salokcinnodrog

If you want to find the actual depth of the silt, try tying a length of wool up your line from your lead towards your marker float. It may sit at a slight angle in the water, but the wool will take on the silt colour if it sinks into it. BINGO, rough idea of actual silt depth. 1 or 1.5oz lead should be able to get out to 50metres or so. I believe Moorsey uses 1.5oz at close on 100metres if he needs to fish that far out and casts it out.

Looks like the original D-rig going back up the hooklink line. The shrink tubing tidies it up very well. I used to do the same sort of thing, only using cotton or whipping thread to hold the tag end in place and the tag end of the whipping went under the "body" and was then cut very close. A drop of melted candle was used and held it in place quite nicely, although that way was very fiddly to do.

For years I've used various dog biscuits as my freebies, but occasionally the hookbait has been a bit of cork, or a fake dog biscuit. If the carp are feeding confidently enough they take everything as they mooch and munch around the area. At the moment I use Bakers Complete Dog biscuits as my bait, its very rare for me to use the big cubed meaty chunks as freebies, but often do as my hookbait. Its the same as bottom fishing. You may feed with pellets, particles or groundbait (stick, method or spod mix), yet your hookbait is often a boilie or the current fashion, a piece of fake plastic corn . Surface fishing is the same.

Yes Zig bugs do work as surface baits, at least the last 20lb carp I landed took one, and I also lost one that took another. Get the fish feeding confidently and they will take almost everything on the surface in the area.

Thanks for the comments Gentlemen,and I appreciate the chance to contribute to threads like this I dont know Nick personally,but I asked for his opinion on Pro-Carp because he seems to know what he's talking about regarding Carp gear,and has used a popular economical line for years.He ties a good knot and I hope He likes the line after a thorough testing. Pro-Carp and Gt80+ are based on a copolymer,which we have used for many years with some slight adjustments to help sink rate ,but not at the expense of casting performance. Lewis Read deserves a mention for developing these lines,and I confirmed his results with knot and abrasion tests. We are both responsible for any complaints---That keeps us on our toes. As I mentioned on the first post on this line I have only used the line to test it. However, it has made it onto my reel spools as I know I mentioned about the slightly smaller spool quantity than I would have liked to fill my reels to the brim. If I didn't like it, it would have gone into the bin, as a few other lines have gone that way in the past. Get a spool, it doesn't do what I think it should do, so it gets binned, or given to someone who is happy to accept my handoffs . I'd much rather spend money on what I know works rather than what may or may not work, so nearly all of my tackle gets tested thoroughly before being used in an actual fishing situation. (I think the only exception to this is leads). As for the knots, when I did the breaking strain tests I used a Uni knot (my standard fishing knot); however just to be sure in my own mind using some shorter lengths I have tied a few other knots in the line, and it holds well. Uni, Blood and Palomar knots haven't given way when tied to swivel and hook and pulled hard as you would (or should) test a hooklink. I have not found many lines that will take various knots and still work. I don't use Superglue on any knot I tie, every knot is just the knot holding the tackle together I'm currently juggling life again so I can get some fishing time in, but I have a distinct feeling that Pro-Carp is likely to be my choice of mainline from now on.

Only when all the slack is taken up. I fish my indicators at maximum drop, or resting on the ground. I use running rigs over groundbait (which I think is creating the same effect as particles), where the carp are just hoovering up the whole lot as they "graze" along the lakebed, and where I am fishing with scattered baits, stringers and bags and have not noticed any problems. In respect to when all the slack is taken up surely then slack lines would give worse indication? If a fish picks up you're bait and pulls 2 inches of line through your leads run rig does your alarm beep and your bobbin move? I believe it does, which is resistance, causing the bolt effect. Imagine a slack line running through a tube, you can pull it quite easily, the water acts in this way, as a tube, so there is minimal resistance. The indicator lifts up easily with the slack line. I think the only resistance is when the slack line has been taken up and is now pulling tight Now try a tight line cutting through the water, whichever way it moves there is resistance.

