Looking to toss a c rig this year in Ontario, lowland lake with lots of milfoil. Thinking mostly 3/4 but a 1/2 oz at times. Instead of going straight fc I was thinking braid to a fc leader. I’ll be throwing it on the steez bottom contact. I was thinking of actually using 50lb cortland silent braid as main line because it’s still decently thing but very silent for pulling tha weight through the milfoil edges. I’d then run a 16-18 shooter leader. What are your thoughts on this ? Would you go straight fc or do you find braid to leader can work well? I figure the braid and strength in the milfoil would be ideal. Idk though, maybe that leader is going to break a lot given the weight location (bottom of the lake) and the fact that almost all fish are going to wrap around some stalks? What setups do you like throwing around milfoil? I’ve had some success on the c rig this year and I’d like to make it more of a staple.

I'm not a successful c-rig fisherman, but I will vouch for 16lb shooter. That is tough line that I would not worry about at all. It's my choice for my braid to leader jig/worm setups in a heavy grass/zebra mussel lake.

scott

Go with a mono leader. It will slow the fall of the bait both after the cast and after you move the weight. That is, of course, if that is your intention. I know guys that like to work a C-rig fast and fluoro will work just fine for that. I prefer braid mainline as it will cut through the weeds and I go with a shorter than normal leader to reduce the possibility of the leader line getting wrapped around the weed stems.

How deep we talking?

I rig a lot. Like made fun of for it, a lot.

Are you doing braid to flouro then to the swivel then to the leader?

I'm on Champlain and spend a lot of time on St Lawrence rigging in very similar situations. Straight 20lb Flouro (trying 18 Tatsu) to a Phenix Finesse weight (in weeds) to a Spro swivel. Braid when a weight is sliding on it, over crustaceans (yes they're all over milfoil stalks) will still fry quickly. It's different than flipping (up and down with the stalks) because you're dragging through/across them. Stick to a hard line.

Leader... nobody can show that a 1-6' piece of mono floats a bait more than flouro. Don't overthink it... 12lb YoZuri Hybrid is awesome stuff. Also if you think about what a rig does, it mimics some creature on the bottom. It's on the bottom for 2 reasons. Lives there or is dying. If it lives there, it does so for a reason and floating off the bottom isn't something it will do naturally. If it's dying (Fluke or bull flat) they dart around a bit then settle, the leader material won't make a difference.

I love rigging but if you're going bushwacking with it, it's definitely a steep learning curve (different weeds snap at different loads so a mix of weeds will have 2+ different feelings. Add in the clams and rocks and gravel etc. That's a lot of different thumps to sus out which is a fish. Also baits getting pulled down by the weeds. Leader needs to be short too.

I agree with @papajoe222 , I’d use a monofilament leader.

My exact C-rig setup it 50lb braid mainline (for the same reasons you mentioned), a 1/2oz-1oz egg or bullet, to a 20lb Big Game leader.

Carolina rig is one of my favorite springtime tools. I usually throw an 8 inch magnum zoom lizard on mine.

Alot of people rig a carolina rig alot of different ways but after many years of tinkering, here is what works for me. 30 pound braid mainline with a tungsten worm weight and a PLASTIC bead. The plastic part is very important because tungsten can shatter the glass when you set the hook on a fish. swivel of your choice(I choose a dark colored #2 or #1 size). Then I run approximately 24 inches of 12 pound flouro to a 5/0 offset worm hook(the hook of course should be sized to the bait accordingly). Thoughts on mono or flouro leaders. You can use a mono leader and they work well enough but I feel the stretch and minimal abrasion resistance of mono has caused me to miss more fish than I catch. Flouro is tough and has minimal stretch and I feel is the best choice. How the bait reacts off the bottom can be manipulated alot more by the position of your rod tip than the line itself. Now there is one alternative almost nobody talks about. Copolymer. Copoly has a mostly neutral buoyance and sometimes with a bait and hook combo that is neutral buoyant can really cause bites. Bottom line is there is no right ro wrong and what works for you is what's best. Tinker around and play with your setup in some shallow water so you can watch how it reacts maybe find some shallow weeds to drag and watch then decide what you like the best.

9 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

Go with a mono leader. It will slow the fall of the bait both after the cast and after you move the weight. That is, of course, if that is your intention. I know guys that like to work a C-rig fast and fluoro will work just fine for that. I prefer braid mainline as it will cut through the weeds and I go with a shorter than normal leader to reduce the possibility of the leader line getting wrapped around the weed stems.

I agree with the mono leader (I like Trilene XT) and a plastic that floats like a BBB Flying Squirrel, or BPS Floating Lizard.

