Carolina Rig
Rigs & Terminal

Carolina Rig

All lures

Covers deep bottom to find scattered fish.

Technique

Drag

Depth

8-25 ft

Water Clarity

Any

Best Conditions

Summer offshore, points

Spring Summer Fall

About This Lure

A heavy sliding weight ahead of a leader and soft plastic, dragging bottom to locate offshore fish.

How To Fish It

Cast the rig past your target structure and let it sink completely to the bottom until your line goes slack. Use the rod tip to slowly drag the weight across the substrate, feeling for transitions between rock, gravel, or sand. When you feel a bite, lower your rod tip to give the bass slack before setting the hook firmly with a sweeping motion.

Retrieve Cadence

A slow, deliberate drag of two feet followed by a three-second pause to let the bait float up and settle.

Best Colors

Green Pumpkin— General clear to stained water conditions
Watermelon Red— Bright sunny days over grass flats
June Bug— Murky water or during low light periods

Sizes & When To Use

1/2 ozStandard depth of 8-15 feet with light vegetation
1 ozDeep water structure at 15-25 feet or in high wind conditions

Commonly Rigged On

Carolina RigHeavy duty barrel swivelGlass or brass bead

Recommended Gear

7'6" heavy power, fast action casting rod paired with a 7.1:1 gear ratio reel, spooled with 20lb fluorocarbon main line and a 12-15lb fluorocarbon leader.

Pro Tips

  • Use a glass bead to create an audible clicking sound against the weight to draw strikes.
  • Keep your leader length between 18 and 36 inches; longer leaders are better for pressured fish in clear water.
  • Maintain constant contact with the bottom, if you lose feel, you are moving too fast.
  • Use a swivel with a snap to allow for quick weight changes without re-tying the entire rig.
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