Product Review: Carolina Keeper

I am sure a lot of you Carolina riggers have seen the Carolina Keeper and have since dedicated a slot in your tackle box for this handy little timesaver, but if you haven’t, you soon will.

My first year of bass fishing I fished the Carolina rig far more than any other. It’s simple and very effective, along with being a rig that can cover a lot of ground. I was taught the same way many of you probably were, that is, use a heavy line, tie on a swivel with a brass weight and bead above it, and make an assortment of leaders with smaller line, that vary in length. I caught a lot of nice bass with this tactic, but had a lot of time wasted experimenting with leader lengths and break-offs. To me, this was just part of the art of Carolina rigging. It wasn’t until last year, as I was preparing for a club tournament at Pleasant, that I found an easier way. I was walking the isles at my local tackle dealer when I noticed this small bag next to the beads with the title of Carolina Keeper. I decided to give it a try. What they are is simply a small, round piece of plastic with a slit in the middle. Once squeezed with a pair of pliers, the slit opens enough to slide your line through. This item just erased the need for a swivel. All you do is slide your weight and bead on the line, followed by the Carolina Keeper, and then the hook. To adjust your leader you just pinch the Keeper and slide. There is not a whole lot more to say about it, other than it is definitely an inexpensive time saver. The cost for a pack of eight is about $2.29, and they come in clear or red.