Tips & Techniques
Finesse Carolina
Rigs
in the Spring
from...
Pro Tom Redington |
 |
By Tom Redington
April, 2008
When bass first move shallow and onto beds in the spring, the fishing can
be ridiculously easy. While bed fishermen pluck bass off of beds with a
few casts, others catch big sacks of fish by flipping shallow cover or by
working weightless soft plastics. But what do you do when the shallow fish
have been hammered for a few days and become tough to catch, or when
strong winds make sight fishing or casting weightless soft plastics nearly
impossible? In these situations, I reach for my favorite back up plan in
the spring—the finesse Carolina rig (C-rig).
Why It Works: The finesse C-rig is just a smaller, lighter version of a
standard C-rig. The C-rig’s weight allows you to make long casts in the
wind and still get the bait down to the bottom, which can be hard with
weightless soft plastics like Senkos or Magic Shads. Best of all, once the
C-rig’s weight hits the bottom, the lure will still fall very slowly to
the bottom, just like a weightless soft plastic jerkbait. As a result, you
can still get the tantalizing wiggling and gliding drop of a weightless
bait, even in deep water or on windy days. In addition, when shallow bass
are getting pressured, the finesse C-rig allows you to fish slightly
deeper water for less pressured fish more efficiently than using
weightless soft plastic rigs or wacky rigs. By working your bait out a
little deeper where most of the other boats are sitting, you’ll find fish
that’ll often bite when the shoreline fish have lockjaw, plus have a
better shot at a lunker too.
How to Rig: I normally throw finesse C-rigs on fluorocarbon line because
it sinks quickly, is less visible to bass, and most importantly, it is
more sensitive and abrasion resistant than monofilament. Most of the time,
I spool up with 15 lb P-Line 100% Fluorocarbon for my main line and
leader. In very clear water without much cover, I’ll drop as low as 10 lb
test, while 20 lb test is required for pulling big bass out of thick wood
cover. As for the rig itself, it simply consists of a sinker, bead,
swivel, leader, and a hook, just like a normal C-rig. Depending on the
depth and cover, I’ll use 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weights, with ¼ being my
favorite. The lighter sinkers work better in heavy grass because they
won’t bury up quite as much. If I’m working water that is deeper than 8’
or if the wind is howling, the 3/8 oz sinker works best. In contrast to a
normal C-rig where I’ll use an 18” to 48” leader, finesse C-rigs cast
better and have better action with an 8” to 18” leader. Finally, finish
your rig with a 1/0 to 4/0 hook to match the size of your bait.
Unlike split shot rigs, finesse C-rigs cast easily on bait casting tackle
and withstand hard hook sets and big fish around cover. I throw my rigs on
a 7’ rod with medium heavy power and a fast tip. The fast tip paired with
fluorocarbon line gives you good feel, while medium heavy power rod allows
you to drive big hooks through bulky soft plastic baits on long casts.
As for baits, I rig my traditional spring favorites on the business end. I
use Lake Fork Trophy Lure’s Top Dog lizards, Magic Shads, Live Magic
Shads, Baby Fork Creatures, Ring Frys and Twitch Worms; experimenting with
different profiles and colors until I find what is working best on that
particular day. In clear water, shades of green pumpkin or watermelon
normally work best, while Junebug or black neon perform well in stained
water.
Where & How to Fish It: Finesse C-rigs work well both in spawning flats
and in prespawn staging areas. In spawning areas, back off and fish a
little deeper than the depth that you can see the deepest beds and you’ll
catch bass that sight fisherman can’t find. At Lake Fork, most beds are
visible in 2’ to 4’, so fish finesse C-rigs in 4’ to 10’. Fishing deeper
beds with finesse C-rigs is a great way to catch bass when the shallow
bite turns off. Moreover, it’s also a great way to catch a big bass
because they not only catch spawning fish, but also lunker females that
are waiting to move up to spawn. These rigs also shine when fishing points
and creek channels leading into and away from spawning flats. Throw a
finesse C-rig in these staging areas and you’re likely to catch lots of
big bass before and after they spawn.
Depending on the conditions and the mood of the bass, I’ll employ a couple
different retrieves, but the key is almost always to let the bait sit with
long pauses. Some days, dragging the bait forward and keeping the sinker
on the bottom works best. Most of the time, I like to lift the sinker up
off the bottom though. This lift allows the soft plastic bait to rise up
off the bottom, then slowly settle back down, just like a weightless soft
plastic jerkbait. The dying flutter of the bait, followed by a long pause,
is enough to trigger fish on even the toughest days. In addition, a big
lift with or even a snap of the sinker is often required when fishing
heavy grass to free the bait.
The finesse Carolina rig is a staple of my spring fishing arsenal. Give
them a shot this spring when the fishing gets tough and you’ll likely put
more fish in the boat. Here’s hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.
If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or
972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through my website,
www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com.
Tom Redington is a full time bass guide on Lake Fork and is sponsored by
Ranger Boats, Diamond Sports Marine, Lake Fork Trophy Lures, Minn Kota,
Humminbird, and P-Line Fishing Lines.
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