Catching Big Smallmouth Bass on the Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig can be a lethal system for catching trophy sized smallmouth bass. This technique allows you to effectively present a bait on or near the bottom with actions mimicking common smallmouth forage with minimal snags. 

Follow the tips in this guide to rigging and fishing a Carolina rig to hook into your share of lunker bronzebacks.

The foundation of the Carolina rig starts with the weight system. Tie a heavy bullet, barrel or egg-type slip sinker (1/2 to 1 ounce) directly to your main line. Next, tie on a 12-24 inch fluorocarbon leader using a barrel swivel and add a glass bead between the sinker and swivel. At the end of the leader, snell on an offset worm hook from size 1/0 to 3/0 depending on the bait you're using. Offset hooks work well to increase hookups. 

With the rig complete, thread on your preferred soft plastic option like a 4-6 inch worm, lizards, creature bait, craw, or swimbait in natural colors like green pumpkin, watermelon, or translucent shad imitations. The long leader allows the bait to move and flutter seductively behind the sinker.

Target smallmouth cover and structure in 10-25 feet of water such as rock piles, weed beds, submerged timber, creek channel ledges, and humps. Cast past prime spots then allow your rig to sink to the bottom. Retrieve the lure by dragging and hopping it along the bottom, imitating a crawfish and other baitfish foraging through rocks. Vary your retrieve cadence (speed and action) until you find the cadence that triggers the most bites.

Bass pro Mark Davis is well known for using the Carolina rig during tour events when pursuing both largeouth and smallmouth bass. Take a few minutes and listen as Mark explains his approach to using the Carolina rig when chasing big northern smallmouths...

When you feel a strike, sweep your rod tip back to drive the hook home. Keep steady pressure on bass to keep the smallmouth beneath the surface and be ready for powerful runs. Use your reel's drag and rod action to tire out fish quickly. Consisntently following these tips will help you land trophy smallmouth more consistently on the Carolina rig when fishing your favorite smallmouth waters.