FISHING WITH THE TEXAS AND CAROLINA RIG
Many of you are familiar with these finesse techniques by now, the Texas and Carolina rig. These two techniques have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. And because they both work so well, it is important to understand what they look like and when to use them.
The overall advantage of the Texas and Carolina rig is that the lure is fished in more slowly. This keeps the lure in the predator's strike zone longer, making it easier to entice them to take a bite.
The main difference between the Texas and Carolina rig is that the Texas rig is more effective for fishing in an area with lots of cover, such as weeds, stumps and vegetation. The Carolina rig, on the other hand, is more effective for fishing in open water and barren areas where you need to fish a lot of ground quickly.
Texas rig
Equipment:
- Fluorocarbon line; 0.25 - 0.35mm; 60 - 100cm
- Bullet weight
- Offset hook
- Plastic or glass bead
To fish the Texas rig, use soft plastic lures, also called softbaits. First, slide a bullet weight through the fluorocarbon line, then do the same with a plastic or glass bead. Then take an offset hook, and attach the line to it.
Tip: If you fish on mussel beds or bottom with lots of stones, use a slightly longer fluorocarbon underline (+- 100cm). Fluorocarbon has a higher abrasion resistance compared to your braided line.
Now place a softbait on the hook. If you are doing this for the first time, this can be a bit cumbersome. Thread the hook through the head of the softbait, the hook point should come out along the underside. Then turn it a quarter turn and pierce the hook through the belly of the softbait. The final step is to make the hook "weedless" by poking the tip of the hook back into the body of the softbait.
Carolina rig
Equipment:
- Fluorocarbon line; 0.25 - 0.35mm; 60 - 100cm
- Bullet weight
- Offset hook
- Plastic or glass bead
- Swivel
- stopper
With the carolina rig, it is recommended to use 2 different thicknesses of fluorocarbon. Whereby the fluorocarbon piece with the bullet weight is thicker than the lower line. This way, when you hang on, you still have a chance of recovering the piece with the bullet weight.
Take a piece of fluorocarbon underline (0.30 - 0.40mm) of ± 30cm to attach your bullet weight and bead. It is recommended to place a stopper above the bullet weight and below the bead to protect your knots. Under the bead weight, attach a small barrel swivel.
Take a piece of fluorocarbon underline (0.20 - 0.30mm) of ± 50 - 80cm to attach the offset hook with the lure. You can vary the length of the underline; the longer the underline, the longer the floating moment of the lure.
WHAT SOFTBAITS DO YOU USE?
For the Texas and Carolina rig, there is a wide range of softbaits in all sizes and shapes. Creature baits are often used, these are immitations of lobsters or insects, but shads are perfect too. Nowadays, there are also more and more softbaits on the market that already have a notch in the belly and back. Because of the notch in the back, the hook point is tucked away in the shad, so you get stuck less rapt. In turn, the notch in the belly makes it easier for the hook to come out of the softbait on a bite.
Especially for the Carolina rig, floating softbaits are preferred. The softbait will then float almost weightlessly behind the bullet weight, which makes it super effective.
Tip: If the softbait floats strongly, weight the hook with some Tungsten putty. This way it will sink slowly to the bottom.
