Carolina Rigging For Smallmouth?

[NMUbassin]

-(in continuation of my "Best Colors for tanic water" post)-

I have a tournament coming up on a reservoir that is really tanic (tea colored) and deep. This lake has a lot of big smallmouth, but it seems that they become rather hard to find in the summer because they tend to go deep and school up.

In this particular body of water, it is illegal to fish a drop shot... Which just so happens to be my "go to" presentation for off-shore fish. I've been brain storming the past couple days in an attempt to come up with other productive techniques that should get these smallies fired up.

So far I'm thinking hair jigs, shaky head, deep cranking, and c-rigging. (Any other ideas?)

I was wondering if anyone on here has any experience with Carolina rigging, specifically for smallmouth. I was thinking of using simple creature baits, or even tubes! They kill tubes on this lake in the spring.

I'm running out of ideas, and I'm trying to get a game plan put together for when I get the chance to pre fish it.

Thank you!

[Bluebasser86]

Spoons would for sure be on my list for deep, schooling smallies. Aggressive rips and let it sink on a slack line. Usually don't feel a bite, they're just there next time you try to rip it.

 

I've caught tons of smallies on a C rig. I like creature baits, stick worms, and craws. The Zman baits work great on a C rig because they float off the bottom. The ZinkerZ and FattyZ are 2 of my favorites. 

 

If they eat tubes well I'd probably be fishing one with a heavy insert head too. 

 

A hollow belly or boot tail swimbait like a Keitech Swing Impact on a heavy jighead would be another option I'd for sure have on the deck. Either a regular jighead or something like a fish head spin or swarming hornet. 

[NMUbassin]

Spoons would for sure be on my list for deep, schooling smallies. Aggressive rips and let it sink on a slack line. Usually don't feel a bite, they're just there next time you try to rip it.

 

I've caught tons of smallies on a C rig. I like creature baits, stick worms, and craws. The Zman baits work great on a C rig because they float off the bottom. The ZinkerZ and FattyZ are 2 of my favorites. 

 

If they eat tubes well I'd probably be fishing one with a heavy insert head too. 

 

A hollow belly or boot tail swimbait like a Keitech Swing Impact on a heavy jighead would be another option I'd for sure have on the deck. Either a regular jighead or something like a fish head spin or swarming hornet.

Any specific size or brand of spoon for the smallmouth?

[Bluebasser86]

I like the 5/8oz War Eagle, either silver or white. They come prerigged with a swivel and a good EWG treble hook in a 2 pack for around 5 or 6 bucks. If you're in shallower water you might be able to try a flutter spoon also. 

[NMUbassin]

I like the 5/8oz War Eagle, either silver or white. They come prerigged with a swivel and a good EWG treble hook in a 2 pack for around 5 or 6 bucks. If you're in shallower water you might be able to try a flutter spoon also.

Do you find yourself casting the spoon out or fishing it vertically?

[Bluebasser86]

Do you find yourself casting the spoon out or fishing it vertically?

Both. I usually cast it and rip it back to the boat and fish it vertically under the boat for several rips before I reel it in and cast again. If you can get on top of a school without spooking them, fishing it vertically is the easiest way to do it and you snag up a lot less. 

[A-Jay]

Smallies are often big suckers for Speed.

 

 When fish are playing hard to get in deep water, I've had success fishing a fairly over weighted tube and snapping it off the bottom aggressively.

 

The weight used depends on the water clarity, class line and water depth, but you'll want the bait to be literally crashing back to the bottom very quickly; at least a 1/2 ounce anyway.

 

Make a long cast, let the bait touch bottom and then start a snap and go retrieve; only allowing the bait to rest on the bottom long enough to know it's there.  The strike is rarely felt as the fish usually grab the bait as it's falling on a slack line.  So they are just "there" and you end up hooking them the next time the bait is snapped up off the bottom.

 

I use fast action spinning gear, 10 braid and a 10-12 ft. section of 10 lb. mono leader - helps absorb the shock.

 

This has worked many times and often right in the middle of the day.  If you get the school fired up you can get a decent bag very quickly.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

[NathanW]

We call it stroking. The technique where you cast out a tube or spoon and rip it off the floor and let it sink back to the bottom. When they are on it they bite it really good. I make medium length casts to avoid snagging as I am usually fishing this on chunk rock. I have not wacked em stroking until later in the summer and into fall but I am sure others have different experiances.

 

Regarding the C-Rig. Used to be my staple while I was learning how to fish the Columbia river, its got a great deep bite. I always used either a roboworm and mostly a 4" or 5" zoom lizard. Typically kept the wieght to around 1/2 ounce with 14"-18" leader. If you can find deep weed edges or a nice ledge there is no better way to find the productive areas if they are not biting a crankbait.

[Nice_Bass]

Big article on this in the most recent in fisherman mag...

[A-Jay]

Big article on this in the most recent in fisherman mag...

 

 

Again ~

 

The In-Fisherman, a few years back, is where I initially learned about stroking the tube (that actually sounds kind a bad).

 

A-Jay

[iabass8]

Id honestly try stroking a football /hair jig or red eye shad before a spoon but i would 100% use a spoon at some point.

[NathanW]

 

"This has worked many times and often right in the middle of the day.  If you get the school fired up you can get a decent bag very quickly."

Exactly, everytime I can remember putting big weight on in a hurry has while stroking a tube has been dead smack in the middle of day in the blistering hot. A little chop on the water, in anywhere from 7 to 15 foot of water on a big open rocky flat or slow tapering edge. Good times.

[MassBass]

What about deep cranking? great way to catch deep smallies. I like wally divers and rebel craws, also rattletraps deep.