Carolina Rig

[RIP LIPPER]

Thanks for all the responses to yesterdays post (lipless cranks)! Now just wondering if some of you vets could answer me this. When you fish a carolina rig do you just reel in the bait or is it better to hop it along the bottom. Also is the more bouyant bait the better choice? Was fishing the other day with a Gary Yamamoto creature and it was never really getting off of the bottom at all. Caught 1 fish on this c-rig. Switched to a texas rig and caught four more on the same bait in a quarter of the time (hopping the rig). How do you present the bait on your carolina rig? Thanks for any input.

[Lilmoosecountry]

I've used floater worms in this application. They will suspend at the length of your leader. I like dragging it. It almost reminds me of a lizzard chasing his prey. This has bean the most effective technique for me.

[carolina-rig-01]

dragging it is usually the ticket for me. but experiment because different days they want different presentations. if i am fishing in a lot of rocks i will give it really small hops, just enough to keep the sinker barely off the bottom when it's moving. this helps keep it from getting hung in the rocks.

[BigBassin144]

I've not tried C-riggin yet, but draggin is what most overyone has told me. I can't wait to try it, I went all out and bought some 1/2, 3/4, 1 oz Tungsten weights, lots of bait, and I want to get one the of the Falcon LowRider Lizard Dragger Rods.

BB

[carolina-rig-01]

oh and i mainly fish lizards on a c-rig, but most any softplastic bait will catch fish on a c-rig at one time or another. around here flukes, senkos, tubes, trick worms, hula grubs, brushogs, beavers, and your good old fashion powerworm get a lot of time on c-rigs.

[zooker]

i drag....


zooker

[BERKLEY83]

Originally Posted by zooker

i drag....


zooker

SAME HERE.

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

Originally Posted by zooker

i drag....


zooker

I'd say I puff, or maybe toke, but never drag.

[brushhog]

LOL... I generally drag ,sometimes I mix in a short hop and drag again... all in all, not my favorite presentation.

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

Yeah, I don't know, I've caught really decent size bass on the c-rig, but I just don't like to throw it too much. I don't like the inability of feeling bites. I think I'll use it a little more this year.

[Rebbasser]

Drag it. You want it to keep in contact with the bottom kicking up a mud trail.

[bamabassman]

drag, hop, drag, then let it sit.......drag, hop,sit.

[stevomac59]

As Reb said...

hop it along the bottom... make some mud and dirt clouds in the water. The sounds and vibrations of the weight on the bottom attract the fish. Try the ol' 10 to 11:30 rod tip hop. Start at 10, then go to 11:30ish... This should work.. I personally have not tried c-rigin' yet, but all the fishing vids on you tube and some of my collections of fishin' shows advise of this technique (also Reb told me lol)

[bassnman30]

As has been mentioned before drag on clean bottums and pump your bait in rocks. Dragging increases the situation of hanging up in the rocks.
I use 3/4 oz. Tru Tungsten weights, they cause more feel to the fish than regular weights. They cost a little more but I feel that they are worth it. No plastic in the center, they are grooved inside so they don't cause nicks in the line.

[Raul]

Originally Posted by RIP LIPPER

Was fishing the other day with a Gary Yamamoto creature and it was never really getting off of the bottom at all. Caught 1 fish on this c-rig. Switched to a texas rig and caught four more on the same bait in a quarter of the time (hopping the rig).

Here´s some food for you to chew on with an example:

My friends and I go with relatively frequency to a lake called Zimapán here in central Mexico, the lake was built by daming a canyon and it´s extremely deep with very steep rocky sloping banks, about 70% of the time the water is crystal clear and under such circumstances bass hunt by sight, if you fish a C-rig when the water is that clear you can make a killing.

But 30% of the time the water is not that clear, specially after the rainy season has ended or during the spring when the algae blooms occur. When the water is murky/muddy bass don´t hunt by sight but by sound and vibration.

My friend Pedro even though quite a talented angler is as stubborn as a mule which can be good or can be bad, his defect is that he insists in fishing the history and not by fishing the present day conditions, since 70% of the times we have fished in that lake the water has been clear and he has caught numerous fish with a C-rig then when the water is not that clear he continues to fish the same fashion C-rig as he did when the water was clearer. The results are that his catch ratio plummets.

So what´s the deal ? that the fish are not hunting by sight but by sound and vibration ( the current day conditions ), if this doesn´t tell you anything then let me explain; let´s say that the c-rig has a 2 ft leader, that means that the bait is two ft away from the sinker, when the water is not clear and the sinker hits the bottom or is dragged on the bottom ( sonic clues ) many fish with be called to it because sound is a powerful attractor, but the catch here is, the fish will be attracted to the sinker and not to the bait which is 2 ft away, since fish can´t see the bait they can´t bite it and you´ll get few bites.

With the T rig the situation is different, the bait is right behind the sinker, fish are attracted to the sinker and the bait is right behind it where the fish can see it.

Does this mean that a C-rig is a bad idea under such circumstance ? not really, it´s a bad idea if your bait is too far away from the sinker, with a shorter leader it´s a good idea.

The same applies to C-rig when fishing certain types of weedbeds, you need a long leader for the bait to float above the vegetation where the fish can see it, if you tie a short leader then is not that great idea because the bait will get buried in the vegetation when you pull the rig.

So the "rules" have different interpretations depending upon the circumstances.

[RIP LIPPER]

THANKS FOR THE INPUT RAUL. THAT DOES MAKE SOME SENSE! nEVER THOUGHT OF IT LIKE THAT.

[Buzz Wing]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

I've not tried C-riggin yet, but draggin is what most overyone has told me. I can't wait to try it, I went all out and bought some 1/2, 3/4, 1 oz Tungsten weights, lots of bait, and I want to get one the of the Falcon LowRider Lizard Dragger Rods.

BB

If you wanna know the truth, you've wasted money. In my opinion, anything over 1/2 ounce will dig into the bottom and you won't feel crap, especially in sand and gravel.

-Buzz

[BigBassin144]

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bb

[Wishing2BFishing]

Originally Posted by Patrick Krueger, Jr.

I'd say I puff, or maybe toke, but never drag.

P.K. jr., Good stuff . . . the C-rig drag works well while listening to the Doors.

[Wishing2BFishing]

Raul, very informative post. I hate to admit it, but oftentimes I am the guy that is fishing the history and not the present day conditions.

[BigBassin144]

hahaha!!

little too much info though

BB

[Rebbasser]

Originally Posted by Wishing2BFishing

Raul, very informative post. I hate to admit it, but oftentimes I am the guy that is fishing the history and not the present day conditions.

I think we are all guilty of that at one time or another.