Carolina Rig with Braid?

Do any of you use braid for your main line on a Carolina rig?

I tried this a little bit last year and really liked it in some ways. I still prefer mono as of right now though.

What I like about braid as a mainline is…
– super sensativity
– good hooksets
– less freying from beads and weights

What I dislike…
– easier to break leader on hookset (must set drag perfect)
– if the weight snags good luck breaking it off (boat cleat trick )

I know there are a few C-riggin freaks on here and was curious if you do this.

I don’t do much C-Rigging, but I have tried it with braid this spring and liked it pretty much for the reasons that you stated.

Riggin is my staple pattern in the summertime and although I love using braid for a lot of things, it’s not my favorite for carolina riggin. I use 15lb P-line fluoroclear for the main line and 12lb. Stren heavy cover for a leader. I prefer that little bit of stretch in the line when fighting fish closer to the boat. I also think the mono is a little more forgiving if a fish picks up your bait when you’re draggin across the bottom and they might not feel you where as with braid they might drop the bait instantly.

Phishirman, I see you are from Madison, you fish the chain of lakes I assume?

I continue learn this sport… thus, I try to include C-rigging into each outing as I see some of the best sticks C-rigging… what I have observed, and what I use as a result, is Green PowerPro 30# with a 30# Swivel and 10 or 15 pound clear mono or clear Co-Polymer (no flourocarbon on the leader, as it sinks.)

D-nort, your pros and cons are right on… the thing is, if you are casting distances, fishing sand flats or sand drops etc, you need low stretch to feel the pick up, especially when the fish are not slamming the lure.

For close C-rigging applications, I have switched to pegging a 1/2 once weight 12 to 18 inches up the line on a standard tube set-up… Easy enough when you want the bait flopping around… just make sure you don’t have braid on in that case, I thing the fish see the braid.

The real question is… Jeremy… I still cannot figure out what line to use when C-rigging a Sammy?

I have tried all three types and prefer flouro for the main line.

I have been throwing it with the main line being braid, but have had some break offs during hook sets lately(right Jhall) and am now considering going back to mono. I love the feel though.

I would personally stay far away from braid for the c-rig. I use a low stretch mono (maxima 12lb.) because I have broke off too many on flourocarbon. I think if you want more sensitivity you need to change what rod your throwing it on not the line. I preffer a 7′ MH with a soft tip, and make sure you pick up absolutly all of the slack before the hookset and you will have no problems. I hope nobody gets after me for bashing braid!!!

I haven’t had a problem at all with breaking on flouro, as long as the knots are carefully tied and it is not cheap flouro (Vanish, BPS). P-Line and Seaguar flouro have been very good for me, seems more abrasion resistant than mono or braid. P-Line I didn’t like because of the stiffness, but I learned spraying a bit of reel magic on it seems to make it more manageable. I have one reel with Sugoi and it is excellent. For some reason I can’t understand, I get as much or more feel on Flouro than braid.

I was snapping off on the hookset with flouro pitching last year, but once I learned you had to carefully tie your knots, it hasn’t been a problem. Flouro really seems to snap though if your knot kinks it or binds down as it is tightened. Lather than knot in spit when you tighten.

You guys ever think that most of those “bone crushing” hook sets are doing you more damage than good?

Seriously!!!

I do the “bone crushing” hook sets on muskies, soley due to their teeth holding tight to wood baits can make it difficult to set the hooks into the jaw.

However, running superlines doesn’t require a “mega” hookset. Not with today’s hooks…….

Running 50# power pro with zero stretch, with razor sharp hooks, backed up to a heavy action 7’6″ rod, on fish with ZERO teeth to stop the bait from sliding……….I think some folks have lost vision of what they are trying to do and loose more fish by ripping the hooks from the mouth then they would by just doing a normal hookset.

You have to remember here……..This is C-rigging, where this is no massive rush to pull the fish on top of the water and burn it to the boat to keep it from tangling is a matt of weeds or lots of trees…..

With what I just stated, why are lines breaking off on hooksets???

I have always been a fan of mono, I have tried others, but always come back. I just know the limitations of the line I use. I think that is the biggest problem people have when trying new things, they do not give it the time to find out the benefits and weeknesses of the product. I would refer to many people having multiple rods and reels that are the same rigged for different techniques as an example of this. I remember the mad rush for Super Frees a few months back. Unfortunately, there is no perfect product out there that works in every situation. otherwise, there would be no debate, and what fun would that be? Seriously, good luck with the search.

