ARRRGGHHH Carolina Rig

[mdmaynard]

I went out fishing again last night.

I have been trying out the Carolina rig off and on since i read the thread on it a couple days ago. (nice thread by the way).

I am so frustrated because I had several good hits on it but I could not set the hook at all.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.

I read through the well written thread on C-rig and I feel I am following all the good input there but I just do not know why I cannot seem to catch the good hits I have gotten.

[Gatorbassman]

Any rig where the weight is several inches in front of the hook requires a sweeping hookset. A sweeping hookset is a low swing to the side. If you set it up over your head it will pull the hook out most of the time.

[mdmaynard]

Any rig where the weight is several inches in front of the hook requires a sweeping hookset. A sweeping hookset is a low swing to the side. If you set it up over your head it will pull the hook out most of the time.

Thanks for the info. This may sound stupid but I actually do not remember if I was swinging up or to the side. I will make a conscience effort to low sweeping hookset tonight when I go fishing again.

I appreciate the input.

[Hinkle2891]

also, when you rig the bait, bring the point of the hook out of the lure then skin hook it. this way, when the fish bites, it exposes the hook. it also probably wouldn't hurt to let her have it for a few more seconds.

[gatrboy53]

when you feel the bite reel down and let the rod tip load alittle then sweep it hard. you have to take up alot of line on a c-rig

[Sam]

Sweep for both Carolina rigs and treble hook baits.

And all of the info above is great.  Take all advice.  

[Big-O]

Also longer rods and stronger mainlines mean more sweep and less line stretch. Remember, you not only have to move the C rig weight before you can hit the fish but there are no guarantees that the fish is straight down line from the weight either...he could be forward of the weight which requires even more sweep and pressure to get proper hook penetration.

Big O

[mdmaynard]

Great Info, thanks for all the responses.

What a great group y'all have here.

[Primus]

I like to use florocarbon on the main line because mono is going to have more of a "bow" in it as opposed to florocarbon which sinks and has more direct angle to your sinker which allows for a better feel and a better hookset.

[K_Mac]

Another consideration is the size and type of hook you're using. I usually skin-hook either a 2/0 or 3/0 wide-gap hook on 6-8" lizzards. I have caught many fish using this technique. Good luck

[mdmaynard]

Another consideration is the size and type of hook you're using. I usually skin-hook either a 2/0 or 3/0 wide-gap hook on 6-8" lizzards. I have caught many fish using this technique. Good luck

Not sure i know what skin-hook is

[wagn]

i like to use braid as my main line to minimize the strectch

[MarVaBC]

I may be wrong, but I think he means "texposed" - normal texas rig, then bury just the hook  point a hair under the plastic to weedless-ize it.

[K_Mac]

Another consideration is the size and type of hook you're using. I usually skin-hook either a 2/0 or 3/0 wide-gap hook on 6-8" lizzards. I have caught many fish using this technique. Good luck

Not sure i know what skin-hook is

It was mentioned earlier in the thread. Instead of burying the point of the hook in the plastic, bring it through the bait and place the point just below the surface of the plastic. If someone with greater computer skills can post a picture it would be more effective than my explanation. Good Luck.

[K_Mac]

I may be wrong, but I think he means "texposed" - normal texas rig, then bury just the hook point a hair under the plastic to weedless-ize it.

Yup!

[Grey Wolf]

i like to use braid as my main line to minimize the strectch

x2

[vtbassin]

Sometimes they have the weight in their mouth and you are never going to get a hook in them :'( If that happens a couple of times in a row try dragging a jig.

[Brad_Coovert]

Your talking about one of my favorite ways to catch bass.  There is a Crig in my boat all the time and it has saved my tail in tournaments many times.

The first thing I will suggest is that you should get a 7'6" rod.  I know there are tons of guys here that use 7' rods and do quite well and I USED to be one of them, but when I switched to a 7'6" rod my Crigging really improved.  Casting was easier and I got way better hooksets.  The Esox rod I use is built on a 1 piece flipping blank that is rated as a Medium, but it is more like a MH/H rod in any other rod maker's lineup.   There are lots of quality rod makers that make a 7'6" rod.  If you're not sure you would like a longer rod, see if you haev a buddy that has a 7'6" flipping rod that you can borrow and try for Crigging.

The next thing I would suggest is the use of an EWG style hook.  I mostly use Gammy 3/0 or 4/0 EWG hooks on all my baits.  I will Texpose the bait, in other words, rin the hook through the nose of the bait as you would for a normal Texas rig, but instead of burying the point back in the bait, push the hook point straight through the bait so that the hook point lays along the back of the bait.  Then, tuck the point under the plastic.  A large amount of the fish I catch on a Crig hook themselves.  My hookset just finishes burying the point.  I seldom mish or lose a fish.

As for line, I like a copolymer mono for main and leader in rocks.  No braid in rocks for me.  I've had too many rocks cut braid like it was butter.  In wood or weeds though, braid is good line.

The weight.  I seldom go lower than 3/4 oz. unless I am in weeds that are too thick, then I go to 1/2, 3/8 or even 1/4.  I want good feel, good castability in the wind and a weight heavy enough to handle large plastics like Brush Hogs and 12" worms.  The 3/4 oz. works best for me in most situations.

The hookset...

Normally, you have a lot of line out when Crigging and you have to move all the line on the hookset.  With a Trig or jig, you can have some slack in your line on the hookset, but with a Crig, that slack can cost you if you have a lot of line out.  The longer 7'6" rod helps with this, but a good no stretch line will help too.  The skin hooked bait helps as well.  When that fish grabs that bait and swims off, the hook point will break out and start to stick the fish.  Your hookset finishes the job.

Lastly, you need patience to get the Crig down.  It took me over a year to to really get good with it.  It has taken years to "master" it...even if that is possible.  Keep up with it and you will get the hang of it and you will catch fish.

Brad

[George Welcome]

Texposed is threading the point through the worm so that it lays along the back of the fish:

Skin hooked - push the worm slightly towards the eye, insert point into worm and let worm return. Only the very end of the point is buried.

A: sweep is correct, but speed is the best hookset : either to the side or swept up, but putting a snap into that sweep will get you the fish.

Remember, a good hookset is a function of speed, not power.

[mdmaynard]

GREAT ADVICE!!!!

I went to New Mannford ramp off Lake Keystone here in oklahoma and tried the C-rig again with a 6" pumpkin Zoom trick room. I tried the skin hook

I felt a little hit thought it was weight dragging rocks and then all of a sudden the line took off left, the dang thing set the hook himself.

weight on an analog scale 4 1/2 pounds.

Here is pic