04-01-2006, 05:17 AM
Let's be honest: when it comes down to it, most of us have a hard time breaking away from traditional patterns and lures. Carolina rigs are no exception; most of us use plastic lizards most of the time. ![[Image: clear.gif]](http://ww2.basspro.com/media/outdoormag/images/clear.gif)
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That's too bad, because anglers who don't look beyond the shiny new packages of four-legged lures at the local tackle shop are missing a golden opportunity to put more fish in the boat. Lures that might be called unusual, or even downright ridiculous by some anglers, are gaining a slow but loyal following as ideal baits for Carolina rigs. No, you don't have to sacrifice your favorite brand and color of lizards to the fishing gods. Just open your eyes--and mind--and dig deeper into your bag of soft plastics. Lots of guys never dream of using anything but a lizard on a Carolina rig. When I suggest a split-tail grub or Salty Slugger, they look at me like I'm from Mars. Of course, when I start catching fish on those lures, they change their minds real quick."
Nothing against lizards, of course. I simply think that in certain situations, the old standbys just don't hold their weight. Why? First of all, not every lake in the country has anything that looks remotely similar to a lizard. Salamanders, newts and water dogs are abundant in many parts of the country, but often don't venture into places where we use their artificial look-a-likes. They may be amphibians, but they know it's not safe to hop along the bottom in open water.
Second, some bass have become conditioned to turn tail and run at the sight of a lizard floating just off the bottom. Heavy fishing pressure, particularly during the spring when lizards are most often used, has made bass wiser and therefore, tougher to catch. That's why tring different lures on a Carolina rig.
"I'll use lizards in the spring, "because they do catch fish and because I'm still try them that time of year.
"However, I really like to use a crawfish on a Carolina rig. I also like soft plastic jerkbaits with Any lake with abundance of crawfish and shad, so it's only natural that bass readily eat those baits. Of course, the fish only take a jerkbait off the surface at certain times of the day and at certain times of the year. That's why jerkbaits on a Carolina rig are perfect for so many situation."
Picture a soft plastic jerkbait darting and dancing across the surface of our favorite water. Hard for a bass to resist, isn't it? Now imagine that same erratic action right above the bottom, where bass tend to hang out and wait for passing baitfish. Slug-Gos, Shad Assassins and a host of other similar lures are tailor-made for a Carolina rig. Their design allows them to dip towards the bottom, then pop back up with each sweep of the rod tip. And their size and density keep them from sinking like a rock and digging into the mud.
Stretch out your leader when useing a 4-inch Salty Slugger, a favorite jerkbait for a Carolina rig, because that extra length gives the bait more freedom of movement.
"That longer leader allows the bait more action. "It gives the bait a good stop-and-go motion and it allows the fish more time to look it over. When bass are tough to catch, that will make all the difference in the world."
Sometimes, however,rely on a 4-inch split-tail grub. Early in the season, when shad are suspended over deep water and bass are sometimes hunkered down in deep water, a crawfish imitation such as 4-inch Twin tail Grub bouncing freely over the rock and stump littered bottom will entice finicky bass.
"I simply try to match what the bass are feeding on at that time of year. "Early in the spring, bass work crawfish a lot, and later, they eat a lot of shad."
The problem with Carolina-rigged grubs, I found, centered on getting the hook through the bait and into the fish's lip. Most of the time, missing solid bites because the hook wasn't coming through the bait.
the solution changed when I changed hooks. "I went to a hook that was equipped with a weed guard. My catch rate with that rig skyrocketed, because the weed guard keeps the hook from snagging, but allows for near-instant contact with the fish's mouth. simply bring the hook all the way through the bait and put the weed guard over the hook, which results in fewer hang-ups and more fish.
Hook selection is a critical factor when fishing any soft plastic on a Carolina rig. Use a hook that's too large, or too heavy, and the bait, whatever it is, will simply drag along the bottom. That defeats the whole purpose of a Carolina rig. Use a hook that's too small and you'll miss lots of fish.I prefer a 2/0 Owner offset hook on most of his Carolina rigs.
"You have to use a thin, but strong hook, and a weight that's suited for the situation. "I like to use a one, or even a 1 1/2-ounce egg sinker if the water is over 30 feet deep and the bottom is relatively clean. In shallower water, and in areas with lots of brush, I'll drop down to as light as 1/4 ounce. That light weight comes through brush and stumps better and doesn't get hung up as much."
Another trick that helps up the odds of fooling hard-to-catch bass. Instead of a typical lead sinker, use a rubber-skirted Rippler jig as weight, so your fishing two lures at the same time.
"I'll often use two different colored lures . "Sometimes, I'll use a white jig with a dark plastic bait on the bottom hook, or vice-versa. Just let the fish tell you what they want."
Also vary weight sizes, with either 1/2- or 3/4-ounce egg sinkers "Sometimes, when I fish 10-inch worms on a Carolina rig, I'll use a 1/4-ounce weight. It forces me to slow my retrieve way down, and I'm convinced you have to do that, especially for big fish.
