Florocarbon Carolina Rigs...

[Trackick9707]

My goal this year is to add a new tactic to my fishing arsenal.  I want to start using carolina rigs and i want to get good at it.  I've fished braided line exclusively for the last 10 years or so and I want to start experimenting with florocarbon lines also.  Is it a bad idea to use braid as my main line and use floro leaders?  Should I use the "florocarbon leader material"  or just regular florocarbon, and is there a difference between the two?  What brands does every body use?  I have had great luck with power pro and Suffix but that was braid and I don't know where to start.  Also i've used a palomar knot for all of my connections with braided line, but i've heard that a palomar knot can damage florocarbon... and suggestions on knots?  Thanks for your help!

[kickerfish1]

You have a good understanding of what you are doing so far and I applaud you for researching it!

For your main line braid or floro is a great choice. However you may want to consider mono for your leader line. Reason being is that floro typically sinks while mono tends to float more. The thinking behind the Carolina rig is to run a bait behind the leader that is a foot or two "off the bottom", but not dragging the bottom like a Texas rig.

A fellow angler I fish with will take his frog'n setup with braid and convert it to a Carolina rig outfit when needed. You may not need to buy a designated outfit or additional line depending upon what you currently have on hand.

I would recommend a tungsten weight, a glass bead and lightwire hook along with a soft plastic bait with moving arms, legs, tail etc or something that is known to float. Zoom trick worms, rage space monkeys, eliminators, lizards, and flukes are good choices.

[Crappiebasser]

I use braid with a flouro leader tied with the uni to uni knot then use a Carolina Keeper to hold the weight and bead in place. I just use filler spools of either Seaguar Invisix or Berkley 100% for leaders because it's cheaper. Palomar knots work great for flouro as long as you tie it right. If the flouro crosses over it's self it will fail. 

[roadwarrior]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/110842-new-knot-the-big-o/#entry1209809

[BobP]

Fluorocarbon leader material is tougher and much stiffer than regular fluoro line.  If you fish around sharp rocks/shells it's a good choice but most of us don't use it in freshwater.  Many guys use a superline as the mainline in C-rigs because of its sensitivity, casting distance (important), long distance hooking power, and the fact that the lure is at the end of a leader so it's still unobtrusive to the fish.  I fish with 20 lb Fireline on my C-rig in a clear water lake and have not had any problems.  I also haven't noticed much difference between copolymer and fluoro leaders on C-rigs.  The leader is short enough that sensitivity is not a big issue either way and I'd rather use copolymer and not worry about knots in fluoro.

[Trackick9707]

You have a good understanding of what you are doing so far and I applaud you for researching it!

For your main line braid or floro is a great choice. However you may want to consider mono for your leader line. Reason being is that floro typically sinks while mono tends to float more. The thinking behind the Carolina rig is to run a bait behind the leader that is a foot or two "off the bottom", but not dragging the bottom like a Texas rig.

A fellow angler I fish with will take his frog'n setup with braid and convert it to a Carolina rig outfit when needed. You may not need to buy a designated outfit or additional line depending upon what you currently have on hand.

I would recommend a tungsten weight, a glass bead and lightwire hook along with a soft plastic bait with moving arms, legs, tail etc or something that is known to float. Zoom trick worms, rage space monkeys, eliminators, lizards, and flukes are good choices.

I like to research first, and then ask questions.  There's nothing worse than being "how do I catch fish guy"....  

[BassThumb]

You have a good understanding of what you are doing so far and I applaud you for researching it!

For your main line braid or floro is a great choice. However you may want to consider mono for your leader line. Reason being is that floro typically sinks while mono tends to float more. The thinking behind the Carolina rig is to run a bait behind the leader that is a foot or two "off the bottom", but not dragging the bottom like a Texas rig.

A fellow angler I fish with will take his frog'n setup with braid and convert it to a Carolina rig outfit when needed. You may not need to buy a designated outfit or additional line depending upon what you currently have on hand.

I would recommend a tungsten weight, a glass bead and lightwire hook along with a soft plastic bait with moving arms, legs, tail etc or something that is known to float. Zoom trick worms, rage space monkeys, eliminators, lizards, and flukes are good choices.

 

This is all really good advice.  I prefer using my standard worm/jig combos rigged with fluoro for Carolina rigging, although I will also use a frog rod/braid sometimes to toss C-rigs.  Either will work just fine.

 

A couple years ago I did the same thing as you're doing and I learned a lot about my lake's bottom content and structure dragging these heavy sinkers around.  For this reason, I'd really recommend investing in a couple 1/2 and 3/4 oz tungsten weights.  The increase in sensitivity is well worth the cost.

[NitroZ9]

It's very unusual for me not to have a C. Rig in my hand a large portion of each day I'm fishing. It's a technique I have supreme confidence in and fish it in both shallow and deep water. I have tried many combinations of line, rods, terminal tackle etc. with it. I tried braid on it years ago and immediately discovered that I had a problem with rocks cutting it, and have not used it since. Here's what I use; 7'2" heavy action rod, 20# Flouro. main line with a 15-17# Flouro. leader. I use a swivel to connect the two and a glass bead and brass "ticker". I rarely use anything other than a 3/4 oz. tungsten weight. If I'm fishing very shallow with it all the time, like on a tidal river, I'll use a 1/2 oz. weight. The hook size I use depends on the size bait. I like the low stretch of Flouro. for the main line and I feel like I can use a heavier leader because of the clarity of Flouro. I fish mainly clear lakes and it works fine. I like a longer rod with a heavier action because when I set the hook, I'm picking up a lot of weight with a leader on the end of it. I basically fish it like I'm fishing a Texas Rigged worm. When I get a bite, I sweep the rod to the side. I use many different types of baits; Trick worms, creature baits, Senkos, flippin' tubes, etc. I rarely fish a Texas Rig anymore. To me, a C. Rig is much more efficient. The key to this technique is the same as any other, you have to fish it enough to where you are catching fish and have confidence in it.     

[skeletor6]

All great advice. One thing you should take from all this is that the technique can be very versatile. Don't limit yourself to "X" bait. I second using tungsten, but that is your choice. I also like the idea with mono, that is something that I am going to do new this year. I was not the OP, but appreciate all the information given in the thread.