A well-tied rig that works effectively can make all the difference between carp fishing success and failure.
Depending on the type of hookbait you are using and the lakebed you’re fishing over, a number of key factors need paying close attention to if you are to ensure the rig performs to its maximum potential. So let’s take a look at the elements of a good rig that need fully mastering.
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Hook choice
We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to hooks. While selection may come down to personal preference and confidence, there are certain hooks that are best suited to particular scenarios.
When fishing over gravel, a beaked point hook is preferable to a straight point, as there’s less chance of the point catching on a stone and becoming blunted. Beaked points also tend to hold in place better once a fish is hooked, which is worth bearing in mind if the venue you’re fishing has a barbless hook rule.
Straight points are said to penetrate faster when a fish picks up the hookbait, and many anglers prefer this style when fishing with pop-ups as the hook is lifted away from any bottom debris.
Also consider the angle of the eye. When using stiff hooklink materials for rigs such as chods, you’ll need to use a pattern with an out- turned eye, otherwise you risk reducing the gape of the hook. For coated and supple braid, an in-turned eye is the number one choice.
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The ability to reset
One thing that has become apparent from viewing the many underwater films that are available is just how often our rigs get picked up and then ejected. If yours isn’t able to ‘reset’ after this happens, you could be left with a tangled mess that has no chance of hooking anything.
Using a pop-up rig with the hookbait attached via a rig swivel, either on the shank of the hook or via a D-rig method, means there’s no worry at all about the hair tangling if it’s spat out. It will still be in prime position to hook the next fish that comes along.
Stiffer hooklink materials such as fluorocarbon, that naturally want to straighten out, are more likely to reset effectively than softer braid materials, which can fold back on themselves when ejected. This is why rigs such as the Ronnie rig are so popular. They always remain fishing, regardless of how many times they are picked up.
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Add an anti-tangle sleeve
The addition of an anti-tangle sleeve to your rig is really important. Whether you’re using a safety clip, a helicopter or an inline lead arrangement, having this sleeve pushed over the swivel allows it to act as a stiff boom that pushes the hooklink away from the lead in flight and while it falls through the water. This prevents tangles and straightens the rig out once the lead hits the deck.
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How much putty?
Most anglers will add a blob of tungsten putty to their hooklink to ensure that it is sitting flush to the lakebed, or to anchor a pop-up. But do you ever consider how much putty you’re adding, and why? By varying how much you mould around the rig you can fine-tune the rate at which your pop-up sinks.
When fishing over silkweed or silt it is beneficial to critically-balanced the pop-up so that it sinks incredibly slowly and settles on top of any debris. To do this, mould a blob of putty on and then trim bits off with your scissors while testing the rig in the margins until you get the desired fall rate.
When tying pop-up rigs, like the Ronnie, vary how much tungsten putty you add to the knot of the loop to determine the rate at which the pop-up sinks. Over baited, clean spots, you can overweight the pop-up to pin it down on the harder areas and stop it moving around unnaturally. The extra weight will help to pull the hook down and catch hold in a carp’s mouth.
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Shrink your tubing correctly
A small length of tubing steamed over the eye of your hook can drastically improve the performance of a rig by encouraging the hook to flip over and catch hold when picked up. On the flip side, do it wrong and you’ll make your rig less effective.
The easiest way is to take a 1cm length and steam it at a slight angle. The main mistake people make is using too long a length at too aggressive an angle, which actually closes the gape of the hook, making it less likely to gain purchase in a carp’s mouth.
More advanced presentations, such as the Noodle or Withy Pool rigs, require longer lengths of tubing to be carefully shaped and curved to create set-ups that are incredibly difficult for carp to deal with and eject.
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