I was watching Bass Pro the other day and was watching Horton C-Rigging. I noticed that his retrieve was by pulling the rod up over his head. I've always pulled to the side, which I thought keep the weight more on the bottom. Is this just a preference or does this give different action to the bait?

I didn't see the show but from your description, Horton was probably fishing that rig over/through flooded timber. Kinda hard to do that and keep your weight on bottom, too.

If i am working through grass I will work the rod tip high to get a better angle for the sinker to work through. When not in grass I drag with rod tip down.

In rocks or other sinker grabbing stuff holding the rod tip in the up position helps a c-rig get through the snags better as it is kind of an up and over the snag deal versus trying to pull the weight through the snag.

Most of the time I pull to the side with the tip down but I do like Jim Wolfe and will pull with the rod tip up if I am fishing it over timber (laydowns) because it is easier to get the weight over the cover.

I work it two different ways 9-12 like I am worm fishing, then I dragged it slowly along the bottom. I try to let the fish dictate what they want.

like too drag with rod tip up for obstructions and crank the handle very slow for slack and hop it for a little extra action works great for me and i fish it from 2ft to 20ft

On a rough snaggy bottom you have no choice sometimes to lift the weight up over or out of a snag. And depending on leader length and the type lure action desired there is nothing wrong with either using the sweep or raising rod tip type of retrieve. With C'rigs the important thing is to set the hook with a sweeping motion unless the weight is straight down under you. The sweeping hook set will move the hook farther and faster than a jerk straight up hook set. If you set the hook with a straight up action you are mainly moving the weight not the hook and the hook most likely will not penitraite good. When that happens the bass comes to the surface and just throws your bait back at you and swims off laughing. But for sure there will be times you just got to set the hook any way possible and may be more than once.

Limits4all hit the nail on the head. In my opinion. If you set the hook with a upward hook set it will take the bait out of the fishes mouth. Sweeping the hook set will 99% of the time get the fish in the boat.

Due to the angles, Horton could not have been 'picking' the weight up off the bottom until the line gets close to the boat. How you pull the rod, when you are casting a long distance has little to do with whether the wieght comes up or if it does it won't come up far.

I saw that one, I think he was working through grass.