Proven methods that you just forget about

[The Baron]

I pretty much sat bolt upright in bed at 4am today, realizing I never once fished a Carolina rig last year. lol.  I’ve only fished a Carolina rig a couple times with little success, but got thinking I have a few spots where it could work very well.

 

That ended with me watching “best Carolina rig baits” over my morning coffee.  One video concluded a heavily salt impregnated fluke was a great bait to use, which I’d never thought of.   So I might try those.

 

The lakes I’m thinking of have both smallmouth and largemouth.  Knowing that, what would be the bait you reach for drag on a CR?

 

And while we’re on the topic… what proven fish catching methods do you rarely fish and even almost forget about?

[JediAmoeba]

I love a big 10-12" worm. Produces some really good fish. 

[gim]

Drop shot. I’m done with it. Rather watch paint dry.

[LrgmouthShad]

19 minutes ago, The Baron said:

I pretty much sat bolt upright in bed

[DaubsNU1]

@The Barongreat timing, I was thinking about the C-rig the other day!

 

There are quite a few techniques I have not used lately:  Rattle-Trap, C-Rig, Floaty-worm, Slug-Go, deep cranks, craw, french-fry.

 

I'm sure the list will grow...need to dig back through my 30+ years of fishing logs to see what I'm forgetting(!)

[FishTank]

I have say the Carolina Rig as well. There are too many other techniques that I can fish.

 

A close second might be a tube. There are too many places to get hung up with it at my lakes. I've tried the stupid tube but I would rather fish a Fat Ika. 

[12poundbass]

C-Rig and Ned rig

[GreenPig]

I purposely forgot th C - Rig. I'd rather take another beating from Glenn than fish it.

[Bird]

Ned rig ! 

They catch fish but when the guy in the back of the boat is a diehard power fisherman, he's made 10 casts while Ned is bobbing around.

Never threw one in 2023 and yet this year.

[LrgmouthShad]

I haven’t fished a “floating worm” setup in a long time. It’s difficult to find a reason to throw it.

[king fisher]

The first time I caught a bass on a C rig was two years ago.  Now I fish one every time I go bass fishing.  I really don't understand why people don't like it.

 

I can cast it a mile, I don't have to wait all day for my bait to get to the bottom, I can easily feel every rock, or log on the bottom, I can fish it in strong wind while maintaining good bottom contact, quickly fish over places that don't feel right, but slow down when I feel the weight hit something interesting, I can easily detect bites, and almost never miss a hookset.  I have never been a big fan of fishing soft plastics, but the way I fish a C rig it is more like fishing a crankbait than a typical soft plastic technique.

 

I rig it old school, 3/4 to 1 oz barrel sinker a couple beads, 2 to 4 foot leader, Zoom Ole monster worm.

 

Any point shelf, or hump I catch a bass on a crankbait, I well follow up with the C rig.  I almost always catch a few more bass off of the spot, once the crankbait bite stops.  I hate to admit it, but if I'm going to be completely honest, I Have on occasion, fished a point with the C rig first, and never even tried a crankbait.  I probably shouldn't have admitted to those brief moments of temporary insanity on the internet, but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.  

[KP Duty]

Put a Zoom french fry on that c-rig and you'll start catching them.  4" lizard is almost a guarantee as well.  

[bowhunter63]

Zoom brush craw is a great bait 

[Mike L]

Drop, Ned, Wacky and Shakey
 

Never think about throwing them…Ever

There’s always a better choice. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Mobasser]

Crankbaits. They're proven to work well at times. I've left them alone for quite a while. Too much weed growth where I'm fishing now.

[Mike L]

11 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Crankbaits. They're proven to work well at times. I've left them alone for quite a while. Too much weed growth where I'm fishing now.

Yep

That too…Same reason 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Bankc]

Jitterbugs, toads, and frogs.  I have nothing against them.  It's just rare to find an opportunity to use them, and when I do, I usually forget about them.  It's just too windy here most of the time.  

[NorthernBasser]

In all my years of fishing, I have never tied on a Carolina Rig. And I don't see that changing. Ever. 

 

One technique I've used maybe once, ever, is the Neko Rig. No reason, really. It's just something I kind of forget about. 

18 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I haven’t fished a “floating worm” setup in a long time. It’s difficult to find a reason to throw it.

 

I looove fishing a weightless floating worm in the spring. Zoom Trick Worm in Methiolate is extremely productive for me up super shallow, 

[Munkin]

Since I quit fishing in a bass club the places I normally fish have changed. I use to drive 1.5 to 2 hours to fish lakes in the area until the last two years I concentrated on the Upper Potomac River. Fishing a shallow rocky river for SM means some techniques just don't apply. When fishing 10 FOW or less a carolina rig, deep crankbait, drop shot are a waste of time.

 

Allen

[The Baron]

14 hours ago, Mobasser said:

Crankbaits. They're proven to work well at times. I've left them alone for quite a while. Too much weed growth where I'm fishing now.

Actually, me too.  I’ve had some fun banging a squarebill off wood and rocks, but everytime I think I’m gonna throw a crankbait, it turns into digging weeds and I don’t do it for long.

[scaleface]

I havent fished a jig much the past few years. The places I've been fishing , Texas rigs have been so effective that I   get tunnel vision and forget all about the jig.

[papajoe222]

On 3/21/2024 at 5:15 PM, The Baron said:

The lakes I’m thinking of have both smallmouth and largemouth.  Knowing that, what would be the bait you reach for drag on a CR?

 

I'd go with a tube which is my second favorite for CR. You could also downsize the worm to a 4-6in. I normally will switch to a split shot rig for those, but they work well on the Carolina Rig also.

I still haven't gotten a bladed jig wet, but that will change this season. They were hot the last season, and I gotta find out one way or another if they live up to the hype.

[Bankbeater]

Tubes.  I have some in my tackle bag, but I always seem the grab the creatures or craws.

[webertime]

Carolina Rigs are remarkably versatile if you get to thinking about them.

 

It's  windy (doesn't have to be).  You know there are spawners in front of you be you can't  see them due to the ripples or the water is churned up a bit.  Tie a 5-6' leader on and start casting.  First thing you'll feel the bed when you get on it, duh obvious...  the male will defend the nest 99% of the time.  Slowly pop the weight off the bed and the male will follow.  After 5-6 ft along comes the Craw or whatever bait.  Leave that on the bed and whamo angry momma eats it because baby daddy is chasing a chunk of lead.  

 

I've done things like this all over the northeast with clear water and big line with lots of hardware made no difference.  

 

Use a floating bait and it's the opposite of a free rig.  Pull the rig and the bait goes down.  Stop it and it'll float up (floating ribbits work very well).

 

Flat sunfish type baits (gill flat) glide left and right when worked in pops.  Not the same linear presentation as usual.

 

Yeah at first thought it's super boring but once you get thinking about them and experimenting they're amazing.

 

 

Now ned rigs...  barf.

[greentrout]

Heddon Moss Boss