I must admit that I avoided GR60, for its breaking strain it was a very thick line (15lb was 0.40mm I think from memory), and compared to some other lines was expensive. With the price of the Pro-Carp I'm a lot happier putting my money that way now

Only when all the slack is taken up. I fish my indicators at maximum drop, or resting on the ground. I use running rigs over groundbait (which I think is creating the same effect as particles), where the carp are just hoovering up the whole lot as they "graze" along the lakebed, and where I am fishing with scattered baits, stringers and bags and have not noticed any problems.

I must admit, I don't think that the weight of the lead drives the hook home, but more the speed that the carp moves away. (Have a look at the 2 pics I put on this thread about hooksharpness, http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=53280) If it is "spooked" and panics (bolts), then the weight of the lead may have some relevance, and the heavier the lead, the more chance of it pricking the fish. The hook actually gets driven or pulled in more during the fight. A carp can actually eject the hook with a semi-fixed lead, from what can be a very good hookhold (see Ken Townley's chapter in Tim Paisleys Big Carp), by mouth movement alone. With running leads you are getting indication that there is interest in your hookbait, from those first bleeps, to a proper run due to the slack line allowing line to be pulled through the run ring in whichever direction the fish moves, whereas with a semi-fixed lead the carp has to move past the length and arc of the hooklink.

Gardner Pro Carp £9.99

Gardner Pro-Carp Monofilament Mainline. I was asked to test this line in 0.35mm diameter, so this is my initial findings, and as I did breaking strain tests on a spring balance I may have slightly different findings from professional tests. As of yet, I have not used the line "in anger" as it were, everything has been done on the workbench. First test was to cut off 5x 1 metre lengths of Pro-Carp and attach them to a standard lanyard at both ends with a Uni knot, I then attached one lanyard to a fixed point (my garage wall), and the other to an old set of scales. (This is NOT recommended for your best fishing scales) On 5 pulls until breaking the line, I got slightly different results, but that is down to eye on a set of scales, and hand working at the breaking point. Test1 18.5lb Test2 19.5lb Test3 20lb Test4 19lb and a bit Test5 21lb Please note, as I said it was my eye checking it as I pulled gradually backwards, so readings are NOT 100% accurate, but every test was well over the 15lb rating. Next test, obviously how supple the line felt, and it was very smooth and supple, more supple than my other mono Daiwa Sensor, and it was actually visibly thinner. I did cut another metre length, and dropping it in a bucket of water, it sunk very easily of its own accord without needing pushing under to break surface tension. Loading onto the reels from a bucket of warm soapy water, it was smooth and went on very easily, no kinks, no twists and had a good line lay, again, better than Sensor. As I said, first impressions and it has now been made my first choice line, it is on all 3 spools of my Baitrunners. My only point of disappointment, and that is simply because I'm awkward is that the 15lb 0.35mm spool is supplied in a spool length of 920metres, I did have to put some backing on my 10000 baitrunner spools to get to the spool rim.

With a slack line and running lead, there is no such thing as a drop back. Line gets taken whichever direction the fish swims. Simply wind down to the fish and play.

i know that the lake bed wont be truely flat, my understanding was that if you let the line sink allowing it to fall over the contours of the lake, then add a back lead obviously it tighens the line but closer to the lake bed, reducing, not fully eliminating, liners, clearly not the case, cheers for the advice again sal much appreciated not much weed in this lake, just on the bank when im there anyway lol using the running lead set up with the back lead i was getting twitches at the rod tip, without the alarms going off, ive often been on the move to pick up the rod, before the alarms have gone off due to the rod tip moving so much, also i thought the whole point of this kinda set up was that everything was tight, so that bite indication was almost instant the moment the fish picks up the bait and starts to move off. this is kinda the whole reason ive tried to gear my set up to this so i get almost instant indication of fish even if there just picking the bait up and dropping it, lets me know at least there in the swim, and feeding even if they dont taking my bait, i can change that accordingly. Adding the back lead, doesn't allow the line to follow the lakebed contours, it just tightens it up over them, so with a slack line that may fall down onto the lakebed, your're actually now pulling it tight again. The line twitching at the rod tip with running leads and slack lines can actually be small fish hitting the line between the surface of the water and the lakebed. The running leads will give you instant indication, and indication of almost every sniff and miss, you don't hit it until you get a proper screamer. You need to have the indicator at maximum drop, laying on the ground and with the line running slack through that as well. In fact the line should be touching the base of every ring, properly slack with loops in between the eyes. Not saying its right, but since I use running leads almost every time I fish, it works for me; Cast out (and I'm fishing at ranges from 0-100metres), and feel the lead down on a tight line. With the line on a tight line, put the rod tip underwater and pull slack off the reel as you move the rod back to the buzzer. Keep on pulling line off to allow extra slack, then put the rod on the buzzer and attach indicator, pulling even more line off the reel. As it sinks through the water, it may start to pull your indicator up, each time, slacken off again. It may take as much as 20minutes for the line to go totally slack.

