Football Jig Vs Carolina Rig

[airborne_angler]

I've been trying to get a good feel on the C Rig. In the past 2 outings I've boated 3 fish with it.

I've also been reading about Football Jigs and how they are typically fished.

Correct me if in wrong, but my understanding is that. Football Jig is retrieved in a similar manner to a C-Rig...dragging...maintaining contact with the bottom...is that right?

If this is true...When does one shine over the other?

[K_Mac]

I am able to cover a little more water with a c-rig. Which one is more effective really depends on what they are looking for. The c-rig offers a much different, and I believe more subtle movement.

[papajoe222]

It's very similar to comparing a Texas rig to what is called a Florida rig (pegged sinker).  A carolina rig really shines under two circumstances that I can think of.  The first is when the fish are holding just off the bottom. Depending on leader length and the bouyancy of the bait you can get it up off the bottom and into the fish's line of sight as they have difficulty looking down. These fish are reluctant to feed directly on the bottom, but are easier to see on your electronics.  The other circumstance is when the fish are what I call weight shy.  They quickly drop your offering and you end up swinging for the fences and missing.  The distance between bait and weight on a C-rig is often the difference between a fish dropping your offering or hanging on long enough for you to set the hook.

I'll start out with the jig if I haven't marked fish but am confident that an area holds fish.  If I'm getting bit, but unable to hook up or I can feel the jig dragging through some grass, I'll switch to the C-rig.

[Grantman83]

I've honestly had a ton more success swimming a football jig slowly while maintaining bottom contact (almost like a crankbait). When they want something moving slow, I go with the c-rig

[airborne_angler]

So would it be safe to say if a person has confidence in a C Rig, they should have little trouble transitioning to a Football Jig?

[Basseditor]

Sometimes a reaction bite of a football jig crashing quickly on the bottom out fishes a C-rig. Other days a subtle C-rig works best.

I know, the dreaded "depends" answer.

I do catch more on the C-rig.

[LMB KING]

I prefer C-rig

[F14A-B]

I will say that bass will absolutely eat off the bottom... I have stuck Hundreds off football jigs... Sloooow Drag/steady crank retrieval . I just use a c rig to help find hidden structure to pick apart with Trigs or Jigs depending... I am not a great fan of c rigging, personally , I also use lead weighted crankbaits to drag/ troll to find hotspots (structure)...

[Mccallister25]

Im not a huge fan of a Carolina rig. I actually dont like it at all. Iv also never thrown a football jig. Is it primarily a deeper water jig? I may pick one up to try out. Does a dragging presentation seem to be the best bet when it comes to the footballs?

[airborne_angler]

Big Block...As far as I understand, Football jig is great for keeping on the bottom and slowly doing side sweeps like a C Rig.Then when something comes in contact (rock, stump) your supposed to rock the jig against that and maybe "pop" it up and over the object. I've heard of people "Stroking" the jigs too. That's taking a jig and popping it hard off the bottom so it jumps up and then let it crash on slack line...I've been building my C Rig confidence so think I wanna try a Football jig...I've always heard jigs and quality fish go hand in hand...

[Raul]

I've been trying to get a good feel on the C Rig. In the past 2 outings I've boated 3 fish with it.

I've also been reading about Football Jigs and how they are typically fished.

Correct me if in wrong, but my understanding is that. Football Jig is retrieved in a similar manner to a C-Rig...dragging...maintaining contact with the bottom...is that right?

If this is true...When does one shine over the other?

uhhhh, nope, not quite similar.

[Fishes in trees]

First, I think that they are baits for similar situations.  Rocky, sandy, sparse cover, fished as deeps you want to go.  As Al Linder

explained it in one of the theory articles when he owned In-fisherman, a jig is a rig and a rig is a jig.  Think of a jig as a carolina rig with a really, really short leader.  Conversely, think of a carolina rig as a jig with a really, really long, flexible hook.

  It is about control and precision.  How much do you want to know where your bait is in relation to your weight?  How much will the fish let you get away with?  Which are you most comfortable with?  All of these are considerations that each guy will have to answer for himself.

 

Me, I'm not a big fan of carolina rigs, and it is seldom an option unless I'm seeing other people consistently catching more fish on a rig.  When I was co-angling in tournaments, dragging a carolina rig behind the boat was often your only option.  When two guys are throwing jigs out of a boat, you've got to be on relatively the same page, pace wise, or frustration will set in.

 

The last couple of times I was down at Table Rock, where both rigs are popular, the guy in the bait shop told me, rigs for numbers, bigger bites generally happen on football jigs.

 

I think you're fine with the retrieve, for the most part, it is a drag & pause, drag & pause kind of deal.  An exception might be those Biffle Bugs, which Tommy Biffle fishes like a very slow crank bait,  a constant drag on the bottom.