Carolina Rig Q's

GregD · Post by **GregD** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:59 pm

I don't have any experience with fishing a Carolina rig, but I'd like to learn so I have a question regarding the best rod and line...

I have two rods that I'd think would be best for this rig, the Dobyns 704C and 734C. The 704C is my jig rod which I'd rather always keep rigged for jigging. The 734C is my topwater rod, but a lot of times it doesn't get used for topwater when that bite isn't working. So I'm thinking the 734C would be the best alternative for throwing the Carolina.

The potential problem is the reel is rigged with 65 lb braid for topwater. Will that work for a CR, if I use a flouro leader after the swivel? Or will the fact that the braid will float cause a problem with working the bottom dragging presentation? I'd rather not have to purchase another reel to rig with more suitable line. Maybe I could just buy a spare spool? Has anyone ever done that?

The other two baitcasting rods I have are a jerk/crankbait (705CB) and a light swimbait rod (Okuma 7111MH), neither of which seem to be right for a Carolina Rig. My two spinning rods (703 SXF and 702SF) are probably too light for the heavy weight I'd be using?

Thanks for any help I can get...

BassManDan · Post by **BassManDan** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:23 pm

Use some other techniques!!

Personally (so take what you will out of this!) a C-Rig is for people who can't catch fish in any better way. Yeah there's the "just get a limit with it" argument, but really there are more efficient ways of catching the same fish. That could either be with deep diving crankbaits, texas rigged plastics or jigs.

Just from my experiences ,the carolina rig doesn't do what most people think it does, and that is having a high floating bait behind your weight rig. With the large sized hooks, most plastics aren't going to float, simply because most plastics are denser than water, so their gonna sink. Once that bait hits the bottom, its not going to rise back up unless you really sweep the rig off the bottom, and most people are just slowly retrieving the rig and just draging the bait behind the weight. Obviously you can get stuff like StrikeKing superplastics that float, but that's really it.

Alot of anglers attribute the "bass attracting" part of the rig is the weight/bead setup, and it sits on the bottom, 18-36" ahead of the bait. What good does that do you in stained or murky water? Also think about the sensitivity lost in that 18-36" of line that is behind the weight, theres alot of play for that fish to work with.

I certainly can't refute the success and timeless fish catching ability of the C-Rig, but I think there is [u]almost[/u] always a better technique to catch the targeted fish.

If you feel you MUST C-rig, a standard 7' MH, fast action rod should do the trick. That's gonna give you the long casts, a fast tip for better hookups and the regular amount of backbone most people want for bass.

Just my 2,

BassManDan

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:28 pm

Greg,

Where are you going to fish this to try? Berryessa, Delta, Calero, Anderson, Clear Lake, etc?

Probably the best to start with is Calero as it's an easy lake to learn. For starting out this time of year on Calero I would recommend using either rod as both are heavy enough and will work great. Start out using 15lb floro or copolymer for your main line. Something like Yo-zuri in clear or P-Line 100% Floro (not the coated stuff). For the leader use 10lb in either product with a 3/4oz or 1oz egg sinker. For the hook use a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and a full size brushhog or baby brushhog in junebug, green pumpkin, watermelon/red flake, watermelon/blk & purple flake or black/blue flake. My preference at Calero until end of March would be towards the junebug especially as we get closer to the beginning of Feb.

If you're fishing from the boat the best thing to do is to park the boat close to shore and cast out towards deeper water. Let the rig hit the bottom and drag the weight about 6" to 1' at a time. What you're looking for is transistion areas from mud to rock or mud to sand. Usually the best time to go out and try this is later in the afternoon after the water has a chance to warm up a bit. Just drag the bottom and focuson any sort of points or creek channels. Once you get into Feb and you see the cherry blossom trees around Mountain View start to bloom this is the ticket to catching some big females that start to hang around wood, etc on the C-rig. It's an effective way to load the boat and figure out the deeper structure that fish are holding on to.

