carolina rig fishing

[ethand]

I consider myself just an avg.fisherman that loves to fish the Carolina rig.years ago all you would hear is that was the way to catch big fish.well I guess I am one of the ones that does not fish it correctly.dont get me wrong.i catch plenty of fish but most of them are in the 12" to 14" range.the largest fish I have ever caught on the rig was around 3 1/2 lbs.the way that I fish it is I will keep the boat in at least 30' of water and cast towards the bank.i will drag my bait all the way back to the boat keeping it on the bottom.even when I get a bite under the boat (30'water)most of the time it is just a keeper.you would figure sooner or later you would drag your bait around a hog especially in deeper water.so does anyone else have the same luck as I have.

[catch5]

It's definitely not my go to bait for a big fish. I know it will catch bug fish no doubt, but it's what I call my "get a bite bait". When I'm struggling to catch anything I'll put it on. I've caught some nice fish on it but it seems I'll always catch bigger ones throwing football jig, Texas rig, swim bait, or crankbait when I'm fishing deep.

[blade1970]

I absolutely hate C-Rig fishing!!...I will always find another way to catch them.

[shakyhead10]

Put down the rig and get you a beefy football jig combo. You will still get plenty of bites but they should be better quality

[jclark408]

That's typical. I use it as a search technique then switch to a big worm Shakey style or a football jig. If the size doesn't increase, I will go back to the rig just to have some fun and catch numbers.

[artcarney_agr]

Sounds about right. It's probably the best tool for feeling what's down there on the bottom.

I use it along with a big football jig for a one-two punch. Use the rig to locate the fish, then throw the football jig to catch the bigger ones.

However, some days they just won't take the jig and the rig outfishes it; on days like that I'll go to a much bigger soft plastic.

[fishn2deep]

I love the rig in tough circumstances...mainly fished on shell beds or log hard bottom points.

[c rig]

Interesting opinions from some of you. My experience is completely different. I've caught a lot of big fish on c rigs, 5 fish limits that run 25-28 lbs, and big ones up to 10 lbs.

i throw one 12 months/year, from 2' deep down to 20 feet, with baits ranging from Zoom centipedes to 8" worms. I wouldn't give up on it. It's probably a confidence thing, because jig fishing is my weakness.

[artcarney_agr]

It's probably a confidence thing, because jig fishing is my weakness.

I was the same way for many years....then I finally made a commitment to the jig and my results have been much better in regards to catching bigger fish.

I would say the lakes you fish will play a big role in it too. Peter Thliveros is probably one of the most regular c-rig guys out there...on certain lakes he'll flat out smoke guys with it, but more times than not on other lakes his results are average at best with it.

[Quillback]

Zoom Ol' Monster is a great big fish c-rig bait.

[tgifish]

Go fish it around points, humps, and grass in or near deep water while considering clear & stained water tactics. Shorten up your leader and fish a floating bait (ribbed) in shallow water during the spring. Experiment with different baits and try fishing it outside the box.

[ChampioNman]

Not a monster by any stretch but this my first Bass caught in the panhandle of FL on a C-rig zoom watermelon candy lizard.


Fred's Fish.jpg

Guide credits: Old Biker guide service.

[alpine4x4]

I hate the c-rig, but it has put a few fish in the boat when everything else wont. It really shines on one of my local lakes. The bottom is all mud and fishing anything without a leader on the bottom gets buried in the mud quick. Dragging a c-rig on the outside edges of weedbeds works pretty well as well as ripping it out of the weedbed edge.

[juice780]

Zoom Ol' Monster is a great big fish c-rig bait.

I've caught a lot of big fish with a zoom ol monster too.

[stratos4life]

Love the c-rig

[skunked]

i throw it sometimes but don't catch fish with it,

[Passion 4 Bassin]

I love the C-Rig! In fact, it is my favorite way to fish. Maybe it is a confidence thing, but I just know that when it is down there on the bottom that it is being watched!

[cubswin]

Do you catch big fish in those spots on other baits? I think it is more where you are fishing than anything.

[59tomitriton]

but those are big fish on the Ohio River

[CaymasMan250]

C-rig is my go to, my best 5 will go over 60lbs, biggest being 13.12.