The backlead may be part of your problem; they can reduce the time it takes for any indication to reach your rod, by the time you've picked up the rod the fish could have gone seconds ago. If it was bream, the chances are you'd actually reel in after no indication with a bream on the end of the line. You are adding an extra angle from rod tip to backlead, then from the backlead to your lead and end tackle. Add to that, its extremely unlikely that every lakebed is perfectly flat and smooth, your backlead may actually be pulling the line into a weedbed, or onto a gravel bar, and from that it is then tight to the main lead or another gravel bar or feature, so it does NOT necessarily reduce the chance of liners.

Have you ever surface fished at all before? I put a tail rubber through the eye of the controller, (I use a Fox Exocet, Margin Tackle or a Drennan controller (being as I have them to hand), and then the mainline through the tail rubber and attach it to a size 8 swivel. Attach a hook/zig bug to a long hooklink of at least 60cms long, to as much as you think it needs to be to avoid spooking the carp, as much as 1.5metres, strength dependant on fishing circimstances etc (I use 12lb Drennan Sub Surface Fly Leader, 7lb Trilene XL, or 10lb Preston Reflo line). Then the other end attach to your swivel. You should be able to cast this fairly easily, the controller adds your casting weight. Any use: http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=34583

May actually be carp picking up the topper in their lips by "sight", and when you lift up could be pulling the hook out, or they are not feeding comfortably. If they were feeding comfortably, its likely that you would get pick-ups on the single Cell Boilie as well. The chances are bream would still pick up an 18mm boilie even with a snowman bait. It could even be small silver fish picking up the bait by sight, yet not big enough to get an 18mm boilie in. It may even be a fish trailing line, or liners, you may be being done, and the bleeps are the bait being ejected. (Look for rod tip twitches) Try one or all of these, but change one thing at a time; lengthen the hair lengthen the rig, put more feed out (you have fish in the area, and maybe not enough to get them confident). If using a knotless knot set-up, there are occasions when a line aligner will help hook fish. Change the hooklink material, the supple section may be too short, or not supple enough. As an aside my hooklink materials with a Combi are Amnesia in 30lb Clear and Merlin or SuperNova. The whole hooklink is about 20cms long, 15 of Amnesia, and 5cm of the soft section, and I attach the hook with a proper hair, at least 10mm separation between the bottom bait and the hook. (18mm bottom, 15mm Pop-up), so the hair is at least 45mm long in total from shank to tip of pop-up.

Ask Moorsey about Combi rigs and bottom baits Mind you, I use Combi-rigs with snowman set-up most of the time. All that is letting you down is the location. Don't piddle about with rigs, just concentrate on getting your location and feeding right. When that happens, and if you then start losing or missing fish, then start adjusting your rigs