Bassman

Gary,

C-Rigging doesn’t require a “bone crushing” hookset, more so just a simple sideways “sweep” of the rod. Most C-riggers should be aware of that….

If people are slamming down hooksets while c-rigging, that explains all the broken lines etc..etc..

Being from the great state of Minnesota where after June the fish live deeper then than walleyes I have done a lot of c-rigging. I use strickly mono and actually strickly Sufix Elite because of strength and abrasion resistance.

Braid for me was too risky in that I also break off leaders even with the sweep hookset It has greater sensitivity with bottom contour but I still know when there is a rock or two down there with mono. I also think that running braid you lose the option of mojo rigging the carolina weights. I do this when the rocks are thick and I want to eliminate weak spots ( knots) in my line. It has saved me a fish or two when they count. Thats my two cents

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Gary,

C-Rigging doesn’t require a “bone crushing” hookset, more so just a simple sideways “sweep” of the rod. Most C-riggers should be aware of that….

If people are slamming down hooksets while c-rigging, that explains all the broken lines etc..etc..

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That was my point Slop! I’m hearing of a lot of line breaks in this discussion!

As Gary and Slop have both stated, it does sound like a few need to do one of two things, check your leader for nicks, or change your hook set, or both. The hook set like they said is a sweep, and not so hard. Think of it like using cranks, you do not need to have a massive hookset.

Bassman

I diasgree with the comments on a soft sweeping hookset. Mono and Flourocarbon both have some stretch and require you to set the hook hard when you have 50 plus feet of line out. Bass fishermen usually dont have the luxory of fishing right on top of the fish so you have to compensate for any bow in the line there might be. The other reason you should set the hook hard is I can’t remember the last time I caught a fish on a carolina rig that didnt jump at least once. If they are skin hooked you get to tell everyone at the weigh in how well you should have done but “the big one got away”

The reason for most break offs is that when alot of us fish the river, we are around rock and rubble most of the time throwing C-rigs. Nicks in the line are common. Also poor knots and poor flouro. We do not fish for GATORS and use wire leaders!

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If they are skin hooked you get to tell everyone at the weigh in how well you should have done but “the big one got away”

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Being Devil’s Advocate here……….

If they are skin hooked, aren’t those the fish that you “miss” because they came unbuttoned on the “mega” hook set in the first place?

fish c rigs w/ 15 bigame main and 10 #big game leader. deep long casts require a bone crushing eyeball crossin set. i havent broken often…but you must be in tune with the condition of line as anyone would do with any other type of fishing.

Not even close…If they are skin hooked it could be for a few different reasons:

1.Not a hard enough hookset to penetrate the side or top of the mouth.

2.Not letting the fish take the bait long enough.

3.Too much slack in the line at the time of hookset

I can go round and round about this but the bottom line is d-nort asked for some in-put. I gave it, and feel that I’m as good of a scource of any.

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If they are skin hooked you get to tell everyone at the weigh in how well you should have done but “the big one got away”

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Being Devil’s Advocate here……….

If they are skin hooked, aren’t those the fish that you “miss” because they came unbuttoned on the “mega” hook set in the first place?

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If they are skin hooked you get to tell everyone at the weigh in how well you should have done but “the big one got away”

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Being Devil’s Advocate here……….

If they are skin hooked, aren’t those the fish that you “miss” because they came unbuttoned on the “mega” hook set in the first place?

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No, you must remember you usually have a plastic on the hook with the hook point embedded in the bait, so you have to drive the hook point out of the plastic and through the fishes mouth, while the plastic most of the time (at least some of the time), remains on the hook shank slowing penetration.

JHall,

Great points, never thaught of it that way. Thanks for the imput. I am by no means an expert on the topic, just stating some things that I have experienced, freyed line, and learned, sweep set.

Bassman

Bassman

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I can go round and round about this but the bottom line is d-nort asked for some in-put. I gave it, and feel that I’m as good of a scource of any.

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Easy there Jhall……….Like I said, I’m being devil’s advocate here. No reason to get defensive on it.

Whether it’s bass or walleyes, one thing I’ve learned about braid/superlines is that I need a softer rod to get what I want; sensitivity and hooksets without “overkill.” If I’m going to use mono it’s back to a stiffer rod. One offsets the other. My .02

JHall- I know you convert c-rigging into $$$ and your reply was the main one I was waiting for. Of course I play around with c-rigging, but I can honestly say I have never told myself tournament morning, “I can’t wait to pull up to my first spot and load up on them with a c-rig.” I know you do this all year long .

