(Editor’s note: The following article is from the December issue of BASS Times. Subscribe today.)
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The dynamic duo for tapping offshore structure has long been a deep diving crankbait and a Carolina rig. It remains a deadly combination, but Terry Scroggins and Matt Reed are just a few of many Elite Series pros who are substituting 10-inch worms and football jigs for the Carolina rig.
This isn’t to say that they’ve abandoned the Carolina rig altogether. They’re simply looking for that professional edge.
Scroggins won his first BASS tournament with a Carolina rigged finesse worm when he fished the Florida Eastern Open in December 2001 on the St. Johns River. Dragging the rig over shell bars 3 to 9 feet deep produced the winning weight of 40 pounds, 13 ounces over a tough three-day event. He finished more than 8 pounds ahead of second place.
The Florida pro still slings a Carolina rig when he’s in search mode because the heavy 1-ounce sinker covers the bottom fast and helps him feel rocks, stumps, gravel, brush and other bass cover. And he also relies on a Carolina rig when he’s targeting waters where heavy bass are scarce. By matching the rig with a Yum 4-inch Houdini Worm, Scroggins often boats limits of keeper fish.”The Carolina rig gets you numbers of bites,” Scroggins said. “It’s not so good for catching big fish.”
So he digs for the big 10-inch worm. (Full story)