The Carolina rig

By Jason Snyder

One of the simplest and most-effective set-ups for bass fishing is the Carolina rig.

To build a Carolina rig, you start with 18 to 30 inches of leader tied to a hook that’s fitted with a soft-plastic bait. The leader is tied to a barrel swivel, above which an egg sinker or bullet weight is threaded onto the line, with the sinker and swivel separated by a plastic bead.

The set-up is simple but productive. When the sinker is dragged across the bottom, the trailing bait can move up and down or from side to side. When the sinker runs into something on the bottom, the lure will often jump left or right.

A slow retrieve is best — and if you are moving it slowly, try even more slowly — when you’re close to a bedding bass. Once you get a hit, you sweep the rod for a good set of the hook. Many anglers fish a Carolina rig on a very long rod so they

“It’s an effective rig ,and fisherman on the lake use it a good bit,” said Charles Dooley of Dooley’s Sports Shop. “They catch a lot of fish with it — but you’ve got to work a little bit on the technique.”