Hard, relatively horizontal bottoms are where the Carolina rig shines, offering everything an angler wants in a soft plastic setup.
Covering a lot of water quickly, and relying on enticing motion that’s hard to match with any other technique, the Carolina rig is a staple of pros, though it’s often overlooked by less experienced anglers in preference for the Texas rig.
That’s a mistake you don’t want to make, as the Carolina rig is vastly superior where there is less cover and the bottom is clear and clean.
Want to know more about the Carolina rig?
Keep reading!
Table of Contents (clickable)
What is a Carolina Rig?
The Carolina rig is a technique for rigging a bottom-hugging soft plastic that’s dragged behind a weight.
While similar to the Texas rig, the Carolina rig moves that weight well forward of your soft plastic, essentially creating a length of leader between the two.
Pros like Mike Iaconelli prefer the Carolina rig to the Texas rig when the bottom is relatively flat and cover is sparse.
How to Fish a Carolina Rig
The Carolina rig is at its best where the bottom is hard and relatively flat. In conditions like this, it’ll beat the Texas rig hands down.
It’s pretty easy to fish.
The Slide
After the cast, let it sink and settle, and take up your slack. Then start using your rod to drag your rig sideways, being careful not to get out of position for a hookset.
Keep the slack out of your line – but don’t use the reel to create motion.
The Lift and Glide
After your Carolina Rig has settled, use your rod tip to lift your soft plastic and take up the slack. It’ll settle in a fluttering motion that drives bass wild.
Keep your rod tip at about 10 o’clock.
With either technique, the most effective hookset is a side-sweeping motion, not the typical overhead.
Final Thoughts
The Carolina rig is simply murder where you’re fishing a relatively clear, flat bottom. It’s also a great way to get your soft plastic down to the bottom quickly without sacrificing fantastic action.
Easy to rig and just as easy to fish, it’s a technique every bass angler should know and throw.
We hope this article has taught you a thing or two, and as always, we’d love to hear from you.
Please leave a comment below.
Source: usangler.com