I’ve been thinking I need to get the Crig more into my lineup. Would 17lb Invizix work as a leader on 30/40lb 832?

My setup is 40lb braid to a spro power swivel, to 16 or 25lb Sunline System Leader.

16 hours ago, HamSlammer said:

I’ve been thinking I need to get the Crig more into my lineup. Would 17lb Invizix work as a leader on 30/40lb 832?

Do it. I started running it this spring and so far, it’s definitely had its moments. It’s caught good fish and I really like pulling it along, pausing, then going to pull again and tap-tap-thump! Sometimes they thump and go, look for that line running.

These are my best green and brown bass this spring on a Carolina rig; largie on a baby brush hog, smallie on a smally beaver

16 hours ago, HamSlammer said:

I’ve been thinking I need to get the Crig more into my lineup. Would 17lb Invizix work as a leader on 30/40lb 832?

I still like "neutrally-buoyant" mono/Co-poly - over sinking fluoro. That plus a floating plastic gets the lure slightly up off the bottom after the drag. The sinker tends to kick up silt/debris and a plastic that comes up above that gets seen/bit easier by a fish following the grinding noise of the sinker. 10 lb Trilene XT mono is about the same diameter as 17 lb Invizx fluoro and what I typically use.

Are you guys throwing this on spinning or casting set ups?

5 minutes ago, HamSlammer said:

Are you guys throwing this on spinning or casting set ups?

Casting, but you can use either. I find the preferable MH and Heavy 7'3" to 7'6" length rods a little easier to find in casting rods though...

23 hours ago, HamSlammer said:

Are you guys throwing this on spinning or casting set ups?

Casting, a 744 Dobyns Champion. Although I used to throw a half ounce C-rig with a lighter wire EWG hook on a MH spinning rod.

So, the other week I was determined to try out this C rig. I didn’t land anything but pretty sure on one of my first casts, I had a catfish take everything. The question I had was about casting distance. Any tips or advice? I tried to dial brakes back a little with a roll cast and not blow up the reel.

On 5/22/2026 at 8:24 AM, HamSlammer said:

The question I had was about casting distance. Any tips or advice? I tried to dial brakes back a little with a roll cast and not blow up the reel.

I use a side arm roll style cast as it cuts down on the rig helicoptering. Think almost like underhanding a softball. Slightly put a little tension on the spool just before the rig hits the water, that allows the business end of the rig get behind the sinker. As for distance, the weight should give you all the distance you need.

I’ve been learning c rigging myself and like to peg my weight. I leave 2-3” of separation for “play” of the sinker, but it keeps it tight and compact for casting. Shorter leader also helps with casting, but always run the leader the fish dictate. C rigs are cool and I’ve found I enjoy the bite while fishing them. They definitely work and STILL have a place in bass fishing.

My current preferred C-Rig setup is the Daiwa Elite 7'6" MH+ / XF Patrick Walters "Big Worm" rod (now affectionately dubbed "Paddy Wawa"), paired with a JDM Antares 100 XG with 15 lbs main line connected to a 3-4 foot J-Fluoro 8 lbs leader. I use either a 3/4 oz or 1/2 oz egg sinker depending on wind conditions.

The Antares (with it's 37 mm spool) has been unchallenged for c-rig casting distance.

I usually don't have to stray from a 4" Keitech EZ Shiner or Swing Impact in Electric Shad.

When I need to take a heat check on the bass, this is my go to rig to see if they're home and awake.

It’s hard to drag a 3/4-1 oz sinker in heavy milfoil. My solution is to use 2 3/8 oz tungsten sinkers to equal 3/4 oz. Will pull through the grass easier and you also get a louder click.

I use the BC2 also for the ol' ball and chain. I use 12lb Invisx and a Carolina keeper. I did away with all the hardware 10 years ago and haven't missed it in the least. Being able to adjust the leader length is a plus for me.

I did my fair share of c-rigging in and around vegetation when I lived in Florida. I used braid to a rod length of copoly (12lb yzh) leader, with a cylidrical tungsten weight 12-15 inches from the lure held in place by 1,  sometimes 2, bobber stops depending on weight, typically 1/4 or 3/8oz, occasionally using 1/2 oz in deeper water. Most hits seemed to come at the very end of the cast or not very far from where the bait entered the water.

14 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

I use the BC2 also for the ol' ball and chain. I use 12lb Invisx and a Carolina keeper. I did away with all the hardware 10 years ago and haven't missed it in the least. Being able to adjust the leader length is a plus for me.

Bc2 has been a great stick for this. 12lb, you must be fishing open water

7 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

Bc2 has been a great stick for this. 12lb, you must be fishing open water

Pretty much, We have rock (hence the name) and some wood.