If you're practicing on Berryessa since the water is much clearer I would focus more on smaller baits (baby brush hogs or 5"-6" lizards) and downsize the line a bit. Typically at Berryessa I would use a main line of 12lb test and a leader of 8lb test and focus on deep grass beds. Here I stay with more of the browns and greens with Greenpumpkin for LM and Watermelon Blk flake for smallies.

If you head to Fisherman's Warehouse in San Jose they can spool you up some of the Yo-Zuri in 15lb test so that you can try it out. They can also give you some additional tips as well.

Good luck and tight lines.

Cooch · Post by **Cooch** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:30 pm

Greg, there are really two variatios of C-riggin used out here. Most guys will chuck it out and drag it REAL slow and deep. The second way is my favorite and that's ta toss it shallow and chuck and wind. Ones a finesse variation, the other a reaction bait presentation. I think each requires a slightly different rig set up.

I don't ever do the deep draggin thing, it's what I got a jig for. But the chuck and wind, I'm very found of and have found many places here in Nor Cal to use this technique ever since learning of it's productiveness up at the Bassmasters on the Columbia River back in 1998. I think any of the Dobyns rods ya mentioned will work, certainly the Okuma would suffice too. Braid will suffice if that floats yer boat, but a Fluor leader beyond the weight and swivel is a must. Green pumkin Zoom 5" or 6" Lizard, no other bait required for this here!

My preference is a 7' MH, fast tapered tip rod teamed with 16# Flurocarbon line. With that 2-3 foot leader, ya can whoop a 1/2-3/4 oz egg sinker a long ways out there. It also gives ya good extension when keeping that rod out in front of ya as ya retrieve yer bait just fast enough ta keep it moving on the bottom. It also best suits me and the long sweeping hook sets I like to make with a C-rig.

GregD · Post by **GregD** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:29 pm

Everyone - Thanks for the great responses!

The first chance I'll get to try it out will be at Nacimiento in a couple of weeks. I've never fished that lake, but I'm assuming it's not much like the Delta or Clear Lake which are the two ponds I've had a little bit of experience with since I picked bass fishing back up recently. I'd expect it will be like the other lakes in this area, deep with steep banks, but with the water drawn way down?

I'll be in a boat a Naci, but I don't have one otherwise so if I try to make it out to Calero to practice a bit, is that lake fishable from the bank?

I'm not saying I HAVE to go with the C-rig, but I'm interested in trying it out. I've read a lot of good things about the technique and I'm trying out a lot of different methods lately in kind of an experimentation mode.

I'm pretty much stuck with the rods I have right now (spent too much $$ lately on fishing), so it looks like the 734C is my best bet. Like I said, that one is spooled up with braid right now to serve it's primary function of a topwater rod. I'd rather not re-spool it for a more optimum line (15lb flouro) just to try out this C-rig method. So I guess it will be OK to use the braid and a flouro leader just to try C-rigging if I'm not getting bit on the jig next time I'm out. I DO prefer to use a jig or grub when I'm bumping along slow in the deep now.

Thanks again!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:31 pm

Greg,

Naci is more like Anderson or Berryessa as it has deep canyon's and very little if any grass. You will most likely be fishing deep and I'd focus more on smaller profile baits. It's been my experience the fish are a bit more line shy there so I typically take a finesse approach as with Berryessa to the C-Rig there. If you get a chance run by Walton's Pond before you go for some last minute tips and baits if you go the C-Rig, drop shot or jig approach.

Good luck and tight lines.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:24 am

Greg,

Here's a good article that I found today when browsing some websites. This offers some good advice in the article as well.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bass ... RHeadlines

Enjoy.

Lance · Post by **Lance** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:33 am

Dont think your limited to just throwing Lizards and worms on a C rig. The only thing limiting you is yourself.

Use some other techniques!!
Personally a C-Rig is for people who can't catch fish in any better way

I dont agree with that statement, tell Peter T that, not to mention the domonate pattern at the Columbia River this year was the C-Rig. You werent going to catch the beter fish any other way.

Keep ALL options open, how else are you going to get a Crankbait down to 40 feet.

And thats my .02

P.S. If you dont pick up the C-Rig and DVL your going to have your butt handed to you by someone who DID pick it up. It is the domonate rig there.