What is y'alls favorite way to fish the c-rig?

[Hinkle2891]

ive heard of slow reeling, moving the rod, alot of things. what do you guys prefer? im going fishing for a week august 5th and i want to try it.

[Tom Bass]

Hinkle,

I like to cast out and let it drop and rest, then I bring it in with the pole a couple or three feet, let it rest, reel in the excess line and repeat. I will also change the direction of the retrieve by moving my pole from one side to the other. The speed depends on the action of the bait I'm casting.

I'm no bass fishing champ but I do catch 'em on the C-rig when they're hittin'.

Good luck and have fun.

Hey,

Where are you goin' fishin'? Maybe someone from that area might have some advice for you.

[Hinkle2891]

lakes in florence, OR. tahkenitch and munsel primarily. munsel is also cool.

[Rattlinrogue]

I cast ,pause,drag the weight 6" to a foot  or so,reel in the slack and repeat.Sometimes I do this very slowly and sometimes I speed it up a bit depending on what the conditions are.I've even cast and reeled it in with no pause at times and caught fish this way.I pull the rod sideways instead of like a T-rig retreive.My favorite baits are lizards,french fries,finese worms,semko type baits,and Baby Brush Hogs.

[cpvenom]

I do a lot of things, but my most used method is simply dragging the lure a few inches at a time. Sometimes i simply stitch the bait in by hand when the bass are sluggish. I even deadstick when using superplastics. Since they float they are deadly when left alone in the water column, especially in current.

[Hinkle2891]

what's a brush hog and a finesse worm? sorry, i'm REALLY new to the world of plastics. i use crankbaits alot. and also, where can i get a pack of brush hogs and finesse worms?

[Zebco202]

what's a brush hog and a finesse worm? sorry, i'm REALLY new to the world of plastics. i use crankbaits alot. and also, where can i get a pack of brush hogs and finesse worms?

Brush Hogs are made my Zoom and can usually be found in most any tackle shop or even Wal-Mart.

Finesse Worms are made by several companies, including Zoom.  You can also try the Renegade Finesse Worms (4") at Wal-Mart.

Your best bet is going to be visting your local tackle shop and spend some time with the soft plastic display.

Best of luck!

[Hinkle2891]

well, then, i have some finesse worms. ive bought some when i was first thinking about plastics. we got this huge box from someone with a lot of plastics, it had craws, lizards, frogs, fish swimbait, and worms. some of the worms had a short body with 4 very limp trailing things. im thinking of putting that on a spinnerbait. i dont know. im going bass fishing for 8 days starting august 4th, so i have a lot to try.

[ejtaylor822]

No bass champ nor expert here.  But, have had good success with alternating between slow reeling along the bottom and lifting the pole to give a little vertical motion.  Will also move the pole in various directions from right to left to center. (Do the same for non-C-rig as well).

Good luck.

Eddie

[jb_adams]

Here's a good question to add to the on-going C-rig threads (some of which I started... ).

I've heard this many times but never got the reasons for changing, "I use a slow retrieve unless conditions cause me to change my retrieve"....

WHAT CONDITIONS??!!!! :-? You guys never give us the rest of the story! I'm dying to know what conditions would change the retrieve speed. Is the the obvious, weather, how well the fish are biting, time of year, etc.? If it's the weather, exapand on it. Just answering "weather conditions have a lot to do with it". OK then, what weather conditions? Some of us new guys are still learning the weather patterning techniques and this thread would make a good addition to the "C-rig archives.

Just a suggestion here but, shouldn't there be a direct link to previous C-rig threads or a FAQ on the C-rig in the fishing tackle forum?? Just a thought. I'm still learning the benefits of the C-rig myself and I love to follow up on new threads about it.

Tight lines guys!

[BassKing813]

I use the drag and pause method. I just pull my rod to the side, stop, reel in the slack, and then repeat.

[George Welcome]

One of the laws of physics is: for every action there is a reaction.

A c-rig is comprised of a weight, a swivel or stopper, x-length of leader, and your hook.

As you move the weight, (it is the weight that you are moving), it will encounter resistance. When it releases from that resistance, (the action), there has to be a reaction. Since the weight is tied directly to your bait, and since your bait is following the path of least resistance, the energy from the action is transferred to the bait. This energy is released by your bait moving in some direction. Since the weight, (due to its weight), is anchored, the bait can potentially move whatever the length of the leader is. In other words, the bait is going to operate within the parabola that is formed by the rig.

If you can envision this you will understand that with a two foot leader you are potentially fishing a four foot swath. The more times your weight encounters resistance the more active the bait is going to be. Understanding this should lead you to understand that your best play is a relatively slow movement of the bait that is almost continuous.

