 Sometimes
called the idiot rig, something so easy a child could
use it, the Carolina-rig is probably the most underrated
technique in today's bass fishing arsenal. True, the rig
is easy to use, but it becomes more complicated when you
expand on its capabilities. Not only is it one of the
most productive rigs I have used, it is also the most
versatile. I will show you the different rigs and when
to use them, different retrieves for both active and inactive
fish, and a variety of lures that work best in several
situations.
There are several different ways to rig a Carolina-rig
for different situations. For deep, rocky areas my favorite
rig consists of a 1/2 oz. - 1 oz. egg sinker, a glass
bead, swivel, and a 3-4 foot leader followed by the hook.
The reason I prefer the egg sinker is because of its round
fat shape it doesn't wedge in between the rocks as much
as a bullet sinker will. This will save many rigs from
being lost, and will save valuable time by not retying
all the time. I have also experimented with the walking
type sinkers normally used for drifting or trolling for
walleyes. The stand up design is virtually snag resistant,
but whenever possible I still prefer the egg singer. The
shorter leader I have found produces more strikes for
me, especially from smallmouth, which like to suspend
about 4 feet off the bottom. If I'm targeting largemouth
that are very active I will increase the leader to 6 or
7 feet. The lure tends to have more action with a longer
leader to entice strikes from these active largemouth.
In the early spring, when the bass start making their
transition from their winter homes to the flats to spawn
is perhaps the best time to utilize the Carolina-rig.
At this time of the year the fish are still relatively
deep, more than 12 feet, and are not fully active. A slow,
subtle presentation is in order to draw strikes. I like
to use a small, action-less lure at times like this. Good
choices are a 4" ring worm, a french fry, or a small
3" crawfish imitation. One lure that I have started
experimenting with this past fall with great success is
the Lunker City Spanky. This is a "wacky" style
5" worm, where both ends are thicker than the center.
When texas-rigged, the thick front of the bait prevents
it from hanging in rocks and brush, and the thick rear
of the bait gives it a slight action as it deflects of
the bottom structure. Try sticking with dark natural colors
at this time, black, brown, pumpkinseed are all good choices.
Also, my leader will tend to be short, 3' at most, to
keep the lure right on the bottom. My retrieve is also
slow, utilizing the rod make VERY slow drags, about a
foot at a time, and pause at the end of each drag to allow
the bait to sit motionless. While making the drags it's
a good idea is to hold the line in front of the real between
your thumb and index finger. This helps increase the sensitivity,
so you can feel the weight drag across every small piece
of structure on the lake floor. It also aids in detecting
subtle strikes. You must maintain contact with the bait,
taking up the slack after every drag, again to detect
strikes. As soon as a strike is detected, reel down until
you just start to feel the weight of the fish and then
set the hook using a sideways sweep utilizing your hips
to turn your whole body. Remember, this fish can be in
25 feet of water at times, and monofilament has a great
deal of stretch, so you must take up a lot of line in
order to get a firm hook-set. To ensure a solid hook-set,
I use a 7' medium heavy Lamiglas 4 power rod, which has
a limber enough tip to give you the sensitivity to feel
the weight bounce across the bottom. On the business end
of the rig, I always use a 3/0 or 4/0 Gamakatsu light
wire round bend worm hook. With the light wire, I do not
need as much force to drive the hook through the bass'
mouth. I feel that the straight shank and round bend also
increase my hook up ratio. Once you set the hook you'll
know you have a fish, this technique has produced numerous
smallmouths over 4 pounds for me, not too mention the
quality largemouths that have also succumbed to this.
After the fish have spawned, they become very inactive,
and not willing to bite for a week or so. All their energy
has been spent doing their yearly ritual, and they're
tired. They will usually retreat from the flats to the
first drop off. At this time of the year an even more
subtle presentation is needed, this is when I use what
I call a "finesse Carolina-rig". It consists
of an 1/8 oz or a 3/16 oz bullet sinker, in front of a
glass bead, and a short 18" leader. Try using small
baits such as a 3" tube jig, 3" grub, or a 3"
Lunker City Hellgramite. I have found the Hellgramite
to be quite effective, due to all the many tentacles that
just sway with the underwater currents. The retrieve for
this rig is very, very, slow, and requires a great deal
of patience. Targeting the 6-10 foot range, simply cast
out, and allow it to settle to the bottom. Keep the rod
up high at about the 10 o'clock position, and gently begin
shaking the bait. You should be able to feel the sinker
and glass bead collide with every shake, if your doing
it right. Do this until your rod is at the 12 o'clock
position, then reel up the slack and repeat. What this
does is create a constant noise while keeping the bait
in the same general area, to the point that a bass gets
so aggravated he has no choice but to strike.
By early summer when weed growth has begun, I probe the
deeper edges for largemouth. When fishing in the weeds
I modify the rig slightly. Instead of an egg sinker, I
switch to a bullet weight, which has a more aerodynamic
shape. This helps the rig come through the grass beds,
with minimal resistance and catches less weeds. The size
of the weight will vary, according to the thickness of
the grass, and the mood of the fish. If the grass is very
thick, with the fish in a neutral to active mode, usually
suspending at the top of the grass, I will use weights
in the range from 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz. In this situation
I want the rig to ride on top of the grass, not really
burying down into it. I will use about a 5 foot leader,
with a more active lure, something like a 5" lizard
or a 7" worm. My favorite colors are black, pumpkinseed,
and grape. With this situation a different retrieve is
also called for, just a simple steady medium retrieve
using just the reel to move the lure will entice some
vicious strikes from these fish.
Whatever season, whatever conditions or mood of the fish,
I always have a Carolina-rig tied on to one of my rods.
It is the best tool I have seen for really getting an
idea of what the bottom is like. It does even better than
my $800 depth finder in giving me a visual picture of
the structure below. With this rig you can dissect a piece
of structure, and learn where the drop's exact location
is, and what the bottom composition is like. Within a
few casts from different angles I can tell the exact shape
of the piece of structure and the sharpest drop-offs on
it. I may not use the rig to catch the fish relating to
the structure, but I will use it to familiarize myself
with each specific part of that structure. By doing this
I have found small brush piles, or areas that change from
fist size rocks to gravel, and little things like this
is what will hold concentrations of fish. Most anglers
will also over look it, so you can have it all to your
self.
The next time you're on the water, whether it be your
favorite lake, or somewhere new, give the Carolina-rig
a try. It will open your eyes to what is really below
the surface, and it will catch you some fish, I guarantee
it. The next time some tells you the Carolina-rig is an
idiot bait, tell them it is, because you're an idiot if
you don't give it a try. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. |
