So the last time I ever threw a Carolina Rig with any success, I was in my late teens. I'm in my late 30's now and yesterday I rediscovered this technique. I was throwing a motoroil colored vintage Fliptail(straight tail)worm and got bit on it.Didn't feel like a bite, more of a "crunch".Anywho,I got the fish, nothing huge, but really got me fired up.

I know some here that swear by a Carolina rig...what are some dynamite, sure fire, drop dead, knock out baits to try on a Carolina rig?

Oh and what's with the "French Fry/Centipede on a C-Rig? Heard those work well...why?

I too am curious.. I hate throwing the Carolina rig, but I hear it works like crazy

I don't know, but I heard that you'd go to hell if you used anything other than a lizard on a carolina rig.  I've never put that to the test.   I seldom fish a carolina rig, but when I do I use a green lizard.  My guess is that you could tempt fate and use whatever plastic bait you wanted.

I've had success with the old ball & chain when trailing a Senko.

 

And for something different, try a Sebile Magic Swimmer Soft Pro on a Carolina rig - nice.

 

A-Jay

lizard or brush hog works for me. thats all i ever use, stick with green pumpkin, or natural colors. ive tried worms, like a zoom trick worm, but no success. 

It's either the Rage Lizard or Eeliminator for me!

 

 

 

 

I am by no means a C-rig expert but I am making a point this year to fish it often. The green or pumpkin seed lizard has always been the standard but I'm going to try some soft plastics that have appendages such as craws or creatures. Something with arms that the current will move. Fish it slooooooooow.

Rage lizard. I only c rig when I feel I have to. But when I do, the rage lizard is the only plastic I have ever had success with. As far as action, the lizard might be the best in the lineup IMO.

A Zoom 6" lizard in green pumpkin or watermelon is hard to beat anytime.  But yes, a centipede is great when the bass want something smaller and less squirmy.

I throw a Carolina rig a lot, and I've had success with a lot of different baits. For the most part, I choose a bait for a Carolina rig similar to what I would throw on a Texas rig under similar conditions. A few of my favorites include a Lizard (duh), Brush Hog, Salt Craw, Trick Worm, Senko, Fluke, and small (4"-5") swimbaits. I've never had much luck with French Fry type baits, but honestly, I haven't used them much. Some people swear by them.

Lizard, senko, trick worm, baby brush hog, centipede, and a 3" tube.

My go to's are the Rage Lizard and Senko

As previously stated....Lizard!!  Pretty much all I use.

Watermelon lizard and sometimes a Fluke

 

Mike

Zoom speed and super speed crawls. (Traditional craw bait, good vibrations)

Rage Shrimp (a bit more subtle, FLOATS and super durable)

Sebile Magic Swimmers. (Big bait but subtle, great when smallies are crashing bait balls)

Arkie French Fry (subtle and not very large)

Smoking Rooster (bigger and obnoxious vibration) .

These 5 cover everything you'll ever need when rigging.

Rage Tail Lizard is probably my personal favorite, but a very close second, and probably the best C-rig bait in the world, is the Eeliminator.

#1-Smokin Rooster

#2-Biffle Bug

#3-Eeliminator

#4- Zoom Lizard

#5-Space Monkey

 

Honorable Mention-Senko

I've always used Berkley Powerworms, Zoom lizards, brush hawgs, and Rage hawgs. Colors are watermelon, junebug, and green pumpkin.

#1-Smokin Rooster

#2-Biffle Bug

#3-Eeliminator

#4- Zoom Lizard

#5-Space Monkey

Honorable Mention-Senko

I like this list! Personally I would swap out flukes for the senko and add any floating worm around 6-7 inches in length to the list and that would be pretty accurate for my bait selection.

Airboure you are just a pup yet LOL. I wish I was at that age again!! In the summer I am fishing deep weedlines with a big football jig or a C-rig and here are some baits that I fish on the C-Rig= Brush Hog,Zoom flukes,5in.grubs,floating tubes,7in. up to 15in. ribbon tail worms,paddle tail swimbaits,Lizards,french fry and centipedes after a cold front,Bandit Footloose crankbait,Bomber Square A,Rebel wee crawfish,Rapala floating # 7, all these cranks float and it works real well,the one bad thing,sometimes a fish will come un-done.

Airboure you are just a pup yet LOL. I wish I was at that age again!! In the summer I am fishing deep weedlines with a big football jig or a C-rig and here are some baits that I fish on the C-Rig= Brush Hog,Zoom flukes,5in.grubs,floating tubes,7in. up to 15in. ribbon tail worms,paddle tail swimbaits,Lizards,french fry and centipedes after a cold front,Bandit Footloose crankbait,Bomber Square A,Rebel wee crawfish,Rapala floating # 7, all these cranks float and it works real well,the one bad thing,sometimes a fish will come un-done.

I don't fish a c-rig often but I like the idea of a c-rigged crankbait.  How heavy a weight does it take to get a floating crank like the square a to stay down?

As you can see the options are huge! A 6"or 8" Zoom lizard has long been my go-to C-rig bait. A Brushhog or baby Brushhog, and various worms will sometimes get the call. The last couple of years I have been trying various large worms with different tail actions with some success. 

 

 

 

...For the most part, I choose a bait for a Carolina rig similar to what I would throw on a Texas rig under similar conditions... 

 

I think this is an important part of the bait selection process. While either a T-rig or C-rig can be the preferred technique at times, depending on the lake and season there is a size or profile that works best. Finding that is usually not an exact science. Good luck! I have had times when the C-rig has put fish in the boat when nothing else would...

Ive done my best on large worms, ribbontails to be exact. The anaconda is going on it this year.

I fish a 1/2 or a 3/4oz. weight when i C-rig any bait cranks,worms ect. I fish alot of deep water,at times I will go with a1oz. weight.The bigger the weight the better the feel.

Brush Hawgs are my #1