C-rig and swallowed hook

[Matt Fly]

If you fished a carolina rig all day and caught 10-20 fish, how many swallowed the hook?

What kind of hooks are you using when this happens?  

What type of hook should we use that may prevent this?

First off, anybody can c-rig, my nine year old daughters favorite is for daddy to cast it out as far as I can.  She does the rest.  She has been catching bass this way since she was six.

Its not just her, its my buddies also, they always have dead fish or sick fish at the weigh in becuse of swallowed hooks.

I on the other hand, have not been using the c-rig the last 3 years. I have thrown one with great success in the past.   I feel I would double my catch rate if threw one, just don't like the gut hook.   I feel I have let a few paychecks slip because of my morals and passion for bassfishing.  

When we caught 30-40 c-rigged bass, 10 at a minimum swallow the hook.  Thats 25-33%.  Thats not saying they died.  

Anyway to improve these numbers?  

[roadwarrior]

Try using a circle hook, specifically a #6 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hook. When you feel a bite just reel, never set the hook. I had good results using these hooks with a 6 1/2 " lizard. You may think they are too small, but I think you will be surprised how well they work.

I haven't caught enough fish to have a good sample C-rigging this hook, but I haven't had a gut hook. I fish live shiners with this hook exclusively and estimate that 95% of the fish are hooked in the side of the jaw, the other 5% in the lip or roof of the mouth.

[Matt Fly]

RW,

Have tried some circle hooks, but went with what i thought was logic, bigger, not as easy to swallow. I learned my style from Shaw Grigsby, he used a sweeping motion of the rod across his body instead of a hook set. I will give this a try when a c-rig is called upon. Right now anything is working. We just had our first 40 degree low the last couple of nights. Maybe a low 50 at night before and not many. Fall is finally reaching north east Texas.

I fished a live bait striper rig since the 70's which is the same as a c-rig, like you, I never had problems with live bait being swallowed.  I wonder why live bait and plastics differ.  Something to ponder over.

TY.

[Will]

What kind of line are you using? For Carolina Rigging I would suggest using braided line since it is ultra sensitive and then a mono or fluorocarbon leader. Using monofilament you might be detect the bite late.

[Matt Fly]

Will, I have rigged rods with all types of lines.  Used most  brand of braids.   Do like power pro over all.   It depends on the lake I'm fishing that day as to which.  I use 20lb P-line main line and I might go as low as 10-12 pline leader or flourocarbon.  Depends on the lake.

[flechero]

Wow, that's a really high % swallowing!  I don't know the exact number but I can say with confidece that I'm no more than 5%.  A few things I do different than my buddies-

*shorter leaders

*heavier weights

*imx rods

*never hold slack more than a couple seconds even if I don't move it

*pay closer attention, I see lots of buddies cast then start doing something else.

Try some of the above before giving up on it.  Hope these might help.

[Matt Fly]

I never use less than 1/2 oz.  There are days when a 6' leader is the only way.  My rule of thumb, shorter leader to start at the begining of post spawn.  As summer progresses, the leader length increses.  Its not just me, just look at the fish being weighed in the summer, all you have to do is say C-rigging today? yep!!

As mentioned, I was fed up with seeing a lot of sick fish.  I didn't start C-rigging again until this year late.  i will say my % is better, I attribute that to the 3X floating baits.  After thinking about a c-rig is no different than a live bait rig, and the bait is off bottom like live bait.  I can't figure anything else out.  I have quality rods and reels.  

If ever there was a cheat rig, it would have to be a c-rig.  I can take anyone, if its c-rig time, and get them bit.

One bit of info, In Texas, our waters heat up in the summer, and deep fish get the bends easy, combination of how and where they are caught maybe.  Alot of summer water, I go 17-25ft or where the thermocline is set up at.

It rare that I gut hook a texas rigged fish.  Can't remember the last one.

[hookset]

for c rigging I usually use a 2/0 gammy wide gap will occasionally switch to a 1/0 when fishing finesse worms but I usually stick with the 2/0 ewg.  I have probably caught close to 100 fish this year on this rig with no gut hooks. A very sensitive rod and line also helps, and I always keep my index finger tight on the line so i will feel the bite before I sense it on my rod.