Question for carolina riggers

[LVT Bassin]

I have tried carolina rigging once with a guide last spring and caught a nice 3 pounder. The guide was nice enough to let me keep his ticker, glass bead and brass weight.

This year, I plan to learn more and do a lot of carolina rigging and I want to buy the right set up related to the ticker, beads and weights. I do not want to use the ready made or pre-rigged ones.

What set up do you guys suggest since there are many different kinds? Is a ticker necessary? Beads alone can protect the knot without the ticker? Or the ticker provides more noise?

Glass or plastic beads? Bead color in red or black? What about Tru-Tungsten Force Beads? Some setups include 2 or 3 beads???

Brass or tungsten weights?

Thanks for your help!

[burleytog]

TruTungsten 1/2 or 5/8 oz. weight, TruTungsten Force Bead, Spro Power Swivel.

[Gatorbassman]

I love a C-Rig. There are many ways to rig it and it's all a matter of preference. I've been using a Carolina Keeper for years and love them but this year I'm going to try something new. Fivebasslimit turned me on to using braid as a main line and then Fluoro as a leader. I haven't changed over yet but I will this week. As for my weight and bead. I use a Tru-Tungsten force bead and a 1/2oz Tru-Tungsten Finesse Carolina sinker. Why TT didn't market this sinker very hard is beyond me it probably the best sinker I've found for C-rigging. I wouldn't start out using that expensive rig though if I was starting off I'd rig it with a glass bead and a lead bullet sinker.

[LVT Bassin]

I just spooled my reel using 50# Power-Pro braid. I will be experimenting with my leftover Berkley 100% Fluro 8# and 14# lines for the leader.

All my weights are Tru Tungsten so I might as well stay with them. I can see that the Peter T Finesse Carolina sinker is hard to find online. Any suggestions where to get them?

Thanks for your help guys!

[bigmountaineer]

I've also switched over to use fluro as a leader. Seems to work well with the braid as the backbone...

[burleytog]

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I can see that the Peter T Finesse Carolina sinker is hard to find online. Any suggestions where to get them?

 

http://www.***.com/descpageTRUTERM-TTCW.html

[shadyhaven]

are the pre rigged setups no good? seems like the same thing just done already. am i wrong? strike king makes one that i just bought to try. just wondering what the difference is. i too am looking to try c-riggin' this year.

[Banor]

Unless someone has some advice I'm missing I would think the pre-rigged vs. non pre-rigged is just a matter of preference.  If you use your own seperate components I guess you can mix and match the type of materials you want.  For example, brass vs lead vs tungsten and glass or plastic beads, etc. etc.

B

[Izzy3374]

Anything works.  Just make sure your leader is long enough.  The amount of weight depends on current movement as well as depth.  But brand does not.  Any bullet weight will do just fine.  And the beads and ticker  should not matter either.  Just make sure the swivel your using has at least the same lb. rating as the line you are using.. I like 10 to 20 lbs more than the line.

[hawgchaser]

Honestly, it doesnt matter. A true tungstun setup won't catch you a single extra fish. Go grab some lead weights, glass beads and you will be good to go.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

The difference with those goofy pre rigged wire thingys is that the fish has to pick up the whole thing and carry it off before you ever feel a tick.In other words, if it is done the right way the line slides through the weight thus allowing you to feel whats on the hook.

They also snag worse.

Also how hard is it to slide a sinker and bead or two on the line first.Either way you still have to tie 3 knots to complete the rig.

[burleytog]

For those naysaying tungsten, until you've fished a tungsten weight on the bottom, you might as well be using kite string and a wheel weight.

For carolina rigging, a tungsten weight makes all the difference in the world.  And if you're using tungsten, don't use glass beads unless you like losing weights.

One other thing, if you fish rocky bottoms, don't use braid.  I tried braid one time last year.  After I lost $15 worth of Tru Tungsten, the braid was trashed.  Braid may be strong and sensitive, but it is about as resistant to abrasion as an overcooked spaghetti noodle.

FWIW, here's the way I set up my terminal for carolina rigging.

Owner offset shank wide gap hook

24"-36" 12 lb. flourocarbon leader

Spro Power Swivel #4 or #6

Tru-Tungsten Force Bead 8mm

Tru-Tungsten Flippin' Weight 3/8 oz. - 3/4 oz.

OR

Tru-Tungsten Carolina Weight

I've fished everything from lead to brass to tungsten on a carolina rig and the tungsten weight offers a tremendous edge over any other option.  The sensitivity offered by tungsten allows one to learn so much more about the area they are fishing.

Don't take my word for it.  Spend $5 on a couple of Tru-Tungsten weights and fish them yourself.  

