Carolina Rigs, HELP! What in the world am I doin wrong?

[BigUn]

I've been a fisherman for more than 50 years. I am a better than average worm (texas rig) fisherman. Worms and jigs are my "Go Too" baits when fishin gets tough. For years I've wanted to learn to fish the Carolina Rig to use in deeper water. I can't buy a strike on this thing. I've tried all different size sinkers, played with leader lengths, retrieve speed, everything. Nothing! You boys got any pointers for a stumped old man? How about some help here guys? Thanks for your time.

 

[BensalemAngler]

The only real luck I have had with a c-rig is one that is set up like this:

line -- spot remover jig with a 3 inch wolly tail-- 15 inches of line -- worm hook with a lizard trailer.

I have gotten hits on both the jig and the lizard. The spot remover stands up and makes some noise when dragged on the bottom but more importantly kicks up dirt and sand which cloud back to where my lizard is, sort of masking it or appearing that the lizard is making some kind of commotion.

I cast out then I drag the jig back with some little hops allowing the lizard to appear like swimming.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[slim357]

i also have trouble catchin fish on this rig im lucky if i get one all year on it (but i dont fish it that much) I have my best luck in the spring using lizards on it, and just dragin it over rocky/brushy bottoms, never have much luck with it in sandy or muddy bottoms.

 

[slabmaster]

if your use to lifting your texas rigged worm with verticle rod motion ' as i am" don't do this with your carolina rig. sweep your rod horizontal when you move the bait . almost like you are trying to get it hung up. i use a 24to 30 inch flourocarbon leader. you my not need flourocarbon. i fish beaver lake . some parts of it are clear as gin. small finess type baits work well . 4inch worms , 4 inch lizards, 5 inch yamamoto senkos . i dont use fancy weights. i use egg sinkers. i do paint them black. i only use one bead. the bead is there for knot protection so the sinker won't weaken the line. i use a good barrel swivel usually black nickle. it took me a long time to consistantly catch fish on a carolina rig. i was waiting to feel the bite like on a texas rig. it is my experience now that the bite feels mushy and alot of time it's just extra weight on the end of your rod. it kinda feels like the bite on a reel soft fiberglass crankbait rod. i also fihs a smaller hook when carolina rigging. sometimes even down to 1/0 light wire. when texas rigging i never use smaller than 4/0 wide gap. anywhere you can catch fish on a texas rig you can cathch them on a carolina . Given the obvious that a CR is no good when flipping brushpiles or boatdocks. hope this helps

 

[Captain Ahab]

Thanks Slabmaster - that is some good info


Have you (or anyone else) tried Carolina rigging small floating crank baits? I read an article about doing this and I am intrigued.

 

[slabmaster]

i have heard of the technique for carolina rigging crankbaits. i haven't tried it because it seems like you would loose way to much feel.a bass will spit a crank bait out before i could feel him on a carolina rig. in my part of the country(table rock lake/beaver lake) we have an early spring crankbait bite that is hotter than a 2 dollar pistol. i use crawdad colored wiggle warts. at times when the deep divers can't get deep enough i use stick on weighs made for crank baits to weight my lures. i also occasionaly use split shot about 12 to 14 inches ahead of my lure. i am not knocking carolina rigging crank baits . it just doesn't seem like it would work where i fish. carolina rigged hula grubs work well here on gravel banks that desend at about 45 degree angles.

 

[G3_Guy]

Slabmaster gives some great info here. I too had a lot of trouble first learning this technique but now that I have, it is really great. I throw mostly lizards and centipede type baits on it but have also caught a few on the crankbait. This is a dynamite lure in the shallows during the springs months and it is also an excellent technique for fishing deepwater humps or structure during the summer when the water temps are so hot. I use a similar set-up as SB mentioned except I use mono mostly now that I am use to the technique. The length of your liter will depend on the clarity of your water. For clear lakes a longer leader is preferred and for muddier conditions a shorter leader. This allows the fish to key in on the sound your weight makes as you drag it across the bottom and still be able to notice the lure you are pulling behind it. Below is a link to some additional info on the C-Rig. Hope it helps. The key to Carolina Rig fishing is patience... Plan a couple of trips where the C-Rig is all you take with you and really focus on it.

https://www.fishin.com/articles/georgewelcome/C-rigarticle/carolinarig.htm

 

[slim357]

Thanks Slabmaster - that is some good info


Have you (or anyone else) tried Carolina rigging small floating crank baits? I read an article about doing this and I am intrigued.

I might have to give this a try, I had planed on try to c-rig on some smaller swimbaits, I saw Ish doin it in a toury, cant remember which one, but he was catchin fish on it.

 

[Nickk]

I've done best with a 4" floating centipede(Strike King 3X) on C-rigs. I haven't fished tons with C-Rigs but I've caught largemouth, walleye, and northern with them. Yes on the sweeping motion to move and set, that way you're not lifting the weight but pulling the line. Carolina rigs are great to feel bottom structure/texture, even with mono you can feel it, if you find some brush you might want to probe it more with a jig.

 

[shortfish]

SETUP- 7ft heavy action falcon rod but it has a light tip with a lot of backbone, pfluger president reel, 20 LB bass pro shops xps fluorocarbon main line,3/4 ounce Lindy no snag sinker or a 3/4oz to 1oz tungsten weight(depends on the cover I'm fishing), glass bead (not plastic),barrel swivel, 17lb Berkley fire line or 17 lb BPS xps fluorocarbon line leader(depends on water clarity) 2/0 to 3/0 light wire mustad hook.
Lures- big 10" worm, zoom brush hog, lucky strike french fry, and a regular old lizard, and craws work really good too.

Summer- I usually don't break out a c rig until middle of june, when they are starting to move off shore. I target creek and river channels with either humps near by and/or points. look for irregulars on points like ditches boulders and logs as soon as you feel your weight fall off of one of those kill it for a few seconds then slowly move it away if they're going to bite thats when they will do it if they aren't already on the line i lose a few fish every summer allot of times they get it really deep in they're throat.

 

[slabmaster]

good post shortfish. =D>

 

[BlueWaterLED]

Okay my .02 cents, and I am not trying to say that what anyone else is doing is wrong, just telling you how I do it.

7 foor heavy action rod. High Speed reel, 7.1:1 or 6.2:1

15-20 pound Seaquar Invizx Flourocarbon main line. Very sensitive but still strong and abrasion resistant.

Depending on wind, 3/4 or 1 ounce egg sinker. Egg sinkers just don't get hung up as much.

Small 30 pound titanium barrel swivel, and always a glass bead, never plastic. I will use two beads in dirtier water. One protects the knot, the other clicks against the first to attract fish.

3-4 foot mono leader. VERY IMPPORTANT. Flourocarbon sinks. Mono floats and helps your bait get in the face of the fish. I have out-fished the guy in the back of the boat 5 to 1 and the only difference was the leader. Also, I go with 12 pound, usually p-line flouroclear or something invisible and abrasion resistant like that.

Hook depends on bait. My favorite c-rig bait is a baby brush hog, favorite color is watermelon purple flake. I always spray the tails with chartruese spike-it spray.

2.0 or 3.0 EWG hooks, usually gamakatsu. BPS has some really good bps brand hooks that are the same thing only cheaper.

Now the technique. Drag it sideways, not up and down. Drag to your side, you will feel more strikes. Reel in your slack, never let any slack in the line, keep it tight as you will get most bites when your bait stops and you are reeling in the slack. When you feel like you are hung up, lift the rod and try to pull it over gently, you will get lots of bites as you come over that type of cover, but if you jerk it out, you will miss that opportunity.

I hope this helps.