I have never tried c rigging and was wondering what are the beads for and are they really necessary?  can I get by with the weight, swivel, leader, and hook?    Or am I really confused    sorry,  real new at this :-* :-/

No the beads are not necessary but they are useful, the bead is used to create sound ( that why it must be preferably made from glass ), when the sinker hammers the bead it creates a clacking sound, it 's like adding rattles to a jig.

In addition to making noise, they also help protect the knot.  Not necessary, but I wouldn't think of using a c-rig without the glass bead.  In stained water I use them on Texas rigs too.

In addition to making noise, they also help protect the knot. Not necessary, but I wouldn't think of using a c-rig without the glass bead. In stained water I use them on Texas rigs too.

Ditto

I use a brass klacker with a hollowed out center against my knot and ahead of that is my glass beads and my sinker, that way your knot suffers no abbrasion and you get plenty of noise from it...

I fish C-rigs frequently and have noticed a huge difference between not using noise makers and using them...   If you don't use them I feel that you are definately decreasing your chances...

The noise is created ahead of your bait so that once your bait arrives the fish are very curious about about what in the heck is making that noise about the time your lizard, craw or whatever you are fishing gets there, once they realize it look out its on...

PS- an option that I have tried with some success is C-riggin a husky jerk, works good...

The next time you are "forced" to go with the wife to the local craft store, check out the bead selections.  There are some pretty cool ones all made of different kinds of materials with different shapes and sizes.  I picked up a selection over the winter and plan to try them out when the weather settles down.

Try using brass weights instead of lead, brass transmits vibrations much better than lead and will give you a much better picture of the bottom composition.

Yes,use the glass beads for the sound they emit.I also believe in using a brass weight with a smaller brass clacker below the main weight.