First time Carolina Rig fishing

[Daniel Langel]

Hey there everyone!

Needing a bit of advice so I am going to attempt to try to fish using a Carolina Rig which I have never done before. Most of the lakes i will be fishing is roughly no more that 20-25ft deep. So I learned on here that there is this contraption called a Carolina keeper that you can put on your line so you dont have to tie multiple knots. I have lots of different plastics and creatures/craws that i can throw on there what size hook should I use or recommended type of plastics? Do i use kindof the same set up as a Texas Rig except you have a weighted leader with a bead? Placing the hook into the plastic the same way as a texas rig? Now can I cast that into some pretty heavy cover? I live like 30 miles south of Seattle and alot of the small lakes in the area have submerged weeds and lots of lily pads.

Thanks so much for the advice and help. 

[scaleface]

I use a 3/4 to 1 ounce weight and have never tried the Carolina Keeper .I'm skeptical that it would keep that heavy of a  weight in place I   use the Carolina rig  to cover deep water quickly . Strikes are difficult to detect , you will just feel something on the line . I rig the soft plastic exactly like on a Texas rig . Being strikes are more difficult to detect than on a Texas rig I like to use a bait that  has a smooth shiny finish like the Zoom Lizard .  That way if you  question whether  you had a bite or not you can examine the bait for teeth marks left by the basses sandpaper like mouth . They are easy to see . I dont use long leaders,  two foot is about the maximum  . They do not do well in heavy cover  .  Good luck . Its a rig I like to use .

[Daniel Langel]

Thanks so much!

[Airman4754]

For pads I wouldn't use it, but it is great for submerged grass. Adjust your leader length accordingly to keep it higher in the grass. 

Strikes are like anything else. Sometimes they slam it, sometimes you get a slight tap, sometimes it's just dead weight, and sometimes you'll lose the feel of your weight. 

I use straight shank hooks on mine and run from 4" lizards all the way up to 12" worms. 

[Catt]

For that depth of water I would throw 3/8 oz.

Yes the Carolina Keeper works

Hooks? See picture below in 3/0-4/0

Yes ya rig em like a Texas rig

Yes a Carolina Rig is fairly weedless 

Edited July 9, 2016 by Catt
operator error

[jr231]

[scaleface]

If using a 1 ounce weight with a leader and fishing it in heavy cover , there will be a "lot"  more hangs than with a lighter Texas rig .I dont use C-rigs with light weights . That defeats the purpose of what " I"  want it to do . Cover deep water quickly .  Using light weights is not wrong , I just dont utilize them that way .