Winter Tips: Carolina Rigging
As early winter comes to most parts of the country, weedbeds shrivel and sink. Bass evacuate their summer homes in shoreline cover, and they aggregate on or near structure in deeper water. The colder it becomes, the deeper they will go. It's true there are some bass who stay shallow and active all winter, but these shallow hold-outs are a very small percentage of the overall population. They are exceptionally hale super fish able to stay active and endure the bitter cold in the most life-nurturing of shallow winter oases.
For the overwhelming majority of the bass population, they won't return to the shallow shorelines until spring, and that makes the Carolina rig a great approach for the deep bass of winter. The reasons are several:
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At this time of year, bass are often not in dense cover. Often they hug or lay on bottom (you may notice fine silt on their bellies) on structure with sparse cover - relatively snag-free bottom - where the Carolina rig works best.
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Bass often go for much smaller baits in winter than they do in spring, summer or fall, and you can dredge a very small bait very deep with a heavy Carolina rig. You cannot easily pair a very small bait with any other heavy rig or jig. A three-inch 9C Senko or Fat Baby Craw, for example, would be ridiculously mismatched on a one ounce jig head or Texas rig - but such small baits present perfectly on a one ounce Carolina rig.
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Bass often like a muted movement from a bait during winter. A Carolina rig does just that - the leader line between the weight and bait mutes or dampens the action imparted by the weight.
Let's talk about that last point for a moment. Now, most people will say that the semi-weightless nature (meaning the bait is not pinned to the weight) of a Carolina rig allows the bait to develop more movement. Not me. I say a Carolina rig allows the bait to move less. Try these three tests and decide for yourself:
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First, rig a soft bait on back of a one ounce jig head. Drop it in water. Lift and drop the rod tip. What happens? Obviously, all the action you give to the jig head is exactly duplicated by the bait. The bait moves as much and as quickly as the jig head.
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Second, Texas rig the same bait with a one ounce weight pegged to its nose. Drop it in. Lift and drop it. What do you see? All the action of the weight is completely imparted into the bait, eh?
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Third, Carolina rig the one ounce weight and bait separated by a 2-3 foot leader. Lift and drop it. What do you notice? The sinker has a lot of action, but very little of the sinker's action is imparted into the bait. That proves my point. The Carolina rig allows a bait to move LESS than any other type of rig or jig - and LESS movement is often better for cold water bass!
Okay, that was important point number one I wanted to make about Carolina rigs:
#1: The Carolina Rig imparts less action to a bait than most other types of rigs that get down deep. Bass often like less action, especially in winter waters.
Important point number two, at least for me, is that I like to use a Carolina rig going DOWN structure - down the sloping tip or sides of a point, down a series of stairstep ridges, down a channel edge, down the side of an underwater hump or saddle - just down.
#2: As a heavy Carolina rig plummets down a depth break on structure, the bait flutters directly above like a bumbly balloon tied on a 2-3 foot tether. When the heavy weight bangs bottom again? The weight thuds to a stop but the bait that's been hovering above it now begins a totally weightless fall - that is when bass bite best! Work the heavy weight DOWN structure, and pause often to let the bait freefall weightless behind it. A 2-3 foot leader may be used, but the length of actual freefall is often shorter than that. Even still, that little precious freefall is when bass bite a Carolina rig best, and it doesn't happen enough when you work up structure or across level bottom - only down. If you're retrieving up a slope or across level bottom, your bait really isn't going to rise any higher than the sinker. It's only when the sinker suddenly drops down that you get the desirable freefall from the bait now above it.
A Quick Recap of What We've Learned So Far
Let's make a quick review of what we have learned so far. We started talking about Carolina rigs for bass that have moved onto deep water structure for the winter. We talked about retrieving so the rig falls DOWN structure which can be a series of stairstep ridges, tips of points, the sloping sides of humps, channel edges or whatever. As the heavy weight falls deeper, the bait drifts above it like a balloon on a tether. When the weight thuds to a stop on bottom, pause for the bait make a totally weightless freefall the length of your leader - which is when winter bass bite best during the pause.
The sinker creates most of the action on a Carolina rig. Because the bait is separated from the sinker by a leader, the bait itself has less action than if it was pinned directly to a jig head or Texas rig, plus the separateness allows you to present a small bait better in deep water without the bulkiness of a jig or weight ruining the small profile of the bait. Winter bass are often fond of smaller offerings, and it seems that chilly bass often prefer baits that don't move too much during winter.
Good Bait Choices for Winter Carolina Rigging
In spring, summer and fall, I often Carolina rig the Flappin' Hog, 5-inch 9-series Senko and 7-inch lizard.
