Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Using a Carolina Rig for Crappie

A Carolina rig is nothing more than a sinker, a bead, a swivel, hook and bait or lure.  You put your egg sinker (or any sinker with a hole for the line) on your line followed by a small bead then tie on a small swivel.  To the other end of the swivel tie a 1 to 3 foot piece of mono about 2 pounds less than your main line.

Tie on a floating hook or floating lure to the other end of the line and you ready to go.  Bait up and toss it out.  Slowly work the rig back to you.

The best time to fish these rigs is during the hot "dog days" of summer on flats if you can get to them.

The Crappie will move onto the cooler deeper flats during the hottest days of summer because the forage has moved there.

Crappie cannot easily get to any food on the floor of the lake or bed of the stream because of the way their mouths are angled so you want your bait or lure to float above the muck a foot or so.  Using the Carolina rig you not only allow your bait to float above the muck, but as you reel in the rig you stir up the mud and this causes the things that live in the mud to float up.

This sort of chums up the Crappie and they come running.  You just provided them with a great free cafeteria style meal which includes your bait or lure.

If you really want to get them going try casting and retrieving in a fan pattern before even tying on the line and hook.  This will really stir things up on the bottom.

I would suggest using 6 to 8 pound line as the main line and 4 to 6 pound line from the swivel to the hook.  You will lose hooks and lures with this method because you are working over the bottom and there are always things to get hung up on.

You might also try floating fly fishing lures or ones made of foam to keep it above the muck.

You will catch catfish and bass on this rig so make sure you have your drag set for that, just in case.

Good Fishing