[swilly78]

Ive always used lead weights, but I think ill be tryin out the Tungsten this year based on the responces to this thread.  I also use braid with a flouro leader, started using the flouro last year and felt it made a BIG difference in the waters i fish.  Out of curiousity, Why does the tungsten wieght work better, does the greater weight to mass ratio make it more sensitve? Or is is due to less friction on the line?

[burleytog]

Tungsten is almost twice as dense as lead.

[Micro]

  Quote

are the pre rigged setups no good? seems like the same thing just done already. am i wrong? strike king makes one that i just bought to try. just wondering what the difference is. i too am looking to try c-riggin' this year.

The SK rigs with the brass sinkers are fine.  I've tied my own in the past but the pre-rigged SKs are way more convenient and work just as well.  They don't hang up any worse than rigs you've tied.  And as far as a bass having to pick them up and swim off with them to feel anything - that's not my experience.    There is no loss in sensitivity.

I like to tie on a SK rig.  But what I will do even before I leave my house is tie a few leaders.  I'll tie a few leaders to swivels, then use various hooks for various worms.  Then I'll have a few with me and won't have to tie them on the boat.  You can just clip your swivel to the SK rig.  It's easy and it works very well.  

[soccplayer07]

Burley,

is there a reason you recomend the 8mm over the 6mm beads? i just ordered the 6 yesterday...hoping that will suffice.

[Banor]

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The difference with those goofy pre rigged wire thingys is that the fish has to pick up the whole thing and carry it off before you ever feel a tick.In other words, if it is done the right way the line slides through the weight thus allowing you to feel whats on the hook.

Could you expand on this line of thought? I'm missing something I think. I dont understand how the sliding weight enhances the feel of the bite.

Burley,

I'm with you man. Once you use Tungsten you'll wonder how you ever survived without it. I used to use braid also. I dont anymore for that reason. I do miss the advantages of braid when carolina rigging though.

B

[wagn]

I use the pre-rigged setup sometimes. I notice no difference between the pre-rigged or making it myself.

Like many things in fishing it is more a matter of confidence then anything else.

[J Francho]

The pre rigged versions are for us with zebe infested waters.  Otherwise, a plain old C-rig will get chewed up, and all my precious tungsten will be at the bottom of the lake.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

  Quote

  Quote

The difference with those goofy pre rigged wire thingys is that the fish has to pick up the whole thing and carry it off before you ever feel a tick.In other words, if it is done the right way the line slides through the weight thus allowing you to feel whats on the hook.

Could you expand on this line of thought? I'm missing something I think. I dont understand how the sliding weight enhances the feel of the bite.

 Explain this line of thought? I thought I did.First and foremost not saying that it won't catch fish.Been there done that plenty of times and that is how I first started c-rigging.

 I don't know how to elaborate on it any more than I did.Either you understand DIRECT CONTACT WITH YOUR BAIT or you don't.

 Take the pre rig attached to your line and lay it on the table.Then pull on the hook.The whole rig moves.Now rig it up with a sliding weight and pull on the hook end.What happens? Your rod bends.

 I like to utilize every component of my tackle and setup for maximum effectiveness.Some people don't care, some do.However you want to fish, thats all.

  Someone asked I answered.

[Banor]

I'm not really trying to start an argument, I'm just having trouble with the math/physics, whatever it is.  The distance between the hook and your rod is the same.  There is no break in contact.  Both are direct contact.  I get the same tension pulling on the pre-rig and the slider weight.

I'm all about feeling more bites and catching more fish.  So that's why I'm asking for a little more explanation.  If there's something I'm missing beyond that I'm open to whichever is going to get me more fish.

B

[SudoomFisher]

By using the pre rigged version, the fish has to lift the entire weight off the ground and you won't feel anything until the fish moves the weight.

Using the regular setup the fish only has to lift the bait before you will feel anything because the line slides through the weight.

If the fish only lightly bites the bait without moving the weight, I don't think you will have any idea whats going on with the bait.

I think..

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Exactly. Just like fishing with live bait or bottom fishing for cats or carp.If they feel that weight they will drop it.If a bass wacks the bait then no it doesn't matter.

I know you weren't starting an argument.I am feeling cranky from getting up too early today

As far as the pre rig getting snagged more.Yes and no. Around here in the phosphate pits and many of the retention ponds is nothing but shell rock ledges and drop offs.Try climbing a rig up a jagged shell rock ledge once with the pre rigs and you would notice it digs into any little nook and cranny and gets snagged way more often.

[J Francho]

Why does everybody always assume that the bass swims away from the angler after picking up the bait?