I am completely new to Carolina rig fishing but want to try it out this winter as i have read it can be a good change up of lure when a crankbait isnt getting the bite.

I read an article on wired2fish where they talked about line for c-rigs. I will be using mono for the leader but dont know which to use for mainline. The article said that when using a 4-5ft leader the fish are not going to see the braided line so it can be used. But what about when the fish are right on the bottom and you want to use a shorter leader? Does the visibility of a braided main line make tha much difference when using a 2ft leader. The lakes i fish are somewhat stained water so im thinking the braided main line wont matter whether im using a 2ft or 4-5ft mono leader. What is your thought?

braid works well on crigs,it will cast further due to more line on your spool,and more sensitive,no stech hook sets at distance ,only down side i have found is when the wind is blowing stong and you tighten the line up it will vibrate,i believe the braid transmits the unnatural vibration to your bait...would recomend flor-braid it sinks,i use it in the 30lb weight(very thin diamiter).i have floro on my other c rigs ,i always go to my braid pole.i like a mono leader since it floats the lure better(floro clear,mono coated with floro)14 to 17lb,depending on water clarity.never use a shiny sinker(i like dark tungstun,1/2 to 1 1/4 ounce,depending on deapth and cover)

Braid..

fluoro. Most braids float, keeping an arch in your line making it more difficult to pick up the slack, detect bites and set the hook.

Yea but wouldn't the heavy weight keep your line tight? I'm no expert and just looking to perfect my C-rig. I recall discussing this with a guide and with his experience said that for some reason the fish won't bite. I'd like to see more feedback. It makes sense to me but after that discussion I switched back from Braid.

I use braid on a rare occasion for c rig but I just am not sure its neccessary unless in a place with lots of timber and big fish.

Braid to flouro.

i have used alot but have found that i actually like flouro to mono
20lb flouro main to 12 to 15 berkley big game!!! knots are also important the main line tie i use a double san diego jam then leader line i tie a palomar knot!!

15lb big game to 12lb big game for me.

Will get your heart broke here at fork with that combo.

But if it works in your area lakes thats what I would use too.

Braid for me.

Mono all the way. I use 15 to 15 big game. If I'm fishing around brush or timber it's 20 to 20. The strength of braid doesn't do you any good unless you have a braid leader....I just hate braid and fluoro....terrible against abrasion and c-rigging is all about abrasion.

Braid for any length leader.

Hahaha, ok so no clear consensus! I was going to use dark colored 1/2 oz tungsten bullet weight, 12lb mono, two plastic beads and somewhere between a 3/0 to a 5/0 offset worm hook, which is what i got from the wired2fish article.

I have used flouro line when fishing a texas rigged worm and havent had any issues with the line breaking from abriasion but the lakes i fish dont have a ton of timber either.

think im going to give the braid a try.

I always use a palomar knot on all my other lures but this will be the first rig i have used with a leader and two different types of line, so i will have to look up the double san diego jam knot.