Since most water dwelling creatures are cold blooded, Thliveros theorizes that the slow, lifeless glide of the centipede is indicative of the way the underwater world behaves at 55-degree temperatures. Thliveros says that thin, premature vegetation is another premium ingredient for Carolina rigging a centipede. According to Thliveros, current also warrants use of the Carolina rigged centipede. The water was cold, the vegetation was thin and, due to high water, there was a lot of current throughout the whole Kissimmee lakes system. He prefers to rig the bait sideways.
Most people thread the centipede on a hook so that the hook sits on the flat underside of the bait.
I actually rig the hook in the bait sideways, so that the hook sits in the side of the bait. Thliveros uses shorter leaders on his Carolina-rigged centipede in cold water. When selecting tackle for his centipede studded Carolina rig, Thliveros considers three proven combinations. He prefers this setup when probing deep grass or stumps in off-colored water. It's really just a scaled down Carolina rig that works well with a centipede.