None of the above. I prefer a single hook chicken rig.

 

Either of 3 mentioned above….

 

I’ve had plenty success with both. Not live baiting but with squid and frozen cigar minnows. I know a lot of Galveston guys prefer knocker rigs. Plenty success with chicken rigging also. I kinda feel like I have missed some fish with knocker rig when I made up with an egg weight sitting directly on top of a circle hook. I may try just making some up like a very short Carolina rig with the weight about 3 or 4 inches from the hook.

 

Yea, I'll take a chicken rig over the above listed options, but mine is a two hook setup with a large loop on the bottom so I can easily install/remove weight. Makes it very small and I can fit a lot of rigs into a pouch, then have separate weights in a box.

A simple diagram for newbies (or people with bad memories like me).

 

One snapper fishing day, I had been using a Carolina Rig and a heavy jig tipped with squid, with no luck. I had read that a Knocker Rig worked well, so I tried that. Bingo. It totally amazed me, as I see no difference between that and the jig. I still prefer a short Carolina Rig, but if you are not having any luck, give them all a try.

 

Very true! Inshore or offshore . . . if what you're using isn't working try something else. I've seen people fish one spot with one bait all day and wonder why they went home empty handed.

 

Any tips on keeping a Carolina rig from tangling on its way down?
I use Carolina rigs inshore a lot and never have that problem, but last year with a big egg sinker offshore it was a mess.

 

don't drop it so fast.
When snapper are finicky, I'll use a lighter flouro leader and a carolina rig with a big bait

 

Same question about the chicken rig. That looks like a tangle waiting to happen.

 

Chicken rig doesn’t tangle often, only when using light line or long hook leads. Last year I used 60# floro and had a variety or lengths pre-tied. Only saw tangles on some of the lighter rigs (20#) with too much line at the hooks.

I use this knot:

 

The leader in the video is the way I've made double and single drop leaders for decades. However, his finished product is quite different than the leader shown in the previous illustration. IMO, both drops in the original illustration are too long to be practical.

 

I also use the large loops, gives you the ability to use large hooks for snapper and easily swap to smaller hooks for B - liners.

 

Carolina Rig with fluorocarbon leader for me

 

Carolina rig with long leader for me