plebhead

ill grab some in the 30lb tomorrow and see how i get on with it, tried pliers also mate but i still wasn't happy with the end result bit fussy when it comes to tying up rigs, got to be the best/neatest i can get it i just like the stiffness of the 45lb, once straightened over the kettle it keeps it ridgidity and straigtness superbly. ive also fell foul myself trying to pull knotts tight with my teeth lol also got a few chips from putting on/taking off split shot from when i was a nipper. thanks again, ill try that and see how i get on

Nick, anyone, have you tried using clear amnesia in the 45lb? reason in asking is ive tried to use this as the "boom" section of a hinged popup rig, using the 15lb or 20lb for the short section, the hook end. hope ive explained that ok? but im not happy with the knots, too bulky for my liking. but i really like the stiffness of the 45lb version any ideas??? sorry to hyjack your thread zebs

you could try a light lead, 1oz 1 1/2 oz with a long hooklength 18inches or so, this could depend on the length of the weed, then use pva foam on the hook to slow the decent of the hook bait so it rests ontop ot the weed and does not catch up in it, also critically balanced hookbaits/pop ups may help in this situation? you could try the pva bag aproach as this will flatten/sit ontop of the weed? if there are alot of silver fish, smaller fish in the lake you could prebait with particals, hemp/pellets/corm etc and let the fish clear you a spot over time? or even try casting your rigs out when the sun has gone down as this is when the weed will be at its lowest (stooped), as during the daylight weed will tend to "reach" towards the sun. just a few ideas you could try, im not the best at fishing in and amongst weed so maybe others could give you better ideas/advise????

when fishing weedy waters (canadian pond type) and the carp are more confident in eating amongst it i try to find a spot that is less dense, then ill use a short hooklength (3-1/2 inches or so) with a 4oz lead so i know my hookbait is making it to the bottom. also it may help to find which way the weed is growing down the lake, and if there is any new growth of weed, as the naturals (snails etc) WILL follow this and the carp WILL follow them

a friend of mine uses one of his guitar strings, and seems to do the job with no fuss atall, sure ive read a post on here of somebody doing the same? id also agree with not spitting on/wetting the line as this makes it near impossible the thread

everything you need to know is in the links Nick has provided, leadcore is a great addition if used correctly, just use common sense, make sure any beads, clips, swivels etc can pass over the knot you use to attatch the leadcore to your mainline so if in the unfortunate event of a crackoff etc the fish can shed the lead, personally i use the needle knot as illustrated in the above links to attach my mainline as it gives a very slim/neat knot which any rubber beads/leads i use can pass over with ease. and touch wood, ive never had one give way under preasure

when tightening your knotts down try steaming them as you do mate, as for rig putty, heavy metal can be a bit of a pain to get to stay unless you tie a little pole elastic on or wrap a little leadcore inner on then mould the putty around this, critical mass is alot better to work with on fluro as its actually sticky hth

i was the same, used fang x exsclusivly (sp? dont care) untill i lost 2 fish one after the other withing 2 mins, playing one and lost it just as i got my second run then lost that, i kid you not, to which i changed to the wide gape and long shank, and touch would, ive nor=t lost a fish since, now whether this is to do with my change in hook patern i dont know? but it has certainly given me my confidance back

i use a "modified" version of the korda longshank for the majority of my fishing, if i do use a popup/zig then i'll use a wide gape

regarding zig rigs, personally ive only dabbled with them, and ended up changing over to a bottom bait within a few hours (lack of confidence) i guess, must give them a proper go, what i was wondering is how to go about fishing zigs at depths of 40/50/60 ft? i mean a 20/30ft hooklength would be a reet [censored] to cast. wouldn't it?