On a Carolina rig in winter, I favor much smaller baits instead, such as the three-inch 9C-series Senko, four-inch 9S-series Senko and Yamamoto's 3FS-series Fat Baby Craw. What I don't want are squiggly, active, multi-appendaged baits. Leggy lizards, ribbontail worms, curly grubs, or any other action tail baits work well in spring, summer or fall, they are not my favorite choices in winter. For winter fishing, I opt for baits that both look simple and act simple. No wildly waving arms, tails, antennae, legs or anything else. I want a bait that has that "do nothing" fall of a dying or frozen critter slowly descending those last few feet to the bottom. I don't want a bait that looks too agile or energetic in winter. The best baits perform an unceremonious slow fall down to the bottom and lay there like they're not going anywhere fast. Lethargic winter bass will snap them up as they lay there.
Also, the 9C Senko, 9S Senko and 3FS Fat baby Craw are small but sturdy enough to withstand the g-force of being lobbed out on beefy Carolina rig gear. Not just any small bait will survive this treatment, especially not thin, wispy ones that may buckle under the strain of heavy tackle in conjunction with heavy sinkers.
Heaviest Weight Possible
Try to get away with the HEAVIEST weight possible without excessive snagging. Even with such small baits, there's nothing wrong with one ounce sinkers (provided your rod and reel can handle that). If your rod can handle one ounce, use it! If your rod can only handle 3/4 ounce, use that size sinker as your "go to" weight. The big weight does not bother the fish. In fact, a big weight raking and digging the bottom attracts bass over to the weightless bait kiting behind it. The heavy weight gets you to the bottom quick, keeps you in constant bottom contact, makes maximum noise and stirs things up on the bottom. All very good.
Lighten Up as Little as Possible
As you drag bottom, it's perfectly normal for the heavy weight to get temporarily bogged down in dead weed tops, mucky bottom, or on the edge of a rock or stump (but the trailing lure should not get snagged easily).
This temporary bogging down is generally a good thing. It will get you to slow down and pause up against the edge of something - just the kinds of places where bass hang out! Wait a minute for a bite, then give a slow deliberate nudge on the rod tip to jump start the weight and pop it loose to keep the weight moving.
However, if you are snagging and having to break off your line too often with one ounce (or whatever's the heaviest sinker for your rod), you may have no choice but to lighten up to 3/4 or 1/2 ounce until you stop snagging so much. A lighter weight will guide itself over snags and stuff that would bog down a heavy weight - but keep in mind that a lighter weight takes longer to reach bottom, tends to rise up off bottom more quickly as you retrieve, makes less noise and does not stir up as much commotion as a heavier weight. So, only lighten up the weight as little as possible to avoid excessive snagging - do not lighten up unless you absolutely have to avoid break-offs!
Also note that it may not be the size - but the shape - of your weight that needs changing. Oval egg sinkers are the best shape on rocky bottoms because eggs do not wedge into cracks as easily as pointy bullet-nosed sinkers. In crisp weeds or brushy areas, a bullet weight is more weedless and snagless than the egg shape. A thin, elongated "in-line" weight like a Mojo Carolina sinker or the Mojo RockHopper also make good choices in deep grassbeds (dead or alive) and rocks, respectively.
A long, heavy rod (ideally 7'6" to 8'), gutsy reel, tough low-stretch line with a heavy sinker (one-ounce Rockhopper shown) helps propel small baits on small hooks super deep to winter bass patiently waiting out the worst of winter's weather. Baits shown: 4-inch 9S-Senko, 3-inch 9C Senko and 3FS Fat Baby Craw. Smallish Yamamoto Sugoi 1/0 (shown) or 2/0 hooks match these baits. Thinner wire diameter (such as 1/0) is an advantage in winter as that often helps the hook set itself more easily than thicker wire hooks (such as 2/0). Leader shown is 2-1/2" of flexible 14 lb monofilament. Line on reel is 16 lb clear Sugoi fluorocarbon.
Lob it out There
As far as Carolina rig rods go, you DEFINITELY need a heavy rod to hurl a heavy weight as far as possible. Use a heavy action rod at least seven feet long (although 7-1/2 to 8 foot is even better) and half-hurl, half-lob the Carolina rig out there as far as you can DIRECTLY AHEAD of the boat. Cast out and when the weight thuds bottom, simply keep a semi-tight line and DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the first minute. Even though it seems that you are doing nothing, your lure is still nervously side-shifting around down there on its tether and attracting fish toward it. You may often just get bit on the initial drop while you do nothing for thirty to forty seconds. After that initial time, then gently walk your weight and lure back to the boat by using three to four foot slow, deliberate draws of the rod.
