Carolina rigging

Since this is my weakness, do I spool the reel with braid then put a flouro leader or go straight braid ? Or do you spool up with all mono or flouro?

Braid, tungsten weight, glass bead, brass ticker, Palomar knot, swivel. I usually don’t throw tungsten because of the cost but if you hang this rig up you’ll usually get all this back. Then flouro leaders for stuff like brush hogs and craws or mono for worms, swimbaits, and flukes.

Nothing wrong with braid to a flouro leader, but everyone has their own take. Plenty of fish have been caught on mono Carolina rigs before there were all the options we have today.

Ok thanks guys, that's what I was thinking!

This is my set up, but use 15# mono for all baits.

I prefer 30 lb Braid with 15 lb. Fluorocarbon leader.

Fluorocarbon mainline with mono leader to give more buoyancy

What he said!

50# braid main line, 20# Floro or mono leader

Interesting. How significant is that buoyancy? Can you measure it?

not at all.

I think its completely insignificant. Every movement of the weight subsequently drags the lure to the bottom and keeps it there. If you have a floating lure, the weight's movement draws the plastic bait to the bottom, but it will ascend slowly if its buoyancy can overcome the weight of the hook and line. I just use 20lb flouro as the main line, and 12-15 pound flouro as the leader and it works great day in and day out. Creatures and flukes work really well for me. The keitech swimbaits are also really deadly because the plastic formula allows it to keel and swim properly without spinning on the C-rig.

I strongly recommend you experiment with it because its so versatile and effective. I've done it on spinning tackle with 1/4oz weights and flukes and absolutely smashed. I've seen my friend use a casting rod, 12 pound main line, and 6lb mono leader, nose hook a havok sick fish on a mosquito hook, and catch a 6lb smallmouth in 60FOW with the carolina rig. There are so many possibilities...

I use the light c-rig. Super easy to rig and adjust. Posted this setup before.

15# mean green co-polymer, 1/2 once tungsten weight, one Carolina keeper, Owner #2 rig n' hook.

Mostly use baby ring fry and baby brush hogs on this rig. Flat type baits tend to cause line twist.

Small baits as to not overload the hook. Sometimes change to the #1 hook for slightly larger baits.

Use two Carolina keepers for larger weights.

"one Carolina keeper........."............Use them on all my Carolina rigs, They're adjustable, less ties and knots, more sensitivity, etc.

Straight 20lb mono

baitcaster -> 40-80 lb braid -> 1/4-3/8 oz. tungsten bullet weight (pegged) -> glass bead -> swivel -> 15-20lb fluorocarbon leader -> worm style hook -> whatever

Whatever being a senko, brush hog, creature... It depends on what the fish want but the baits are very easy to switch out with this setup. I usually rig it weedless so I can throw it past and drag through brush or heavy cover without worrying about a hangup. The fluoro will break before the braid so if it gets hung up only the hook, bait, and leader are lost but with these lines it can be unsnagged 95% of the time especially if I troll over to the opposite side of the hangup.

The peg keeps the weight in place and makes casting a little easier with long leaders. I tie with either a palomar or a uni knot.

I try to keep the main line tight to make it easier to feel a bite. When fishing dropoffs this can be a tricky balance between a tight line and keeping the weight on the bottom.

If you are going to use braid for main line, I would suggest using a mono leader as it will stretch a little on hook set. I tried braid as main line and kept breaking the leader off on hook sets until I backed the drag way off and went to mono for leader. I now have settled in on floro main line and big game mono for leader, not really for buoyancy but for just a little shock absorbent. Many ways to skin a cat!

Good point.

It is also possible to stay with the fluorocarbon leader and absorb some of the shock with a medium weight rod. This has the advantage of using a nearly invisible leader line.

Braid mainline, swivel and mono leader. The argument that mono has to much stretch really does not come into play with a 3‘-6’ piece.

If it's clear, I am going all flourocarbon
If it's muddy Copolymer
1/2 to 3/4 oz weight in less than 10' of water
1 oz weight if deeper
In the spring use a very short leader 12" long - I prefer a lizard in the spring
as it warms up throughout the year go up to 3' leader - French fry after April, the number one forage for the bass post spawn is perch, nothing mimics a perch better than a French fry or a Grande Bass Rattlesnake

Flourocarbon all the way for me. There are tons of applications in bass fishing that braid is the best line choice. However, carolina rigging is not one of them in my opinion. If you give it an honest test you will find that the carolina rig with braid line will catch less fish than the flouro setup almost every single time. This is especially true if you are fishing around some wood cover and that braid is sawing over some timber.

Years ago when this braid became popular, it was said that braid was made for Spinning Reels. We all know braid is a bit pricey. If spooled entirely with braid makes no sense to me bc you will never use all that braid. IMO one should spool up with mono first. Then add as much braid that you think you will "need" and then attach a bit of Fluro leader line.

I've heard this before about braid not getting as many bites as mono or fluoro. I've never used braid for C Rig...but like the idea of eliminating so much stretch on long casts. As for the argument of less bites... Is a bass less likely to bite because of seeing the braid? Are they truly skittish enough not to bite because of seeing the line...but they're ok with 1 ounce weight, bead, swivel and clacker? I'm not arguing one way or the other...just curious? thanks

What is a carolina keeper?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Caro...UzNjh5wIVjZ6zCh0d9gaoEAQYAyABEgJe__D_BwE

I feel like an idiot. I started purchasing better rods and reels before using tungsten, what a difference it makes on my Texas rigs. I just got all of my ranges covered. I don't regret buying better equipment, but the tungsten might have prevented many of these purchases....I enjoy them a lot more now.[b][/b]

I have some Carolina tungsten weights coming in, I can only imagine what I will feel now.

Thanks, Big C. I may give those a try for my "carolina lite" setup. They wouldnt work for me for my normal setup because I use braid mainline since I want the leader to break when i get hung up.

I started using Tg before getting into better rods and reels...they both have made me a better fisherman. The feel that I get with them allows me to find the structure and "feel" my way around.

I've tried Braid for my mainline with C-rigs and I hated now much wind it caught. For me I almost always run 20 lbs fluoro mainline and 15-20 lb mono leader. I usually like to go with 15 or 17 lb leader so if my bait gets hung up, my leader should break before my mainline so I can save my tungsten.

Sure. I've been using them for years. I get increased sensitivity and the less knots I make, the less chances of them breaking.

Straight 20lb Big game mono.

The carolina keeper has changed everything for carolina rigs

Do y’all have good luck with the Carolina Keepers staying in place with heavier (one ounce) weights?

I spool about 1/4 spool of mono first then finish with braid. As far as leader, use a mono leader, if you hang up you will more than likely break the mono leader only.

Use 2 instead of one .