13 hours ago, Catt said:

What ya need a leader for?

Catt, you've been around long enough to know how a Carolina rig works. Taking shortcuts is never the right answer in life or in fishing.

12 minutes ago, S. Doolittle said:

Catt, you've been around long enough to know how a Carolina rig works. Taking shortcuts is never the right answer in life or in fishing.

I think what he means is why a leader of a lighter test .My leaders are the same test as my main line . I have never used a Carolina Keeper but am going to try it . I use 3/4 ounce weights and am skeptical that the keepers  they will keep them in place .

I use a leader with lighter test because my main line is 50lb braid  I would still use a lighter leader even if I was still using mono so when I get hung up (because we all know it's going to happen), I want to be able to just lose a hook and plastic, not my expensive sinker/bead/clacker/swivel setup. 

I'm plenty vocal about my hatred for C rigging, but I've gotten much better at it since I switched to braid for my main line. Feeling everything is much easier, and hooksets are much surer than they use to be. 

18 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I use a leader with lighter test because my main line is 50lb braid  I would still use a lighter leader even if I was still using mono so when I get hung up (because we all know it's going to happen), I want to be able to just lose a hook and plastic, not my expensive sinker/bead/clacker/swivel setup. 

I'm plenty vocal about my hatred for C rigging, but I've gotten much better at it since I switched to braid for my main line. Feeling everything is much easier, and hooksets are much surer than they use to be. 

Braid is probably the way to go . I tried it and cant use it . The way I hold my line and I've been doing it that way forever , it cuts my index finger on the hookset .

On March 27, 2016 at 8:28 AM, S. Doolittle said:

I'm not a fan of those Carolina keepers either. I like to run 15-17 lb fluorocarbon as a main line and 12lb mono as a leader. You can't do that with a Carolina keeper. If you want to make rigging easier, tie up a few leaders with a hook on one end and a swivel on the other before you leave the house. Then, all you have to do is slip on a weight and a bead and tie one knot. It may not be quite as simple as using a keeper, but it's far more effective. 

Could have been a little more specific!

Your main line is 15-17lb with a 12lb leader

My question why a leader?

My basic setup is 15 lb, 3/8-1/2 oz, & a Carolina Keeper.

When I break off I simply tie on a hook, move the keeper up, & cast.

The reason for my setup is simple. I have a strong, sensitive, abrasion resistant main line with the heavier fluorocarbon. The lighter, mono leader is more buoyant and gives the bait better action. A few more things to consider are rod, reel, and hook selection. I prefer a 7'6" MH/F rod and a high speed reel. I built mine on a Rainshadow REVC76MH and paired it with a Revo STXHS. I almost always choose a traditional round bend worm hook over an EWG hook when fishing the C-rig. I just seem to get better hookups with the round bend hooks. There's a lot more to fishing the old chicken liver rig than some people realize, and I suspect that is why a lot of people don't do well with it. Give my setup a try, and see if your Carolina rig game doesn't improve. 

normally a space monkey or a ribbon tail

4 hours ago, S. Doolittle said:

The reason for my setup is simple. I have a strong, sensitive, abrasion resistant main line with the heavier fluorocarbon. The lighter, mono leader is more buoyant and gives the bait better action. A few more things to consider are rod, reel, and hook selection. I prefer a 7'6" MH/F rod and a high speed reel. I built mine on a Rainshadow REVC76MH and paired it with a Revo STXHS. I almost always choose a traditional round bend worm hook over an EWG hook when fishing the C-rig. I just seem to get better hookups with the round bend hooks. There's a lot more to fishing the old chicken liver rig than some people realize, and I suspect that is why a lot of people don't do well with it. Give my setup a try, and see if your Carolina rig game doesn't improve. 

Mine's a Falcon LowRider® XG Carolina Lizard Dragger 7' H Casting Rod

Shimano Citica CI200HG

Preferred hook