I fish weighted and weightless TR...a lot. It’s one of my favorite baits to cast. I’m getting some sinkers, swivels and beads to set up some Carolina rigs with worms and creature baits. I know they are different rigs, so what I’m asking is, what situation(s) make you choose to fish a CR over a TR? Water temps? Depth? Structure? Aggressive vs non-aggressive bites? Time of year? 

 

And do you use the same hooks as with a TR (on the same bait) or something different? 

To me, the difference is in bottom composition.  If the bottom is soft, weedy or has a lot of wood, I use a Texas Rig.  If the bottom is hard, I'm throwing a Carolina rig. Carolina rigs work especially well when fishing shell beds.  A Carolina rig sinker bumps along the bottom while the bait follows behind.  A Carolina Rig allows you to feel the bottom as you fish.  When I feel the sinker go bump bump bump, I know I'm in the right place. 

 

Some Florida lakes have soft muck on the bottom.  If your Texas rig sinker is dredging up junk, go to a lighter sinker.  If the bottom is too weedy for a Carolina Rig, downsize to a Mojo rig.  Many anglers have a hard time feeling a strike on a Carolina Rig.  That's because there is no detectable tap when the bass hits the lure.  A Carolina rig strike feels like a wet dish rag on your line.  Both methods work.  Both have their positives and negatives. 

 

I use the same hook with both rigs.  For me that's normally an Owner or Gamakatsu 3-5/0 wide gap worm hook.  Sometimes the fish want a long leader, sometimes short.  You have to experiment.

For me a Texas rig is used more for fishing a particular piece of structure.

A carolina rig is used to cover a larger area. 

often times the two techiques overlap.

between the two, I fish a Texas rig 95 percent of the time.

Texas rig is more versatile..can be fished in heavy cover or open water. One can argue a Carolina rig is better suited for deeper open water but I've been swimming a Texas rig out a little deeper along the bottom with pretty good results.

I use the Carolina rig for covering deep , open water quickly . Texas rigs for cover or more precise situations . I hardly throw a Carolina rig these days .

Agreed...covering water with a C rig. Dissecting a piece of cover with a Texas rig.