The Carolina Rig has been a staple for largemouth bass fishermen for many years. Largemouth bass fishermen were quick to learn the advantages to using this rig, especially when targeting fish suspended in deeper water. Over the last few years the Carolina rig has made its way into the arsenal of many saltwater anglers and these anglers say the results are good. Redfish will also suspend in deeper water, especially if there is an area of structure that provides a good ambush point. The design and purpose of the Carolina rig are quite simple. The idea is to keep the weight away from your bait to provide a more natural and life-like presentation. Many anglers also believe that fish are more likely to hold onto the bait when they do not feel the weight right away.
When I first heard freshwater anglers talking about making a Carolina rig it was the hottest thing going. The way they spoke about it I thought it was very hard to make and I would need to read up to learn how to make it. After laughing at me one day in the tackle shop another angler showed me just how easy this rig is to make.
The rig consists basically of a bullet shaped lead weight from 1/4 -1ounce, a swivel, plastic beads, a hook and a monofilament leader. The steps to make the rig are as follows:
Thread your line through the weight and then thread it through two plastic beads. Tie the tag end of your line to one end of the swivel. Tie one end of your leader to the swivel and the other end to your hook. Wow that was tough. People always want to know why do you use beads. The main reason is to keep the weight from catching on your knot and breaking the line. Many anglers also like the beads because, much like the concept of the popular Equalizer Floats, the beads make a popping noise when retrieving the rig.
Another application for this rig that has really become popular with saltwater anglers is the ability to pitch it into the grass to tailing fish and the lure actually has the ability to get down into the grass without t