Carolina Rigs offer options that will make you a better fisherman year-round. As in previous years we’re entering a transition time during which bass are staging a lot and getting a consistent bite seems very difficult to get. It’s time like this when the Carolina rig comes into play. This rig is much more versatile than most people imagine; you just have to be creative as to how you set it up and when you fish it. Old timers, including me, were introduced to the Carolina rig as a way to drag a bait along the bottom, about two feet behind a heavy weight. A swivel prevented the weight from sliding down to the hook. A glass or plastic bead was inserted in-between them to cushion the knot. We used to throw two of them out and, with the trolling motor drifting us slowly along, drag them along, one on each arm. Back then we called it “fishing a ball and chain.” It worked a lot better than it sounds. Many times this technique proved successful, catching fish by working back and forth from one side of a creek bed to the other. It worked…why would we want to try anything else? Today Carolina Rig options are as varied as they are numerous! We first made the rig more versatile by changing the bait we were dragging. For many years it was commonplace to rig it with a Do-Nothing worm. It had 3 hooks, the bait was very short, and any novice could catch fish with it, as it hooked a fish without a hook set. We then changed our weight from the heavy 1-oz. hunk of lead to a range of other weights—some lighter, some of different materials—that let us more effectively exploit different depths and different situations. Brass clacker rings were added between the weight and glass bead that cushioned the knot. By slightly changing the leader length and switching the weight, you can effectively address many different situations. Fish it deep or shallow around grass, rock and stumps. Changing the bait gives you even more options. You can fish floating baits off the bottom, fish long worms that give more action, or creature baits with appendages that flutter and flap as the bait moves. Line selection further expands your options. Braids increase sensitivity, especially with a lot of line out, and hold the bait a little higher in the water. Fluorocarbon lines sink better than monofilament, which modifies the presentation. The point is, use your imagination and a Carolina Rig can catch you fish in about any situation! Captain Mike Gerry Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice Email: [email protected] Phone: 256 759 2270
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 17:08:28 +0000
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