Over the past few years, the Carolina Rig has emerged as one of the most effective fishing techniques for anglers across the country. Whether fishing structure or transitions, the Carolina Rig has been proven to catch trophy bass–but how do you fish this rig effectively? With the breakdown below, you will learn everything you need to rig and fish the Carolina Rig perfectly!
Carolina Rig 101: The Technicals
When putting together the Carolina Rig, there are a few things that you will need. The Carolina Rig consists of a wide gap worm hook, bullet weight, swivel, bead, and of course, your plastic of choice. When assembling the Carolina Rig, you should first put the bullet weight through your line then followed by the bead and swivel. Once you have the swivel tied on, simply attach the hook to the swivel and rig whatever plastic you would like! During the warmer months, we’d recommend using a large-profile plastic such as the ribbon tail worm because bass have more aggressive feeding habits, but there are many other baits you can throw as well. Continue reading to learn some great rules of thumb when it comes to choosing your Carolina Rig bait.
Carolina Rig 101: Choosing Your Bait
More often than not, choosing the right bait for your Carolina Rig comes down to where you are fishing. A good rule of thumb is to toss a life-like bait such as the fluke or creature bait if you aren’t sure what the fish are feeding on. The fluke is a perfect imitation of a small baitfish and the creature bait can mimic forage such as craws or anything else that might be in the water. Even though the fluke and creature bait are solid for most anglers, the ribbon tail worm excels when using this rig. The flutter action on the tail of this bait allows for a unique action that triggers reaction bites! Overall, you should pick your Carolina Rig bait based on what types of baitfish or forage are in your waters or what you have had success with in the past.
Carolina Rig 101: How to Fish It
The best part about the Carolina Rig is how simple it is to fish. When throwing this rig, all you have to do is slowly reel the bait in while dragging it on the bottom of the water column. If you happen to feel some type of structure like a rock, give the rig a twitch and pop it off the bottom for a short moment. This is one of the best ways to get reaction bites from nearby bass because it mimics the tendencies of real bait in your waters. You can also steadily retrieve this rig, but based on our experience low-and-slow is the most effective way to get bites!
The hardest part about the Carolina Rig is putting it together, but trust us when we say that this rig is one of the best in the bass fishing industry! If you aren't having much luck next time you hit the water, be sure to give the Carolina Rig a try. It might just help you land a new PB!
