carolina Rig looks promising

[Guest]

Got out today small fish were in the eddies. Walked and hit one big deeper pool. The current was pretty strong and so was the wind. Picked up one small fish,but missed a few hits. Changed over to a carolina rig with a 1/4 ounce cone sinker and a 3 1/2" tube and picked up three 14" fish. I like this rig a lot. I'm using 6lb cxx p-line you can cast it a mile. You know you're on the bottom and can feel any changes. When the fish hit they don't feel any weight. The cone sinker seems to come through the rocks better than the egg sinker.

I'm casting slightly upstream and using a down and across swing presentation. Also picked up some floating jig heads to insert inside a tube. This floating tube presentation might work when the fish are feeding upwards on minnows.

Philf

[ryne]

I love to fish Carolina Rigs. Everytime i go fishing its rigged up on my flipping stick. I mostly used it as a largemouth technique, but this year i had great luck in a small river using a carolina rigged Zoom baby brush hog. The only downside to it is when you break it off, its time consuming to rig back up. I use 20lb Power Pro as my main line an a 20lb berkley vanish fleurocarbon leader. Deadly presentation.

[Guest]

I started using a product called the carolina keeper. It's a plastic spacer that keeps your sinker from sliding down. It saves you from having to tie two knots. Bass Pro carries them. I also have some Bull Shot sinkers to try out. I did very well in winter fishing largemouth with the c-rig using a ring worm. The fish would really stack up in the deepest water.

Philf

[ryne]

my favorite largemouth plastic to use on the C-rig is a Zoom lizard, i catch em on it year round. Iv seen those plastic spacers youre talking about, ill have to put those on the list of things i need to get this winter.

[Norm M]

Phil,

 

The Lindy style walking sinkers have worked well on rocky areas up by me. I've also tied them on a dropper line off a barrel swivel and put that above the plastic stop. When I combine that with a plastic rigged on a floating jig it keeps the lure up from the cold water algae.

 

More experimenting to be done.

[Guest]

Norm

The walking sinkers were next on the list. I'll pick some up and give them a try.

Phil

[Norm M]

Phil,

 

I pretied some dropper rigs, barrel swivel on one end, snap on the other. Snap makes changing weights with the walking sinkers a breeze.

 

It's becoming apparent that having a 3 to 4 inch dropper and using a floating jig with the plastics is a good way to keep the lure out of the coldwater algae. Otherwise I just slide the sinker on like you're doing.

 

Plastics without a high salt content that don't sink as quickly might be better for this technique. I'm also going to mess around with the Lindy floating things and some cork beads[got some with propellers attached] from steelheading to add some lift.

 

I think I remember a cone shaped float that looked like a bullet sinker someone used to make, maybe it was Burke lures. If I find some, I wonder if rigging them with the wide end to the front of the rig, i.e. backwards, would help or if it would be too much ruckus or lateral movement for the more lethargic coldwater fish?

 

Wacky rig plastics as well ? Floating Rapalas ?

 

Let the fun begin.

[jim bielecki]

Has anyone tried the drop shot rig for Smallies?

 

I haven't but figured maybe someone has had luck with them.

 

I have ignored the carolina rig but it really is a good presentation for keeping on the bottom and having your presentation act more natural versus a jig combonation tied directly to your line.

 

I'll have to put this on my list of items to try this year!

[Norm M]

Jim

 

Get a package or two of the carolina stopper beads. You can make up a c-rig with the only knot being the one on the hook.