The only thing this Moderator is doing with the post is "Stickying" it. Like Gary for a lot of years I used the stuff (and can "prove it" from old diaries), but did not realise the problems that go with it. Eventually after comments made by Goblin, Jemsue and some other people on here, and losing a fish, I decided to get into the water to prove or dispel the myths that I thought they were making up. To my surprise I found all they said was true regarding splices, abrasion, twisting, kinking and preventing release and the problem of potential fish tethering. Like Gary I also purchased some ready made leaders and the ends frayed away, even with a Needle knot, and on a cast the whole leader left the mainline. I had to go in to retrieve them as it was during the experiments I was running. I had a BIG argument with a certain magazine and its editor about publishing leadcore rigs as I thought it was irresponsible, the whole e-mail saga went on for a month or so, and yet he didn't want me to publish or post his comments on here or any other forum. Then the magazine went onto do a "For and Against" debate, with Keith Moors and another name. I was accused of scaremongering, and told that the time I spent typing I didn't have time to do any actual fishing. I remember the death of Arnie the Big Common at Linear (? the name of the lake I am not sure of), and being found tangled up in leadcore in snags on one of the lakes, then the same sort of death has happened to other fish since then; Grey Tail I believe was found dead wrapped up at Suffolk Water Park, and a couple of fish I have found myself (still living fortunately), and then Simon Crow decided to take the trouble to publicise a DEAD fish he retrieved wrapped up in a Leader. There was also another picture published on here and in magazines with a fish having taken a piece of plastic corn wrapped up in a bundle of lines (in plural), some of which were leadcore and leaders. Gary, I would be very interested in any photographs you have of your experiments. Might be worth posting on here, and sending to a magazine or 2 to see if they reply. Incidentally the (13page) thread regarding my comments sent to the Magazine is still on the forum, and if anyone wants to have a read of the thread and the argument it turned into I will PM the search terms or the link if you want it.

I know in the past it has seen plenty of Trigga and Tails Up Protavit Liver. May be worth pre-baiting with them again as the carp really do get onto them. Suggestion to use BIG baits as the tench as nice as they are can be a pain, even then, you may still pick up BIG tench, to over double figures

I'd say Heartsmere, Marsh or Yew Tree on the Waveney complex. Burgh Castle is good for a few fish. Airfield is probably the highest profile and advertised at the moment. Thinking about it, Taverham Mills might also be worth a punt

Long time since I've fished in Norfolk being as I moved away 18years ago, but how about Shallowbrook, just in Costessey, on the funny bend from the Dereham Road. Cranworth/Woodrising near Watton. I think Cranworth will probably show up on here in past threads, and also there is this with a few places: http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=46858 It may be since I wrote it that some numbers or details have changed, so if they have, I apologise, but if anyone has current info I'd be happy to change it

Not sure you quite got the reason for the elastic right, you may be right, but I always thought it was used as a "smack back", to stretch and then hook the fish itself. I think you've hit the nail on the head in terms of risk though; an elasticated feeder is a potential risk. In the event of a mainline snap-off a fish is trailing a feeder. If that feeder snags up, then the fish could potentially be tethered. OK elastic usually has a lesser breaking strain than your mainline, but if the feeder is tethered, a carp will have to accelerate from zero to break the elastic to break free.

No a bolt rig is running until it hit's the stop, by then it's too late! Probably also termed "shocka" rig. The lead is free running until it hits the top stop.

Somewhere in my tackle box I have a Fox Submerged Pike Fishing float which I found , which does exactly the same job as the Carp Adjustable Zig rig. The line goes through the middle of the float, same as a Drennan Zeppelin or other float in the range, so is easy enough to use. Thread a run ring on the line, then a rubber bead, then the float or whatever kind to your hooklink swivel. For the hooklink I use a length of about 30-60cm. Cast it out, but instead of having a slack line as you would with a running lead, keep the line tight, as with zigs you may need to strike at any indication. You can either have the bait close to the lakbed to start and work it upwards, or go the other way around, from the surface downwards.

You need a baiting needle big enough to "grab" the swivel, and it can be a pain to pull through the stick. I used to cut down a mesh boilie or wide loader and cut a slit in it. I could then put the hooklink in the mesh without much faffing about, and then simply tie the top end and tie the hooklink on Just a suggestion for you though, even though you're using a "stick mix", you can still use pva bags, and although I've not tried it, the Fox Easy loader should work quite nicely.