nash_gadgeteer

I use a pole winder, and actually have a box of them tied up at different lengths that i can swop round quickly when used with a quick clip.. see link: http://ww.tackleup.com/preston-seat-box-accessories/preston-winder-boxes.html Just add the extra "W"

Could I ask a question about the "hand test"? I have seen the videos where various rigs are dragged over the heel of the palm to demonstrate how the hook will behave. It would seem to me that this only demonstrates what is happening when the line is being pulled i.e. when there is tension in the line. This will happen when the boilie is being sucked in or if the carp is backing away. If the carp is just mouthing the bait or is blowing it out, the feature demonstrated by the hand test is surely irrelevant? Ideally you want the point to turn over and prick the bottom lip of the fish, whether that is done using a taut hooklink or the carp blowing the bait out. So draging it across your palm and getting the hook towards the edge just before you pull it off the edge the hook cocks and pricks the palm on the edge... I very rarely loose any carp, cant remember the last, if i get a run its on, and well nailed in the centre of the bottom lip.. Results speak..

Me personally would change a few things, but not all at the same time: Firstly make the hooklink longer 8-10" to start with and see how you get on, because the lead may be getting plugged and the running part of the set up maybe not working as well as it should. Secondly change from a Fox SSBP to a Fox SSC as the beak point may be glancing off the carps lip, as the lips may be soft due to the make up of the lake bottom. Bait size is fine, and hair separation is fine, but you could play with this using extenda stops to make it just slightly longer. If you still fail more than you achieve, then it may be worth using a piece of silicone on the hook to put the hair coming off the point bend instead of the shank bend, this makes the point heavy and when you try it in your hand the hook turns ready to catch the bottom lip, this can be further improved by adding a small blob of tungsten putty approx 2" from the hook.. Hope that helps, if not drop me a PM...

You have a PM..

I would be thinking that you are connecting the loop up to a quick link... There are two ways to look at this, I have used coated braids like Fox Coretex which does the same but use it to some advantage and have sometimes stripped back approx 1cm near the loop to add a extra hinge. Or i sometimes use link loops and tie a standard blood knot or grinner knot. but test your hooklinks as some coated hooklinks slip with these knots, and use plenty of saliva to help the knot bed down. Hope that helps...

I use the Fox adjustable zig kit for the for fishing zigs in lake areas deeper than 9ft. Once the adjustable kit is set up as per the diagram on the back of the packet, i use a hooklink of between 2-3ft. On setting up after cast, I prefer to reel in to get contact with the lead, as you would when feeling the bottom with a marker float. Then put the rod on your rod rests and alarm, then pay out line 1ft at a time (two pieces of tape on you rod 12" apart work a treat) to set the depth. For Example: You are fishing a area of your venue that is 12ft deep. The float is 12"long and the hooklink is 2ft long, and you want to start at approx 3/4 of the depth so you are 3ft under the surface. Then with the setup above being 3ft long you will have to pay out 6ft of line so the bait is sitting 9ft above the bottom but 3ft down from the surface. I personally start at approx 3/4 depth and either pay out line or reel some in every 30mins to find what depth they are feeding at and then set that in your mind every time you cast out. This certainly makes it easer changing depths without retying a rig.. It might sound complicated but can be a awesome technique once mastered... x2 Top tips is to use a PVA nugget around the hook and hookbait to avoid tangling and hold the rig up whilst adjusting. And use a line floatant like Mucilin to help the hooklink line float better. Hope that helps.... Tight Lines http://www.foxint.com/catalogues-products.php?lang=e&product=2247&catalogue=1&section=1

I second that, the stuff is called "H2O" and works very well, you can screw this stuff up into a ball with lots of kinks in it, and with the help of a hook puller and a pair of scissors/forceps the hooklink straightens perfectly with just a bit of tension...

