you want to start with, then tie on your hook.
This takes all of 1 minute.

[RFSims]

Here is the easiest and fastest way to rig a C-Rig is use the Carolina Keeper.
I put one of these on and you can adjust to any leader length in seconds. I will put the glass bead on first, then my weight then slide the Carolina Keeper on, adjust to whatever length you want to start with, then tie on your hook.
This takes all of 1 minute.

If using flurocarbon I use two Carolina Keepers for 3/4 oz and above. Fluro is slicker than nylon mono and one CC will slip on heavier weights. I usually have two or three Carolina rigs on deck.
Great C-Rig story. Back in the fall of '92 I cut my right middle finger off at the first joint. Went camping with my father in Oct. He wasn't catching anything during Sept and Oct. Finger was too sore to cast. Showed him how to rig a C-rig. We got on windy points around 12' deep and just let the line down beside the boat and let it drag. Nailed the bass.
If you want the bait to dart and move fast use a short leader. You want the bait to glide use a longer leader.

[Walkabout7781]

Drag with the rod (sideways), reel up slack, drag with the rod, reel up slack, etc.

I like to use a RH crank so I can switch the rod to my left hand and palm the reel, allowing me to hold the line ahead of the reel between my thumb and index finger.

I use a MH 7'6" flipping stick that isn't too powerful, and I like monofil. I make up leaders including hook & swivel, and store them on a leader spool. In a previous thread on the topic (search for it!), somebody suggested using section of pool noodles for leader storage. Oops, dinner's on!

[Quillback]

I know I said I have the rig figured out, but I'm wondering one thing:

Do you run a bead or bobber stop between the weight and your knot to the swivel? I plan on just throwing this rig on my rod I use for frog and punching (Dobyns 746C with zillion 7.1 reel) and it already has 30+ lb braid on the reel. I'm excited at the possibility of finding a new technique to fish on these very high pressured lakes we have, and I love drop shotting 20 foot water so this might be perfect for my mindset.

Thank you all again

I like a glass bead and a brass clicker in front of my weight before the swivel. You can then shake it in place and make some noise, sometimes it will draw them in, especially smallmouth. Personally I use a 3/4 oz weight shallow or deep, 3/4 oz will keep you on the bottom and you can move the bait along pretty quickly if you want and still keep bottom contact.

[Walkabout7781]

FWIW, if you don't want to use lead but also don't want to pay for tungsten, I found some "Ultra-Steel 2000" egg sinkers at WallyWorld...and I don't go there very often. Rather than experimenting and finding out that they fray the line, I put heat shrink liners in the hole, and flared both ends of the tube. Not as hard as I thought it might be. The ones I found are claimed to be 3/4 oz, but I haven't weighed them myself.

I often do weigh lures and sinkers to see if they really are the weight they claim. Some are not even close. I find it kinda comical to find "3/5 oz" (aka 6/10 or .60 oz) between 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz on the chart of lure selections on some websites. Somebody didn't pay attention in 3rd grade math? Who would do that?

[glfgd82]

Thanks everyone, definitely looking forward to trying these tips out and learning a new technique. I'm definitely going tungsten and plan on 3/4 oz to make sure i can feel the bottom, heck I don't care if I catch a fish or not, it's the learning I"m excited about.

I've got a variety of baits to use and hook types as well, gonna make up a few leaders of different lengths and hooks to try as well. Who knows, I may win the tourney as I don't know anyone who throws a c-rig and especially in the depths I plan on targeting.

[bgibson]

Don't use tungsten on your Carolina rig it will fray your line. I like to drag them on gravel points. Hard to beat a lizard, fluke or Brush hog!

[RFSims]

Don't use tungsten on your Carolina rig it will fray your line. I like to drag them on gravel points. Hard to beat a lizard, fluke or Brush hog!

If you tungsten don't use a glass bead, tungsten can crack the bead and cut your line. Also video on why to use lead.

[jbrew73]

I use use quality tungsten because it is better than lead on my line. No glass bead!

[Flatcreek]

65# Moss Grn PP main line, 1,3/4, or 1/2 ozTop Brass weight, 6mm red glass bead, quality swivel, 1.5' - 3.5' leader of 30# MG PP or 20 # AN 40 depending on water clarity & cover. 3/0 Owner Riggin' hook thru a 6" Zoom Grn Pmkn Lizard,tail dipped chart. Drag retrieve mostly but shaking, hopping works very good also. Patience is more of a key than anything, imo.