Lake Fork, Texas ETS Systems

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Carolina Rig, Tips for Getting Started

Article: June, 2011

Lake Fork Professional Guide Tom EvansCarolina Rig fishing is a very effective way to cover water, find and catch bass. Here are a few tips to help. It's early June so lets talk weights and line for summer C-rigs. I like a 3/4oz to 1oz mojo weight. This heavy weight gives you the feel you must have to know when you have a bite.

 Rigging the C-rig, use 17 to 20lb mono or fluorocarbon line on a 6'-10" to 7'-6" med/heavy or heavy rod. Thread on your weight and tie on a barrel swivel. Next strip off about 3ft of line and cut it. Now you have the weight on the main line and a 3 ft length of line with a barrel swivel on one end of it. Now, tie the barrel swivel to the main line again. Select a hook that is correct for the plastic you are going to use and tie it on about 18" to 24" out from the swivel, cut off the tag end and put on your plastic and you are ready to fish. You want to make long casts and let the weight settle to the bottom. After a few seconds lift the rod tip from 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock slowly. Then drop your rod tip back to 9 o'clock catching up your slack and feeling for a bite as you drop your tip. Repeat this 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock rod action until your cast is complete or you feel a bite. When you feel a bite drop your rod tip immediately (you don't want the fish to feel you or the weight) and watch your slack line. If the line begins to tighten set the hook. When you set the hook remember you are taking up a lot of slack line and lifting the weight off the bottom before the hook ever penetrates the fish's jaw. Set the hook hard!! This is not the only way to fish a Carolina rig but it is a great way to get started and if you try it as I have laid out you should have success.

 If you would like to learn more about this technique or any others come fish with me at Lake Fork. For more fishing tips and current fishing reports check my reports here on ETS-Systems.com, I do hope this information helps you on your next fishing trip.
Until next time
Good Fishing, Tom

Fishing Tip by Lake Fork Guide Tom Evans

 

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