Welcome to the forum, and hopefully we can help... First off if you are looking at fishing this place a lot, It would be great to build up a underwater map in the place and this can be done quite easily over a few trips, and this time of year is best for that.... being quiet... Draw yourself a map from google maps etc and ensure you label it with a north heading (via google map or compass) Next you are going to need a marker rod, with a 3-4oz rough coated lead on it (no float), this can be cast around the venue to ascertain the exact make up of the bottom, soft shallow silt will register on the tip as pulling the lead through runny custard, deep heavy silt will register as pulling the lead through thick custard and may get stuck in... Dont forget to check your lead for signs of silt/clay.... Attach the marker float and do the same again as above, put periodically pop up the marker to check distance and depth, if you find a feature clip the line in the reel line clip then keep reeling in, once you reach the margin then you can use the various clipped up points to measure exactly the distance to the feature by putting two bank sticks at 12ft / 4yds (Rod length) and wrapping you line around them.... Once you know what is front of you, then you can build up this picture and mark it on a map.. Features, Depths & distances... Once you have a good idea of what you are fishing on, and distance and depth then you can choose a rig to match..... Personally if the silt is shallow then present a bait just into it (normal bottom bait), but use a lead clip system, not inline and keep a tight line on the lead as it hits the bottom so you can feel the lead down and stop it sinking to far into the silt... If the silt is deep and heavy then a choddy rig will work wonders, based on a helicopter rig, the rig can be fished as close or far from the lead and the popup will come to rest on the rig a few inches off bottom, giving a awesome presentation.. If you are unsure of anything i have covered look in the search facility on here, or look on some of the other websites like Korda, Gardner and they will show you the rigs and how to set them up... Hope that helps, land a few for me....!!!

Is has to be a adjustable zig for depths that deep.. Fox do one, and works very well...

Use some PVA string to temporarily hold the lead next to the hooklink, once melted it then works as a running rig.... Another tip, open the bail arm on you reel to allow line to peel off, don't use the baitrunner as this creates big tangles in the mainline when using a baitboat to take your terminal tackle out..

The answer is any hook you feel confident in, personally i use Fox Arma points in all pattern, sizes etc. Use the knotless knot and wrap around the shank 7-8 times and then twice back over the whipping to avoid the know working loose. no need to use heat shrink or silicone sleeve. But you do need to stretch the hooklink straight, use a pair of hookpullers (Korda do them) and this not only checks your knots but also aligns the fluro straight. As mentioned some people use combi link etc, but do something different and use a complete fluro hookink, excellent tangle free presentation, as its stiffness pushes the bait away from the weight, but also some thing the carp hasn't seen before, and find it hard to eject. Hope that helps, give it go....

Why worry about it? A braided rig to me works on the fact that it is not straightened, and is close to the lead. It allows the fish more movement with the hook and bait in the mouth, a straightened hooklink is almost relying on the fish trying to move away to hook itself I agree, why bother, the majority of my fishing involves either a PVA bag or stick and use a very supple braided line.. I find that once you have a nice little pile of loose offerings covering the lead and hookbait sitting amongst it, jobs a good one no tangles, perfect presentation and one method that has accounted for thousand of hooked carp for me....

That is completely up to you.. If i fish with tigers, then i balance it with a pice of cork trimmed like a tiger and fish this upmost (bit like a snowman) and the hook should lay flat on the bottom. Therefore what you a trying to achieve is a bait that acts like a freebie and easily get sucked in when a carp is on the feed. Trial and error in a small fish tank, large glass vase or even a pint glass is the way to go.

There is no noddy questions, just the ones that don't get asked. Tubing often gets used when there is a ban on leaders and/or leadcore. Tubing can be used to camouflage the rig and it does help avoid line rubbing against the skin and lifting scales. The tubing can be weighted, like Rig Marole Free Fall, or a tungsten tube. The main reason for any type of leader is to help avoid tangles. As for length, I generally use approx 2ft, but you could use less/more in the right circumstances (ie to protect the line from sharp gravel, mussels etc) But as mentioned above it need to be long enough to stop the hooklink wraping around the mainline.

Have a look at Rig Marole H2O flurocarbon work very well, sinks well and if it is kinked then just some straight pressure will pull it straight again..