Another C-Rig Question

[Crestliner2008]

I know....you're suppose to use about a 4' leader, right? What if you don't want to? Is there a detriment to using shorter leaders?

Reason why I'm asking is that last season, I started to really get into C-rigging. Found it a real "pain" to cast (using my 7' pitching stick). I shortened the leader and caught some good fish. But I don't want to be missing anything either. On the other hand, I'm not in a position to buy a longer rod either right now.

Appreciate your thoughts folks.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Supposed to use a 4 foot leader? Maybe in real clear water. In dirtier water use a shorter leader. You want the bait to be closer to the commotion that the sinker and beads is causing. For the most part 18 to 24 inches will suffice in almost any situation.

You also have to experiment with leader length sometimes. The activity level of the fish might dictate that. A longer leader causes the bait to move around slower and dulls the overall action, a shorter leader causes the bait to move and swivel back and forth more rapidly.More active feeding fish you may want a faster retrieve and a shorter leader, and fish that need to be finessed you want that slow movement that stays in the strike zone a long time. Also if you drop off of a hump,ledge or drop off a longer leader will allow the bait to hang in space and freefall a lot slower before it settles on bottom.

Just about any plastic bait will work on a c-rig but believe it or not there are some that just really seem work better on a longer or shorter leader. if your in clear water or even a pool throw a few out there on different lengths once and you'll a major difference in overall action on some baits. Just like anything else sometimes the fish just want it a certain way.

If you having trouble casting a longer leader the only tips I can give you are these.let the sinker hang down 12- 18 inches or more and focus on throwing the sinker. Pay no attention the the hanging bait,unless your gonna bury it in your partners skull Cast only the sinker and use a nice smooth lob cast,don't snap back or try to load your rod.

[Crestliner2008]

Thanks! Very good information. 

[Fishes in trees]

Straight from the mouth of Al Lindner.  I remember reading about this in In-Fisherman, back when the Lindners owned it.  " A jig is a rig and a rig is a jig." He went on to talk about how a jig is really a carolina rig with a really really short leader and how a carolina rig is just a jig with a very long, very flexible hook.

So, for carolina rigs, a shorter leader offers more control, i.e. you have a better idea of where your bait is in relation to the weight.  A longer leader offers more finesse.  That is frequently important.  The other thing a longer leader does is save time.  You can break off baits several times when they get stuck before you have to tie on a whole new leader.

So, what all this means is that experimenting with leader length is a given.  You can probably get away with shorter leaders in muddy/murky water than you can in clear.

By the way, I think a 7' rod is plenty long enough.   Good luck with your carolina rig experiments.

[Mike O]

Shorter the leader you can use the better. Longer leaders are harder to cast and casting distance falls off. Longer leaders gut hook more fish. Longer leaders make sense when fishing some weed growth. Sinker is in the weeds and bait is on top. Seldom is a long leader a necessity and should be considered last resort. Good Luck and best fishing!

[Uncle Leo]

I rarely go over 3 feet. Most times I will use as little as 18 inches. I find that a shorter leader allows for better feel of what the baits is doing and improves hook ups. If I go longer it may be only to float the bait above weeds but mostly i will fish this on a weedless bottom to search with.

[rondef]

Some good information on c-rigs, thanks for posting it guys.  This is one rig that I am going to try to learn this year.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Some good information on c-rigs, thanks for posting it guys. This is one rig that I am going to try to learn this year.

And don't forget that ANY/ALL of the rage baits are killer on it as well....

[fishfordollars]

I start with a 2 foot and adjust from there. Can't remember anything longer than 3 feet though.

Jack

[Bigs]

This year Im gonna focus on c-riggin and I appreciate the info posted in this thread. I have also had problems casting long leaders. I have one of the loomis glx c-rig rods, it's 7'3 which should be perfect yet my casts are not nearly far enough. Lobbing it out may be the ticket for me. I have tried to load the rod and snap it out there and it didnt work at all for me.

Also what weights do you use for different applications. Do the weight and leader length have any relation ? Thanks for ther tips guys. Btw has anyone used the rage tail anaconda worms on a c-rig ? I just got 2 packs yesterday at gander mountain and was plannin on using them over the summer.

[kikstand454]

long overhand casts are all about throwing the sinker... not the bait. if you cast lke youre throwing the bait... your rig will helicopter and not only not go as far...it will twist your line too.

i two hand overhead cast any leader that is up to 2.5ft. long. after that it gets tricky and depending on the wind and angle, i may try to cast slightly more sidearmed. this is with a 3/4 -1oz. weight.

i typically keep my leader between 20 and 30 inches though. i think thats a good "long-ish" length. rember to sweep and drag your lure sideways till you find some cover... then shake or very lightly hop around the cover.

setting the hook on a c-rig should be a sideways sweep when possible.