UNLOCKING THE OLD BALL AND CHAIN
THE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO THE
“IDIOT RIG”
Certain rigs have a way of eliciting
polar-opposite reactions from anglers.
The Carolina rig certainly qualifies.
If you live around Sam Rayburn or
Toledo Bend, you’re almost certainly
pro Carolina rig. At the same time,
Andy Morgan once got so fed up with
the rig that he tossed his entire
Carolina rig box out of his boat in frustration
and says he’s never fished one
since. People love it or hate it.
A lot of the hate seems to come from
a misunderstanding of the “idiot rig.”
That’s where we asked Gleason and
Pickett to break down its components
(and the proper scenarios) to hopefully
help turn a few haters into lovers.
THE WEIGHT
The C-rig originally claimed notoriety
as an offshore specialist that
allowed an angler, before the times of
high-tech graphs and sonar, to really
feel the bottom and better understand
structure. The reason for this was the
ability to put a 1-ounce egg sinker on
the line, which allowed for extra-long
casts and more contact with the bottom,
without squandering the action of
the bait behind it.
With many pros’ boats now
equipped with multiple thousands of
dollars in sonar, one might think the
rig’s original use has been rendered
moot. Thinking that way would not only
be shortsighted, but it also would mean
missing the biggest benefit of the
weight in the eyes of the experts.
“They’re still some of the best lures
for feeling the bottom, which can be
really good if you’re not fully dialed in
with your electronics or if you’re trying
to line up with what you’re seeing on
your graphs,” says Pickett. “I can
always feel if the weight drops into a
hole or is coming up a hill better than
with any jig, and I can also tell depth. A
Carolina rig with a 1-ounce weight
sinks 2 feet per second. So, when I’m
GLEASON’S GO-TO RIG
counting down, I can always know the
exact depth my cast is landing.”
Pickett and Gleason keep things
pretty simple when it comes to the
weight, nearly always going with a 1-
ounce egg sinker regardless of depth.
Both prefer lead weights most of the
time, with the exception being when
Pickett fishes around rock. He thinks
tungsten better transmits the feel of
the bottom. Gleason actually likes lead
when fishing around rock because of
the increased chance of snags that
can lead to breaking off more expensive
tungsten.
Gleason doesn’t really change too
much when he’s fishing shallow, even
around bedding bass in a foot of water.
That’s by design.
“It’s all about disturbance,” Gleason
explains. “I want the weight kicking up
as much mud as possible, because I
think it gets a bass’ attention. Then, it
sees this lazy bait behind it and gets
curious, and when a bass gets curious,
he takes a bite to figure it out.”
V&M BABY SWAMP HOG
Think of that the next time you’re
fishing a spawning flat where you can’t
see the beds. Just imagine how curious
(and angry) a big female will be about
the creature that strolls into its bed
right behind a 1-ounce weight.
BEADS AND SWIVELS
If Gleason were walking around his
backyard with a golf ball on a string
tied to his belt, you might not notice. If
he were doing it with a beach ball full
of marbles, it’d be almost impossible
not to notice.
That’s the idea behind adding beads
to a C-rig. While many anglers contend
that putting a bead between the weight
and swivel protects the knot (which it
does), doing so is more about creating
additional disturbance.
For our experts, the choice comes
down to personal preference.
As a guide, Gleason is all about
maximizing time and effort. Threading
on a couple beads every time he re-ties
APPROXIMATELY 3-FOOT LEADER
PHOTO BY SEAN OSTRUSZKA
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FLWFISHING.COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | JUNE-JULY 2020