Field Guide
Carolina Rig
Bottom-dragging search rig for finding offshore bass and reading bottom composition.
Confidence
Gear
Rod
Cashion ICON Worm & Jig 7'3" Medium-Heavy / Fast.
Reel
Shimano SLX 150 DC 7.2:1 LH — fast enough to pick up slack before the sweep set.
Line
Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon 17 lb straight through — sensitive, abrasion resistant, no leader knot through the guides.
60-Second Refresher
When to Throw
Good Water
Post-spawn through summer when bass move offshore. Hard bottom near deeper water. Pressured fish that won't chase. Windy/sunny days when bottom contact matters.
Bad Water
Heavy brush, thick grass, or wood where the rig constantly hangs. Soft muck with no transitions. Shallow target fishing — Texas rig is cleaner.
Terminal Tackle
Build it from the line down
Main line → Carolina weight → red glass bead → swivel → 24–36" fluoro leader → Owner Rig-N-Hook → Texas-rigged plastic. 3/0 for smaller plastics, 4/0 for most lizards/creatures, 5/0 for big worms.
Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten C-Rig Weight
Green Pumpkin — 1/2, 3/4, 1 oz
3/4 oz is the primary all-purpose size
Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Faceted Glass Bead
Red — 8mm
Adds click, protects knot, strike target
Owner Micro Hyper Barrel Swivel
Size 8
Small profile, strong, clean
Owner Rig-N-Hook Worm Hook
3/0 · 4/0 · 5/0
Size to the plastic
Lizards & Plastics
Three Zoom Lizard colors cover most days
Watermelon Red for clear water and sun. Green Pumpkin / Chartreuse Tail as the classic spring/early-summer sight target. Junebug for stained water, low light, and deeper summer fish.
Zoom Lizard
Watermelon Red Flake
Clear water, sunny, natural forage
Zoom Lizard
Green Pumpkin / Chartreuse Tail
Classic C-Rig, spring/early summer
Zoom Lizard
Junebug
Stained, cloudy, low light, deeper summer
Zoom Brush Hog 6"
Green Pumpkin / Watermelon Red / Junebug
Also produces — proven creature backup
Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver 4.20
Green Pumpkin / Hematoma / Magic Craw
Compact creature for pressured fish
Where to Throw Each
Points
Long tapering points, secondary points, and point ends.
Humps
Offshore high spots with hard bottom or bait nearby.
Ledges
Channel swings, drops, and contour breaks.
Rock / Shell
Hard spots, gravel, shell beds, rock transitions.
Grass edges
Clean holes in grass and outside weed lines.
Transitions
Mud to rock, grass to clean, small rock to big rock.
Cheat Sheet
5–10 ft / shallow flats
1/2 oz weight.
10–20 ft / all-purpose
3/4 oz weight.
20+ ft / wind / current
1 oz weight.
Default leader
24–36 inches.
Grass or brush
Shorten leader to 18–24 inches.
Clear water / pressured fish
Lengthen leader to 36–48 inches.
Cold front / short strikers
Shorten to 18–24 inches.
Found a loaded spot
Use C-Rig to find them, then slow down with a Texas rig, jig, or shaky head.