For those of you who have not c-rigged with braid, you’ll find that even fresh leaders can be snapped very easily with even a light- moderate hookset. The drag setting is super important. If there is no slip, for every inch your rod tip moves on the hookset/ sweep, that is every inch your bait is wanting to move and the leader takes it all.

When c-rigging, I normally do not set the hook like a gorilla. I would have to rate myself as beginner- intermediate when it comes to the technique so what do I know.

Have you ever seen the pros set the hook on a deep water c-rig when they set and run from the front all the way to the back of the boat during their set?

One more thing that JHall mentioned. Why is it that dang near every fish caught on a c-rig jumps?

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One more thing that JHall mentioned. Why is it that dang near every fish caught on a c-rig jumps?

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USE A 7 FOOT ROD AND PUT AT LEAST 6 FEET OF IN THE WATER WHEN THEY START TO COME UP. WATCH HOW SHORT THERE JUMPS BECOME.

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Have you ever seen the pros set the hook on a deep water c-rig when they set and run from the front all the way to the back of the boat during their set?

One more thing that JHall mentioned. Why is it that dang near every fish caught on a c-rig jumps?

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NO EXPERT HERE BY ANY MEANS BUT

1) WHAT TYPE OF LINE ARE THEY USING WHEN THEY HAVE TO RUN FROM THE BACK OF THE BOAT TO THE FRONT ?? MUST BE MONO BECAUSE OF THE STRETCH ?

2) MAYBE YOUR PULLING THEM OUT OF THE WATER ON THAT MASSIVE HOOK SET

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Have you ever seen the pros set the hook on a deep water c-rig when they set and run from the front all the way to the back of the boat during their set?

One more thing that JHall mentioned. Why is it that dang near every fish caught on a c-rig jumps?

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NO EXPERT HERE BY ANY MEANS BUT

1) WHAT TYPE OF LINE ARE THEY USING WHEN THEY HAVE TO RUN FROM THE BACK OF THE BOAT TO THE FRONT ?? MUST BE MONO BECAUSE OF THE STRETCH ?

2) MAYBE YOUR PULLING THEM OUT OF THE WATER ON THAT MASSIVE HOOK SET

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I think It was Eronningen with his 9 Foot Heavy action saltwater rod equiped with a 6000 series pen reel and 400lb cable. He uses this cause he dosent have a strong hookset…

GEEZ!! Such an easy question with such an easy answer but got so many answers???. Lets get back to his question:

Do any of you use braid for your main line on a Carolina rig?

Answer: Most pros don’t because The rods they are using are long (7 to 8ft) and are made of graphite. They need the mono to act as a shock absorber. You could use a fiberglass rod with braid but if you got hung up, good luck on breaking it off. And the rods… FG rods are heavier. Like catfishing only instead of letting the line set you’re realing all the time. Now..with that said..If you are fishing around weedlines, braid is the way to go. You will rip right thru the weeds with braid where as mono will stretch and become entangled.

My advice and what I use: 7ft or 7.5ft graphite rod. MH not heavy action. Reel with bigger spool to hold more line and a high speed one because with a 1 to 1 1/2 oz weight you will be casting a country mile and if you get a fish on you want to be able to reel up fast to take up the slack. I use 14 to 17lbs mono for line and 12 to 14lb as a leader. Preferably flourocarbon. Leader length depends on water color and time of day/weather. Clearer water cloudy day; longer leader (4ft plus?). Dirty water/sunny day; shorter leader (2 to 3ft). A swiverl or snap swivel (#2?). A 3/0 to 5/0 hook and a Zoom Brush Hog. Watermelon or punkinseed. 1 oz weight in open water. 1/2 oz in weeds. Cast it out, let it hit the bottom. Wait. Wait again. Pull the rod side ways. Reel up the slack. Wait. Pull the rod sideways. Reel up the slack. Wait. It’s a slower process but you can cover more area than most other baits. Plus a C rig will tell you what the bottom is made out of. And yes…a side sweeping hook set. With that long of a rod you will be able to take up line fast. And it doesn’t need to be a hard set. And why they come out of the water? Same as any other bait; they’re just trying to throw it. Just out in open water they have more room to do it.

This should answer any questions. And I am an expert on it, too.

So says the book according to Ken. Amen!