Page 25 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine Stelly Special Ed 2022

When it comes to choosing the style of weight, remember your weight will be dragging through all sorts
of debris. Select the weight you feel will be the least likely to snag. More streamlined and lighter weights
will get hung up less than the bulkier and heavier weights when fishing around covers and structure. One
factor we have not discussed is the composition of the weight. An angler has three choices. Brass, lead, or
tungsten. Brass tends to work okay but is not always easy to find. The least expensive is lead but it is not
as sensitive as tungsten. Tungsten provides and angler with the greatest sensitivity, but it is also the most
expensive. You are going to lose some weights when fishing a Carolina rig!

Now we will consider the leader. There is no magical length of leader. The length of the leader affects the
presentation, the cast, the hookset, and the sensitivity to the bite. In general, use longer leaders in more clear
water or when the bite is tough. This would be leaders from 2-4’. The downsides of longer leaders are the
increased challenges of casting, setting the hook and getting hung up. The longer leader has less impact on
the fish. In other words, the fish are less likely to be spooked by the weight. When the water is stained, or the
fish are more aggressive a shorter leader will work. That would be a length of less than 2’. Lengths, casting
is easier, the bite is easier to detect, and the hook-up ratio is better. Additionally, the shorter lengths tend to
get hung up less. The downside is that with the weight closer to the bait, it can spook fish. Other leader con-
siderations include the type of line and the line size. Leader lines are typically smaller than the main line. The
mainline would be in the range of 15-20 lbs and the leader in the range of 10-12 lbs depending on the con-
ditions. The reason for this is that it is the closest to the bait and a lighter line makes the presentation more
finesse. The type of line also impacts how far or if the bait will float off the bottom. Monofilament stretches,
sinks and is less sensitive too! Fluorocarbon leaders are smaller in diameter, less visible, more sensitive,
have much less stretch, and allows the bait to float up off the bottom. The less stretch and greater sensitivi-
ty make for better hooksets. For the mainline, it is also recommended that fluorocarbon be used. While braid
is stronger, it can sometimes be too much and lead to breakoffs at the swivel because of the weight and
bead having a greater impact on the knot.

All of this information is important, and a great deal of this rig and its’ setup come down to personal prefer-
ence. Let’s now look at the why, where, when and how to use the Carolina rig.

For the why, a Carolina rig acts like the eyes of an angler as it allows an angler to locate key structure and
cover along the bottom. It also allows an angler to cover larger areas of deep, open water quickly and effi-
ciently. Finally, it is the most practical manner for an angler to get a basically “weightless” soft plastic bait to
deeper depths.

For the whereabouts of fishing a Carolina rig, it is for deeper more open water. Targets include long points,
ledges, creek channels, humps, drop-offs, and flats. Anywhere that bass tend to be holding close to the bot-
tom are also good spots to consider.

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