Slowly Draw It In
Do not retrieve the Carolina rig with the reel. Only move the rod very slowly starting from horizontal to the water to nearly vertical - slow and steady about three to four feet. The slower the better. Do not give it any rod action. Don't worry that the rod tip is too high at the end of the lift to set the hook. They never hit you on the drag. Now reel in the slack that the rod lift created and WAIT and WAIT SOME MORE. This is not a rapid-fire, multi-cast approach. It's when you're waiting that you'll get bit. That's when the bait has settled back to bottom and is laying there.
Rumble Time
Make a concentrated effort to bumble and bang the weight into everything in its path. Bang the weight up good as you make the long slow draws with the rod tip. The action of the bait occurs naturally as the weight drags through the different degrees and densities of the bottom terrain. Keep in mind it's preferable to go down the terrain. As the terrain plummets off, the weight plummets too, but the bait should mostly stay above the weight as it falls. Then the bait waffles down to the bottom like a dazed and dying, half-frozen critter. Then wait for the fish to bite during the long pauses between rod draws. The pause means everything. The longer you pause, the more fish you'll catch.
Detecting Bites
With so much weight, such a "do nothing" retrieve and the lethargic habits of winter bass, you may not feel any bite at all. You may not even notice a bass is on your bait until you begin the next rod draw. So it's very important that when you are done waiting, you have reeled up slack (without moving the weight) and the rod is back at horizontal. When you start the next lift, you are trying very hard to feel if a fish sucked you in during the thirty to sixty second pause. Keep in mind, it may not be a fish, but just a temporary snag bogging you down. (You are pausing the retrieve at spots where the weight bogs down on irregular bottom, right?) So, make a SLOW sweep until the rod tip loads up. This will either un-bog the weight, popping it free - or else take the slack out between yourself, the heavy weight and the fish if you still suspect you have one. A good fish indicator is that a snag will pop out, but a fish will not! You'll either pop loose at this point - or follow through to sweep the rod back and set the hook completely! That's how to detect a fish is laying on the line. All this happens in a split second - much less time than it takes to read this!
A Mostly Balanced System
Since you are using a heavy sinker, you need a heavy rod. Since you are using a 2-3 foot leader, you need a long rod - minimum 7 feet, but you will be better off (for casting and hooksetting) with a 7-1/2 to 8-foot stick. A heavy sinker and heavy rod must be balanced with a heavy line. If you use too light of a line, it will make for awkward casting. You'll just not be able to wield the heavy sinker the way it needs be done without a commensurately heavy line. A minimum of 16 pound test is about right for this. I favor Carolina rigging with Yamamoto's clear Sugoi fluorocarbon line as the main line. The Sugoi fluorocarbon is abrasion-resistant when it comes to the constant scraping of the sinker and raspy bottom contact that the main line has to withstand.
I also tend to use a little longer leader in winter (from 2-3 feet) whereas other seasons I usually use less than a two-foot leader. However, the longer leader in winter imparts less of the sinker's action to the bait, as it seems that less action (longer leader) may be more effective in winter.
For the 2-3 foot leader line, I opt for monofilament - 14 lb test mono leader with the 16 pound Sugoi fluoro main line. Mono is a bit more billowy and flexibly than fluorocarbon, and I find mono makes a better leader line (particularly for hooking and playing fish) with the very small baits and small hooks. To cast, there's going to be a certain way you'll need to throw this, with the two different line compositions, to avoid tangling and twirling. Just like there's a certain way to pass a football so it drills through the air, instead of tumbling.
It's a mostly balanced system that we've assembled above, and it's not dramatically different than the typical Carolina rigging outfit you'd use in any other season. The parts that become a little unbalanced, of course are the diminutive baits, but what really differs are the smallish hook sizes that need to be carefully set with such heavy gear. You'll just need to keep the small hooks in mind, and develop more of a sweep set than a Herculean jerk - and play the fish more gingerly to boatside. Keep in mind, fish don't actually fight the hook, they fight the fisherman. Don't believe me? Try this test - just stop reeling and let the line lay loose as you play a hooked fish. When you stop fighting, the fish will also stop fighting. If you pull hard, the fish will pull hard. If you pull lightly, the fish will pull lightly. So only you, not the fish, can pull the smallish hooks out during the fight. Don't do that to yourself. The heavy rod, line and sinker are there to achieve deep delivery of a small bait on a small hook. It's an interesting approach! It will take a little getting used to, and it isn't an iota as much fun as pulling with all your might against the heavy rod and line. Unfortunately, you'll strain the light wire hooks if you do that.
That's why I say winter Carolina rigging is a contradiction - by using smallish baits/hooks on big rigs.