Next time you go bass fishing, take a cue from these tips. Dig past your crumpled bags of lizards and try something new on your Carolina rig. Chances are, you'll be glad you did. [font "arial, helvetica"][#990000][size 3]Lures Other Folks Won't Carolina Rig So You Should[/size][/#990000][/font]
[font "arial, helvetica"][size 2]Slug-Gos, Shad Assassins, Salty Sluggers, Larew's SplitTail Grubs, Kalin's Mop Top Spider Grubs, Berkley Power Sandworm, Hattie Mite Helgrammite, Edge Products Conrad Crawfish, Berkley Finesse Worms[/size][/font]
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[font "arial, helvetica"][#999999][/#999999][/font][font "arial, helvetica"][#666666][size 2][/size][/#666666][/font] That's too bad, because anglers who don't look beyond the shiny new packages of four-legged lures at the local tackle shop are missing a golden opportunity to put more fish in the boat. Lures that might be called unusual, or even downright ridiculous by some anglers, are gaining a slow but loyal following as ideal baits for Carolina rigs. No, you don't have to sacrifice your favorite brand and color of lizards to the fishing gods. Just open your eyes--and mind--and dig deeper into your bag of soft plastics. Lots of guys never dream of using anything but a lizard on a Carolina rig. When I suggest a split-tail grub or Salty Slugger, they look at me like I'm from Mars. Of course, when I start catching fish on those lures, they change their minds real quick." Nothing against lizards, of course. I simply think that in certain situations, the old standbys just don't hold their weight. Why? First of all, not every lake in the country has anything that looks remotely similar to a lizard. Salamanders, newts and water dogs are abundant in many parts of the country, but often don't venture into places where we use their artificial look-a-likes. They may be amphibians, but they know it's not safe to hop along the bottom in open water. Second, some bass have become conditioned to turn tail and run at the sight of a lizard floating just off the bottom. Heavy fishing pressure, particularly during the spring when lizards are most often used, has made bass wiser and therefore, tougher to catch. That's why tring different lures on a Carolina rig. "I'll use lizards in the spring, "because they do catch fish and because I'm still try them that time of year. "However, I really like to use a crawfish on a Carolina rig. I also like soft plastic jerkbaits with Any lake with abundance of crawfish and shad, so it's only natural that bass readily eat those baits. Of course, the fish only take a jerkbait off the surface at certain times of the day and at certain times of the year. That's why jerkbaits on a Carolina rig are perfect for so many situation." Picture a soft plastic jerkbait darting and dancing across the surface of our favorite water. Hard for a bass to resist, isn't it? Now imagine that same erratic action right above the bottom, where bass tend to hang out and wait for passing baitfish. Slug-Gos, Shad Assassins and a host of other similar lures are tailor-made for a Carolina rig. Their design allows them to dip towards the bottom, then pop back up with each sweep of the rod tip. And their size and density keep them from sinking like a rock and digging into the mud. Stretch out your leader when useing a 4-inch Salty Slugger, a favorite jerkbait for a Carolina rig, because that extra length gives the bait more freedom of movement. "That longer leader allows the bait more action. "It gives the bait a good stop-and-go motion and it allows the fish more time to look it over. When bass are tough to catch, that will make all the difference in the world." Sometimes, however,rely on a 4-inch split-tail grub. Early in the season, when shad are suspended over deep water and bass are sometimes hunkered down in deep water, a crawfish imitation such as 4-inch Twin tail Grub bouncing freely over the rock and stump littered bottom will entice finicky bass. "I simply try to match what the bass are feeding on at that time of year. "Early in the spring, bass work crawfish a lot, and later, they eat a lot of shad." The problem with Carolina-rigged grubs, I found, centered on getting the hook through the bait and into the fish's lip. Most of the time, missing solid bites because the hook wasn't coming through the bait. the solution changed when I changed hooks. "I went to a hook that was equipped with a weed guard. My catch rate with that rig skyrocketed, because the weed guard keeps the hook from snagging, but allows for near-instant contact with the fish's mouth. simply bring the hook all the way through the bait and put the weed guard over the hook, which results in fewer hang-ups and more fish. Hook selection is a critical factor when fishing any soft plastic on a Carolina rig. Use a hook that's too large, or too heavy, and the bait, whatever it is, will simply drag along the bottom. That defeats the whole purpose of a Carolina rig. Use a hook that's too small and you'll miss lots of fish.I prefer a 2/0 Owner offset hook on most of his Carolina rigs. "You have to use a thin, but strong hook, and a weight that's suited for the situation. "I like to use a one, or even a 1 1/2-ounce egg sinker if the water is over 30 feet deep and the bottom is relatively clean. In shallower water, and in areas with lots of brush, I'll drop down to as light as 1/4 ounce. That light weight comes through brush and stumps better and doesn't get hung up as much." Another trick that helps up the odds of fooling hard-to-catch bass. Instead of a typical lead sinker, use a rubber-skirted Rippler jig as weight, so your fishing two lures at the same time.
"I'll often use two different colored lures . "Sometimes, I'll use a white jig with a dark plastic bait on the bottom hook, or vice-versa. Just let the fish tell you what they want." Also vary weight sizes, with either 1/2- or 3/4-ounce egg sinkers "Sometimes, when I fish 10-inch worms on a Carolina rig, I'll use a 1/4-ounce weight. It forces me to slow my retrieve way down, and I'm convinced you have to do that, especially for big fish. Next time you go bass fishing, take a cue from these tips. Dig past your crumpled bags of lizards and try something new on your Carolina rig. Chances are, you'll be glad you did. [font "arial, helvetica"][#990000][size 3]Lures Other Folks Won't Carolina Rig So You Should[/size][/#990000][/font] [font "arial, helvetica"][size 2]Slug-Gos, Shad Assassins, Salty Sluggers, Larew's SplitTail Grubs, Kalin's Mop Top Spider Grubs, Berkley Power Sandworm, Hattie Mite Helgrammite, Edge Products Conrad Crawfish, Berkley Finesse Worms[/size][/font][signature]