[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"learn-card-the-carolina-rig":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"applyCta":6,"authorId":9,"body":10,"cardType":74,"description":16,"difficulty":75,"discipline":76,"editorId":9,"extension":78,"glossaryRefs":79,"hook":85,"meta":86,"navigation":87,"path":88,"publishedAt":89,"readingSeconds":90,"regionTags":91,"relatedCards":92,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":95,"seo":96,"status":97,"stem":98,"track":99,"updatedAt":89,"version":75,"__hash__":100},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-carolina-rig.md","The Carolina Rig",{"label":7,"action":8},"Find a bass-friendly lake","open_planner",null,{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":70},"minimark",[13,17,20,56,63],[14,15,16],"p",{},"The Carolina rig separates the weight from the bait. The sinker stays glued to the bottom; the soft plastic floats 1-3 feet up, swimming naturally in the strike zone while you do nothing but drag.",[14,18,19],{},"How to tie it:",[21,22,23,32,39,46,53],"ol",{},[24,25,26,27,31],"li",{},"Thread a ",[28,29,30],"strong",{},"3\u002F4 oz bullet sinker"," onto your main line.",[24,33,34,35,38],{},"Add a small glass or plastic ",[28,36,37],{},"bead"," — this protects the knot and clicks against the weight, attracting fish.",[24,40,41,42,45],{},"Tie on a small ",[28,43,44],{},"barrel swivel",".",[24,47,48,49,52],{},"Tie a ",[28,50,51],{},"24-36 inch fluorocarbon leader"," to the other end of the swivel.",[24,54,55],{},"Finish with a 3\u002F0 or 4\u002F0 wide-gap hook and a soft plastic of your choice (lizard, creature, finesse worm, fluke).",[14,57,58,59,62],{},"Cast it long. Let it hit bottom. Then ",[28,60,61],{},"drag"," with the rod, not the reel — slow, steady sweeps of the rod tip, taking up slack between each. Pause at every change in bottom (rocks, gravel-to-sand transition, a sunken log).",[14,64,65,66,69],{},"When you feel a \"thump\" or sudden weight, ",[28,67,68],{},"reel down"," to take up slack before setting the hook. The long leader means you need that contact before the hookset has any effect.",{"title":71,"searchDepth":72,"depth":72,"links":73},"",2,[],"technique","1",[77],"spin","md",[80,81,82,83,84],"carolina-rig","swivel","leader","split-shot","structure","Drag a soft plastic across the bottom on a long leader. The most reliable summer bass rig — and it works for big lake trout, too.",{},true,"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-carolina-rig","2026-05-18","130",[],[93,94],"drop-shot-for-trout","reading-bass-structure",false,{"title":5,"description":16},"published","learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-carolina-rig","building","jtqfLhvMGz5zejjaveGtqoiLIU9MzbB2W_x1PW_yLyo"]