Carolina rig strike?

[airborne_angler]

It was really windy at the lake yesterday so I decided to try different things. One of them was a Carolina Rigged Yum Wooly Hawgtail. I had a leader that was as long as my armspread. Got to dragging it and suddenly without warning something came and about ripped the rod out of my hand in mid drag,on taught line. I certainly wasnt prepared and set the hook as a reflex,but I missed whatever it was. Is this a characteristic of a strike on a Carolina rig and is this what I need to be ready for when using this set up?

Later I was using a Black/red flake Tiki drop on a Carolina rig and got a strike . Ended up Hooking a large Bluegill right in the chest.

[K_Mac]

Most often the bite will be a tugging or feeling of heaviness, but other times they will take it and head for other parts.  

[DR_Bass]

K_MAC is right the bite varies from time to time, but most often it is wieght on the line or a small tap.  One thing to keep in mind though, when you get a bite point the rod to the fish, reel the slack line and set the hook that way....      Sometime the fish will swim toward you and the leader line has slack in it so you'll need to take up as much slack as possible.  A long rod (7' to 7 1/2') helps with the hook set.

[carySE406]

The bluegill may have went after the sinker, and when you set the hook, you probably shanked him in the chest.

[Curado]

For me it usually just feels heavy and sometimes I can fill some nibbles before it gets heavy.

[abelfisher]

I also find if I miss a strike, I just stop and let the bait re-settle. No need to reel it all in.  About 50%+ of the time, they come back and nail it.  I am  better prepared for it as well, adn the hookup is easier.  

Tap-Tap.... I love it!

[VaBass80]

Yeah probably the best way to describe the strike is a tap tap, feels totally different then when you sinker hits debris.

Theres other times tho you'll feel like your hung up but when you pull you can feel the weight of the fish.

[Ben]

Usually, when you get that kind of a hit, it's a big cat.  I've had numbers of them and have managed to react quick enough to release line several times and every time the fish I caught was a big catfish.  As mentioned, sometimes a bass will come back and pick it up if you just let it lay for a few minutes but  I've never had one come back and pick it up after they hammer it like that, another reason I think those bites are cats.

[Rattlinrogue]

For me the strike can feel several different ways as you guys have mentioned.The hit I feel most often is when I've reeled in the slack after dragging it.When I start to begin the next drag,the bass is on tugging away.I drop my rod tip,reel in the slack,and set the hook with a sideways  sweep of the rod.

[senko_77]

the bites ive had on the c-rig are always the normal "thump thump" but a little more dull

[northgabassfisher]

mine are all was a long tug.

Got to dragging it and suddenly without warning something came and about ripped the rod out of my hand in mid drag,on taught line

you probly hit some brush or rock or somethin

and I set the hook sideways like Rattlinrogue said.

[Tom Bass]

I think it was  probably a catfish. Most of my Carolina rigged hits have been when I was pausing the bait after dragging it to reel in the line and WHAM. Fish On! .....But, It's not always WHAM, sometimes it feels like some weight or a snag, but it's always when I am taking up the slack.

Flatheads and Blues will smack bait pretty hard. I have only caught one catfish on a lure and it was a Rapala shad minnow.