nigewoodcock

Can't take any credit for the swivel on the 'D', or for the blobbing of floss. Two separate ideas that I have seen and liked so incorporated them into the way I mount a bait on a chod rig. I did think about the shot on the swivel though. Although I am sure others have done it/thought of it. Just I have never seen it before. I started by having the shot on the loop but it progressed to how it is in the photos.

Do you perhaps have a link for niges photo. http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=55738 There you go mate.

I tried mo's a few years ago. Got ripped off with them not sending what I paid for. Emailed them and spoke to a lady there. Still nothing off them. Once bitten and all that!! I have heard a few good reports off them but I won't use them again. This of course, could just be a one off occurrence but because it happened to me direct, it has stopped me using them. They do seem to get a lot of recommendations so they can't be that bad all the time. The amount I use though, I am just as happy buying the odd bits from my local tackle shop.

What bobbin would you suggest? Wouldn't want to use a leader in weed. In fact, I would try my hardest to avoid them altogether if possible.

A bit more to it with the worms. No cork involved Ill show you at Cromwell Dan

like the worm idea any chance it would work with maggot i dont like cork etc as it looks untidy the way i do it You could mount a cork ball like a popup as normal. Then just glue the maggots to it?

Nige...I hope you dont think I was rubbishing your way of doing things mate???...certainly wasnt......I have to keep fiddly rig work to a bare minimum due to arthritis in both hands...fingers dont do what they could a while back....so I have to make it easy for me to be able to tie up etc with this in mind .....the split shot is good.....used it for a while Not at all mate. I just wanted to explain why I do it like I do. Frank mentioned something on a thread a few years ago. He said something like people will show why they use but don't explain why or how they do it. I noticed I had done this after Guy's comment. As mentioned, I have made lots of changes to it and am happy that I am fishing it to its best ability now. That's not to say it won't change further if I see someone else's ideas and think its better than what I do now. Like you and Ian have said - learning all the time

The following thread shows a bit of the way it's changed.

I use chod rigs quite a lot. They suit what I'm fishing over and present the bait as I want it. The way I tie them now has evolved and changed until I have found something that I am totally happy with. The popups I use have varying degrees of buoyancy. I can simply change the size of shot to suit. No messing about with putty. Having the shot where it is allows the rig to sit in a much more pleasing way than the putty version does. The rig has so much free movement compared to a 'standard' way of tieing them. As mentioned, that's how I started using them and adapted to suit. I have also developed a way to fish worms on the chod which I haven't seen anyone else doing. I've not used it that often but have a couple of waters in mind where I feel it should fish well. I don't think that the way I tie them is over complicated in any way. The ring on the D is replaced by a mini swivel, the putty is replaced by a shot. There is a loop at the swivel end rather than a grinner or the like. Again, this aids movement in the rig. I used to use a figure of 8 loop but was shown, on here, the perfection loop. So much neater and the line leaves the knot with no side kink whatsoever.

I just like the independent movement capabilities. I imagine that if a fish approaches the bait from the 'rear' of the rig. It gives the hook the best chance of catching hold. Confidence is the main part though. It might have no benefit whatsoever but in my wierd head its worth it? Lol

Del, tie one up like I do. Once done and baited, hold onto the bait and the swivel. When you blow on the rig, it spins freely, in either direction. This, for me, is reason enough for adding the extra metal as you say or over complicating things. The only extra 'fiddle' when mounting the bait is to blob the ends of the floss. Ian, those popups are the most buoyant I have ever seen. This is the reason for the shot on the swivel. It lets the rig sit nicer than putty. I do use a mainline pineapple popup sometimes and it holds up for a good 18 hours on that rig. If I was having problems then I would do away with the mini swivel and use the same floss and blob method on a ring.

I put a mini swivel on the D. Put the floss through it and pull through the bait. Pull the swivel into the bait and then blob the two ends with a lighter. No tieing involved.

I tie up my chods at home and keep them in an old rubber bead packet in my box. All other rigs are tied as and when I need them on the bank. They are always simple and not much variation so easy to do. Hinged stif rig is just a boom with a chod section added. Bottom baits are either on a standard coated braid or a braid for solid bags. Pop ups the same with a shot added.

Whoops Typo''''''''Foot''' I never got on with ' and " for feet and inches either I always get it muddled up - mm are much easier to work with. Although I do switch between the two!

2 and 1/2 inches of water??? Sticklebacks??

No worries Kev. Up to you if you want to share or not It's just that I can see how trying to blow a cocktail stick out of your mouth is difficult. But that also means sucking one in no handed would be of equal difficulty???!

Kev, lets have a look at this rig of yours then. Would be really interested to see it with the claims that it can't be ejected once the bait is taken.

but this line is misleading...as a hivis pop up i dont think hooks them because they are feeding, it the "what thats" factor and they mouth it,may be with no intention of feeding Your right mate - it is misleading. With a single, hi vis bait or over flavoured bait for instance, you are sort of enticing them to take a taste even though they may not be feeding. That is an act of bait application though - you’re not trying to get them on the munch as you believe, at that moment in time, they don't want a big feed - just an inquisitive taste. Any sort of big baiting approach in this situation would probably hinder your chances? It still wouldn't make much difference if that single bait was presented on a 'standard' pop up rig, a chod or a hinged stiff rig for instance. It’s the baiting strategy that is getting you the pickup.

Fishing a single would come under the same banner of 'bait application' in my mind Beanz. Pre baiting, free offerings, fishing singles, bags - all would be described as bait application.

Thinking about this more, I reckon that the baiting situation has 10 times more importance than the rig (as long as the rig is a good one). You need them to feed before you even get chance of them picking up your bait. A good rig, suited to the bait your using and allowing that bait to be presented efficiently, will do for me. As said, specific fish targeting would have me delve deeper into this but it would still be lead by the feeding situation I want, or rather need, to get that one fish to pick up my hook.

I have desribed the rig Nige...............beleive............if \\\i get a single beep............that means a hooked Carp..............if not it's a liner! Before the beep on the buzzer or the movement on the bobbin/line, do you think the fish has mouthed/picked up the bait any number of times before? I think, or rather know, I get done loads before hooking up. Yep, I can change things to improve the ratio but what works for one fish may not work for another. I try to find a happy medium as I am not fishing for one target at the moment. I am on a new water that I just want to get to grips with. If I was fishing for one or maybe two target fish then I would be doing all I could to get the information needed to know I was using the optimum rig and baiting situation for that said fish. This would come from watching it feed (where this is possible), other anglers catches of her/him along with other lines of inquiry.

Kev, not after any argument mate. Just an open and honest debate around rigs that, as you say, may inspire others or myself to think and adapt. There is no doubt in my mind that your rig works. Maybe you could explain the theory behind the rig? You know I won't be asking you to describe it in detail, no need for that. You may help a few people turn things around in there fishing. Like the original poster for instance, who is having trouble?

No one is saying your rig don't work. Just that it is highly unlikely that there is one rig out there that will have a 99% hook up rate. If that were the case........

Try getting that same said cocktail stick into your mouth to the position you describe, no hands! Not trying to suggest your wrong or mocking you in any way kev. Just, I do have an open mind and like to understand things.

How has it caught 100's of carp if they haven't seen it?! Lol Being serious though Kev. Do you really think that it has a rate as high as 99% of carp not being able to eject or is it tongue in cheek? If so, what makes the results so high? I honestly don't think that there is a rig out there that can have that sort of ratio between getting the bait picked up and hooking a fish.