There is a key to this movement. In order to not counteract what is going on, the rod is the better tool to move the bait. If you use the rod, some of the energy will be transferred to the rod from the weights encounter with resistance. The rod will react and produce energy that will be tranferred in the other direction back to the bait causing even more activity with the bait. If you use your reel to move the bait, this second tranferrance of energy cannot occur as the reel has no give and can only absorb the energy.

It's all a bit scientific, but when you are fishing with a c-rig you have science in action in your hands.

To move the weight, simply move the rod either to your right or left. Considering the weights location as 12:00, move the rod to either the 2:00, or 10:00. Move the rod back to the 12:00 while picking up the slack, (it's important here to pick up the slack as you move the rod), and repeat. You should at all times maintain contact with the weight - during the drag, and during the return to 12:00. By using a lesser drag you will be able to set the hook on any pickup without moving the rod back. In other words, you will be able to set the hook by continuing in the direction of the drag. If you use a long drag then you will need to reel down, as you will have no room left to set the hook. Slooooow is another important point as you don't want to override reaction with your pull.

It is because of the physics of this rig, that the c-rig is such a fantastic tool. You cover more water, giving you more exposure to a bite.

This is the nuts and bolts of an article written by me some time ago.

[Craw]

George, that is one great description of c-rigging. You really blew a door open in my mind. Awesome attention to details!    THANKS

[nboucher]

I agree. Thanks, George. I've never used a c-rig, but your explanation makes me want to try it asap.

[5bass]

Good post George,lots of good info there fellas.

When I'm dragging a rig,if I'm using something that floats high off the bottom,I will move it further with each pull because when you move the weight it pulls the bait down,then when you stop the weight,your floating bait rises from the bottom again......but you have to pause long enough for your bait to fully float back up.

If I'm using something that doesnt float so well on its own,I drag it with shorter pulls making sure to always make contact with the bottom as to leave the mud trail.Bass get curious when they see a mud trail coming off the bottom.If I'm looking to fish faster with the rig,I'll throw something that hugs the bottom and also use a heavier weight,helping with the mud trail.

[jb_adams]

Very detailed description George! ;D

I still don't know when to fish fast or slow or what "various conditions" are for the C-rig.  I like the mud trail analogy that fivebasslimit posted.  I totally agree with his post.  Are there any other conditions that could be used when fishing a c-rig?  What about time of day?  A C-rig could work for all conditions night or day right?

[mudcatwilly]

Drag and pause.  Select your sinker based on the bottom charactersitics and depth.  For rocky or sandy soil, I like the egg sinker because it is less prone to getting wedged between the rocks.  For timber and weeds, I like the bullet sinker bacause it pulls through the slop easier.  I like to main line a 12 to 15 pound flourocarbon and add a three foot long mono leader in about 12 pound test.  The mono doesn't sink as fast, giving more wiggle to the bait.  Lizards and roboworms and trickworms work great for this.  Try the "Hardnose Lizard" for this.  It stays on the hook better than the old soft headed lizard.  I'll use anything from 1/4 oz to 1 oz sinkers, depending on depth.

[George Welcome]

JB,

You are looking for a definitive answer when there is in fact none to give. The c-rig is an excellent bait to try as long as bottom conditions allow its use. There will be times that the weed is too dense, the wood is too thick, or the rocks too many to use this rig, but in all other situations it's a good rig to try. The weather, cloud coverage, temperatures, and time of year play no part in what you call conditions to use this bait.....

One of the hardest things to accept is that this is a critter that lives by no rules whatsoever. Give this a try when you are of a mind to, and you just might find that the bass are of the same mind.

There is almost always one situation and location that this is a go to bait: moving water!

[jb_adams]

JB,

You are looking for a definitive answer when there is in fact none to give. The c-rig is an excellent bait to try as long as bottom conditions allow its use. There will be times that the weed is too dense, the wood is too thick, or the rocks too many to use this rig, but in all other situations it's a good rig to try. The weather, cloud coverage, temperatures, and time of year play no part in what you call conditions to use this bait.....

One of the hardest things to accept is that this is a critter that lives by no rules whatsoever. Give this a try when you are of a mind to, and you just might find that the bass are of the same mind.

There is almost always one situation and location that this is a go to bait: moving water!

Thanks for the input George.  I guess as a beginner I still get frustrated when I read answers that says things like, "I like using X bait in X situation but it depends on various conditions.  WHAT CONDITIONS!??? :'(  It's a lot easier to learn when presented all the information.

As far as when and where to use a C-rig, I hear that it's just about always productive in open water where the weeds are not too thick.

Thanks again George!