STRIKE KING BABY Z TOO COLOR : THE DEAL
6TH SENSE CAROLINA PRE-RIG
CAROLINA RIG
Ask Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Mark Davis his favorite technique , and he only grins .
“ That ’ s like asking me my favorite flavor of ice cream ,” he says . “ I like them all – when they work !”
Still , he ’ s quick to admit a special taste for the Carolina rig – a sliding egg or cylindrical weight above a colored bead on the main line connected to a swivel with leader tied to hook and Texas-rigged plastic . The rig has earned him more of his $ 2.7 million in tournament winnings than any other .
Bait options were limited when the veteran Arkansas pro first adopted the Carolina rig .
“ We had a pre-molded worm , then a lizard ,” he reflects . “ Later we had all kinds – creatures , big worms , crawfish baits . But the great thing about it was that even with a big lure and a big weight , you could fish it subtly .”
Extremely widespread in the 1980s and ‘ 90s , the rig ’ s popularity has tapered off since . While it remains a mainstay in Davis ’ arsenal , he admits that it seems to attract smaller fish than it did in its early years . Still , it continues to produce , as Davis proved when he fished the rig exclusively at the Bass Pro Tour event on Dale Hollow last April .
Like other rigs and techniques , the Carolina rig has taken a finesse turn .
“ Now , small creatures , straight worms or craw imitations get more play ,” says Davis , who also fishes a lighter and more simplified version , the mojo rig , which leashes the bait to a
Worms , lizards , flukes , creatures and craws all play well on a Carolina rig . Try pairing this well-known rig with buoyant plastics that rise on the pause .
rubber core sinker . “ I always have a mojo rig tied to a spinning rod ready ,” he says .
The mojo rig is particularly effective in clear water of 10-foot depths or less . “ On any clear highland reservoir , the mojo comes into play ,” Davis says . “ I can cover water with it .”
Status : The Carolina Rig may be experiencing a quiet rebirth with broader usage of buoyant plastics leading the comeback .
“ The ElaZtech plastics in the Strike King line float , and that can be really important in short grass ,” says Davis . Z-Man marketing manager Cory Schmidt echoes the sentiment , noting that Z-Man swimbaits and the Scented Jerk Shad trailing a Carolina Rig are proving deadly . “ When you stop your retrieve , the bait rises ,” he explains .
As good as ever , the drop-shot rig is still a tournamentwinning technique .
ROBOWORM 4.5 ” STRAIGHT TAIL WORM
COLOR : AARONS MORNING DAWN
DROP-SHOT
Gary Klein regards the drop-shot rig as a landmark bass fishing development , crediting Aaron Martens for its widespread introduction .
“ It ’ s one of the most versatile techniques that I ’ ve experienced ,” Klein says of the deceptively simple combination of plastic bait with weighted dropper line . “ It ’ s also something more than it seems . It ’ s really a combination of presentations based on rate of fall , length of leader , bait , weight and hook style that allows you to present a lure like you are fishing live bait . It can do so many things !”
Klein calls drop-shotting a “ thought process ” ( a term he applies similarly to Carolina rigging ) rather than a technique – a challenge of matching presentation variables to fish and conditions . Its utility has prompted development of many offshoot techniques . The free rig , cherry rig , Tokyo rig and Jika rig can all trace their origin to the drop-shot concept .
Status : “ It ’ s a technique that is good for all , and it will never go away ,” Klein says . “ It ’ s a phenomenal technique .”
32 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024