I also like to use a little smaller bead (and smaller swivel) with the smaller baits in winter. I use a brightly-colored plastic bead (between sinker and swivel) to attract not only bass but also any small baitfish that peck at the bead. In spring, summer or fall, I usually use an 8 mm size bead. In winter, I use a 6 mm bead. I also use the SPRO Power Swivels in winter since they are the smallest, strongest swivels. The smaller bead and swivel just jive with the downsized nature of the presentation in winter.
Attractant a Messy Necessity in Winter
I like to douse the entire Carolina rig - soft bait, hook, sinker, bead, swivel and leader - in attractant. If for no other reason than angler confidence, soaking a rig in attractant is more important to me in winter than any other season. In winter, you are going to get less bites, let your bait linger longer in front of fish, and attractant helps keep your confidence high while hoping for a bite.
I simply save an empty bait bag, and whenever I retie a rig or put a new bait on the hook, I coil the rig around my fingers, drop the whole enchilada into the bag and drizzle a little attractant into the bag. >From the outside, I use my fingers to smush the stuff around to make sure everything gets coated. A liquid attractant is better in winter. A gel attractant gets too stiff to apply this way in cold weather.
Nothing could be finer! Dress warm. Pause long. Go Carolina!
| Musing About Winter Bass |
I'm not a fisheries biologist, but I have observed that bass and many other game fish seem programmed to fatten up during fall in instinctive anticipation of a scarcity of food during winter. As waters drop in temperature in winter, there is less food available to eat. For example, a surprising number of species of crustaceans, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians and insects all vanish into the mud or elsewhere underground until spring. Other prey sources become less dispersed and less available to predators as winter approaches as well. This reduces the total "energy content" available in the water - and consequently less incentive for bass to pursue food. Instead the bass will swim less, eat less and otherwise conserve the "energy budget" it has stockpiled (from fall) within its own body. As the water gets downright colder, food gets even scarcer, and the bass tend to fast for long periods of time in cold water. This inactivity happens gradually day by day and eventually causes its muscle composition and metabolism to change so that in deep winter, it could not swim fast or otherwise act as a quick swimming predator in cold water. Even if it wanted to, it would be impossible to swim quickly to pursue bait such as a minnow (or fast-moving crankbait). In extremely cold water, bass even tend to lose their balance and may even have difficulty in propping themselves upright on the bottom. You may even notice fine silt or mud coating the bellies of some bass. Keep in mind that this loss of swimming ability is a gradual process over an entire season of winter in cold climates. The bait has to become scarce over time, the bass has to become inactive and stop pursuing bait over time, the water has to increasingly become colder over time...all these changes take place over time. So, if there is a quick chill and quick water drop in early winter, you can continue to find plentiful bait and plenty of feeding bass in chilled waters in early winter. But, given time, the whole cycle of reduced energy content (less food in the water), energy budgeting by bass (less incentive to feed), and consequent reduced swimming ability will happen to bass in colder climates by deep winter time. In a "late" or unseasonably mild winter, when the water stays warmer longer than usual, fish may continue to follow the instinct to feed later into the winter than usual. This is generally not good because the low water temperatures restricts the rate of food absorption which also limits the energy intake derived by even a "well-fed" bass. Often, gastric evacuation results (puking) rather than digesting the food and unlocking its energy. In this way, the energy "cost" of maintaining a high metabolism for continued feeding is far more costly than the energy gained from it. Therefore, such continued feeding only serves to deplete and sap its stored body reserves (from fall) in order to "pay for" the continued loss of energy from the fruitless continued feeding. This breaks down the condition of the fish and compromises its ability to endure throughout the still long winter ahead. This affect is especially serious in younger and therefore smaller fish that simply do not have the body mass to "budget" large quantities of energy that will carry them over the winter. They will, however, be fine if a normal, cold winter slows their metabolisms to a very low level that allows them to subsist in a sort of suspended animation. I think that many winter bass mostly go into something like a suspended animation-like state to winter-over. I think this is a good way to think of it. This is a common pattern in nature, for animals to endure and in a certain sense "avoid" winter by going into a "deep sleep" and not waking up until spring. Besides, if you have ever seen bass during other adverse times of weather (cold fronts, very hot water), they are definitely prone to "zone out" and go into stupors or suspended animation not just in winter, but they often become inactive and drop into a stupor-like state at any time of the year when conditions are not favorable to them. Anglers generally say the bass are "inactive" then - whether it's for a few hours, a few days or even weeks. No doubt, the bass have shut down their high-maintenance body systems in order to budget their energy and wait for more favorable periods of time. This is not a conscious thought or decision made by the bass, but Mother Nature at work controlling their metabolisms to ensure their short-term vigor and long-term survival of the species. |