Carolina Rigs

[Donald Tyson]

I am planning out my spring Lure Lineup. One of the components I plan to use is a Carolina Rig. Some say that you can feel free to "peg the egg" weight. Does anyone here feel that is the case?

I would like to pre-tie them and there are many ways to tie them to accommodate the sinkers. Pre-tying them would save time. 

 

Best!

Baron

[Bluebasser86]

Tie them as needed. Knots that sit tied up weaken. It's a hassle, but it's better than breaking off a big fish to try to save a couple minutes. 

[papajoe222]

One of the fish attracting elements of a Carolina Rig, is the sound of the weight striking the glass bead. Pegging the weight eliminates that, so I never do it.  Once you begin your retrieve, the weight stays on the bottom and won't slide up the main line.

Years ago, using only mono, I found that pre-tying did save time, but I would have an occasional knot failure resulting in a lost fish.  I attributed it to the lighter lb. test of my leader, but later figured out that the knots grew weaker over time.

Now, I use a braid main line and the weight, bead and swivel stay tied on and I only add the leader/hook, or re-tie, when needed.

[Catt]

Google Carolina Keepers ?

[Deleted account]

It's 3 knots, should take maybe a minute, what are we prepping? Carolina rig in the spring?...

[rangerjockey]

I like the Carolina keepers also. 

[Woody B]

I peg the egg but only one side.    I put a weight, and a glass bead on the line, tie the hook on, then use a split shot to keep the weight at the distance I want it from the hook.   

 

I'm resisting googling Carolina Keepers.   I believe @Catt is working with the bait monkey. 

[Catt]

18 minutes ago, Woody B said:

I'm resisting googling Carolina Keepers.   I believe @Catt is working with the bait monkey. 

 

Only on Tuesdays ?

[Captain Phil]

The Carolina Rig is deadly on bass.  It works best on hard bottom.  With experience, you will be able to probe the bottom composition from the feel of the weight dragging along the bottom.  This makes the line from your rod to the weight significant.  Modern braided line is perfect for this task.  If you use mono or fluorocarbon for the leader, you have the best of both worlds.  Varying your leader length is worth the trouble.  Sometimes the fish want a 18" leader, sometimes as much as 3 feet.

 

If you haven't fished a Carolina Rig before, you will find strikes are often difficult to detect.  If you feel any resistance, set the hook.  I have my best results with heavier weights. For me 1 oz. seems about right.  It stays on the bottom and lets me feel the bottom better than a light weight.  If I feel rocks or anything that feels like structure, I know I am probably going to get bite.   Here in Florida, Carolina Rigs work best in summer.  If you find an offshore honey hole, you will most likely have it to yourself.

 

As far as knots go, don't be lazy.  Retie often.  I use a brass clacker and a glass bead.  I have won a bunch of tournaments with an old school Carolina Rig. Buddy Gross won last years Bassmaster Tournament on the Harris Chain using one.  Everyone else was throwing crankbaits as he sat in the same area reeling up fish.

[Catt]

Don't shy away from lighter weights & shallow water. Down here we throw 3/8 or 1/2 oz weights in water less than 15' during pre-spawn. We still throw lizards, baby brush hogs, & French Fries.

[Jar11591]

I generally don’t peg the C-rig bullet. Main reason being is that when unpegged, it acts as a slip-sinker rig. I’m usually using a heavy weight (3/4oz+), and if unpegged, the fish won’t feel as much of the heavy weight when it eats the bait and starts to swim away. 

[LrgmouthShad]

I hate that dang rig. It catches em, but I feel like I can also catch em on a swing head or t-rig. 
 

But to answer the question, I’m with the crowd that’s says to tie the knots fresh and use a free sliding weight, brass and glass combo.
 

 

[the reel ess]

Another vote the Carolina Keeper for mono. I guess it's good for fluoro too since it's also stiff. But doing it this way eliminates the retying/pretying.

 

 

[LrgmouthShad]

3 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

This makes the line from your rod to the weight significant.  Modern braided line is perfect for this task

I agree with you sir that braided line, if you can get away with it, is perfect for the C-rig because it lets you feel the bottom better and helps eliminate some stretch for better hook penetration. Helps with a long leader. 
 

However, if you are fishing in an area with a really rocky bottom, I feel that braid can get cut up easily by the sharp edges of rocks and you can potentially get broken off. 

[Catt]

Take that little Carolina Rig with about a 8-12" leader & a lizard. Drag it into a bed, see what big momma thinks.

[the reel ess]

55 minutes ago, Catt said:

Take that little Carolina Rig with about a 8-12" leader & a lizard. Drag it into a bed, see what big momma thinks.

I've caught more bedding bass on the lizard that any other bait. In the summer when I can't buy a bite I'll rig up a "finesses C rig" and small lizard. You can do it easily with a split shot. But I usually do it the conventional way with a 1/8 oz. bullet weight.

[WRB]

Only use the “slip shot” rig now being called the “finesse C” rig. Traditional egg sinker swivel and bead hangs up in our rocky structure lakes. The Cyclinder weight bead and Carolina Keeper or pegged bead eliminates 2 knots, only 1 knot at the hook and completely adjustable length weight to hook.

Tom

 

[PressuredFishing]

2 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I hate that dang rig

Agreed. I tried fishing it a little but it just seems silly because the bait is just dragging along the bottom anyways just like a jig or trig and you can't feel the bite as well. If I want a similar rig I really like a splitshot rig, but with cylinder weights or bullet weights for grass.... me and my father do well on it. 

[LrgmouthShad]

25 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I've caught more bedding bass on the lizard that any other bait. In

I think that was my mistake in the spring. Not fishing the lizard enough. I could run down the bank and catch some, and nice ones, burning a swim jig, but I should have picked places apart with the lizard too

[scaleface]

I use Carolina rigs to cover deep water quickly . I rig it with  a 3/4 or 1 ounce sinker , bead , swivel and hook .Just about any soft plastic will work . My largest bass on that rig  was caught using a brown french fry .

[Bankbeater]

If I'm fishing with a Carolina rig, then the bass are not biting and I've exhausted my other options.  Most of the time I will use a 3/4 or 1 ounce weight. I never peg the weight because I don't want the fish to feel the weight when it takes the bait.

[Woody B]

10 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

I like the Carolina keepers also. 

You're working for the bait monkey too.  

[scaleface]

... also I always use a 2 foot or shorter leader . Long leaders are more trouble than they are worth and harder to detect strikes with . Being I dont fish grass I never had  a need for a long leader.

[WRB]

The key with Slip Shot or Finesse C-rig isusing Mono or Copolymer line to help keep the line from dragging the bottom. FC line sinks drags the bottom.

Light wire strong hooks and using soft plastics that tend to float in lieu of sinking swim better.

I would say using 30”-36” distance between the weight and hook works good for me, easy length to cast.

Watching the last St Lawrence River Bass tournament several top finishers were dragging a Slip Shot rig.

Tom

[Cbump]

100% of the time I throw c-rig, from 3’ to 30’, I use 20lb fc line, 1 oz barrel weight, and Carolina keepers. 1 knot. No beads or other crap.