carpepecheur

I agree very important. This is a HUGE subject and one that is difficult to comprehend if you have not experienced it. For my sins, I qualified as a hypnotherapist. The power of the mind is phenomenal. This not just some mumbo jumbo, pseudo-science speak. It actually works. For example, if you think you are in control of your own actions, try getting on a bike and forgetting how to ride it or try jumping into a lake and forgetting how to swim.

That IS a good idea. I have tested it in a tank to see what happens and, with the collar on, it seems to be tangle free. However, when the world cools down a degree or two, it needs testing in a working environment.

Did you actually see someone or just hear heavy breathing? I don't want to be funny but are you sure it wasn't just a hedgehog?

Good point and thanks for the warning. I am sure mine were pukka and they cost €2.50 each. I can only buy mail order as nearest store is too far away.

They are called Camotex impact leads. I am quite impressed with them and have been experimenting today. I made a crude video of how I intend to use them. I will eventually video one under lake conditions but at the moment it is 40 deg outside so to hot too be messing about. o

I totally agree that confidence is everything. I never go fishing without knowing I am going to catch a fish. Of course, sometimes I am wrong in my convictions and then I learn something new. I like the challenge of solving problems and have learnt some new things by participating on this thread. I do not understand the thinking behind the need to make a swivel tighter in a semi fixed lead but I can offer an alternative solution. Instead of changing anything about the lead, before threading your line, put some conventional float stops on the line then when the lead is tied on, simply push them up against the back of the lead. The more stops you put on the larger the force required to slide the lead. My Fox COG leads turned up in the post today so I am going to be in my element experimenting with them.

I agree with many of your points Yonny:- It goes without saying that sharp hooks are a must. Of course sort out the feeding situation. And yes the carp can use a tight lead to throw a hook But as for overthinking and there being enough existing solutions I disagree. I have been using my active lead solution very successfully for over 6 years now and I am still improving it. I do not know of anyone else doing the same thing. The following is an early prototype.

I did not want to give the impression that I thought what was being suggested was dangerous. I was trying to make the point that the looser the swivel was coming from the lead the safer it was for smaller fish. Often I have wound in and found something small on the end that not only has wasted all the time that rig was in the water but, if it had been a breakoff, would have killed that small fish. I agree with Simon that inline leads are superior because they are less prone to tangle. That is why I think the Fox COG is head and shoulders above the Korda COG. Lead clips also have more play in them before the bolt effect comes into play which gives the fish that little bit extra time to eject the bait. This is clearly demonstrated in the video Highy posted. Like Simon I prefer short rig lengths for the same reason. It gives the fish less time to eject the bait. I do not understand why, once the swivel has pulled clear of the lead, a small fish cannot be detected in weed. Is this because the weed causes too much friction on the line for its small movements to be detected? Either way free flowing or stiffly fixed you are not going to detect it. My solution, which I confess no one else seems to like, is to turn your weight into an active bolt lead. Simply put a large steel washer on the lead just short of the COG. Wind your line as tight as you can so that the washer bites in the silt or comes against a small unevenness in the lake bed. You then fish with a bend in your rod. When a fish takes, the hold of the washer is released, the rod springs straight and it jerks the weight towards you just a little bit. This increases the bolt effect by adding this extra force to the COG weight. More importantly (and I am only guessing here) the sudden movement of the weight frightens the fish into moving off before it has had time to eject the bait. This photo shows how I got it wrong.

No for the first time in my life, I find myself at odds with many others. The purpose of a semi fixed lead is to provide a safe rig in the event of a crack off or when pulling for a break in snags. By increasing the pressure required to release it, surely you are making your rig less safe? If a double figure carp takes your bait, I am sure it will have little trouble shifting even the stiffest semi fixed lead. However, on two occasions I have caught a 6-inch carp on a 20mm boilie, even though the boilie was too big to fit inside its mouth. That 6-inch carp could grow up to be a record breaker. It would be a shame to expose it to such a dangerous rig so early in its life. Another problem with a semi fixed lead is that if a small fish takes the bait but is too small to shift the weight, it just hangs there without you knowing thus preventing you catching something larger. When using a free running lead, you will detect even small fish movements but you lose the bolt effect of the lead. This is where the technique described in the video that Highy posted is so interesting. You can have a bolt effect and a free running lead. I intend improving on it by using a Fox COG lead and then adding a collar to turn it into an ACTIVE bolt lead.

So do I understand you correctly Simon, in that you are saying that when a fish goes into the weed, you want the lead to be tight enough not to be released? Also you don't want the lead to slide down the line (discharge?) when playing a fish.

Actually there is a very good case for a looser fitting swivel in an inline lead. It was discussed on this forum here:-

Thanks for the link Highy. That set up in the video is just what I have been looking for. I have started fishing a lake with too many small tench which are a nuisance. They are big enough to get hooked but not big enough to move the weight of a traditional, semi fixed, inline, bolt lead. I am not a big fan of a straightforward running lead (which would detect small fish movement,) because you lose the bolt effect. The video shows a technique which seems to have the best of both worlds. I would go one step further and use a fox impact lead which acts as COG lead. to give a more efficient bolt effect.

First catch your crayfish. I usually put some collapsible prawn traps out when I pre bait for several days before fishing (fallen branches in shallow water is favourite location). When I use them in ground bait I just mash them up as they are. For hookbait I use the meat of a freshly killed one. Don't try and use them as livebait. They make a mess of your rig 😀. At all times, check regulations for where you are fishing. The fines in France are quite eye watering if you are caught breaking them. To be honest, these days I much prefer to take them home and cook them. I make a fabulous crayfish bisque. (recipe available if anyone is interested)

The best natural bait that I use is crayfish. Freshly caught and mashed up into the ground bait mix it can be particularly effective. It is also a good hookbait but illegal in France.

Yes I still have some Belechan too and yes I was on the black forum and rather miss it. There seem to be several survivors on here.

I agree with you. After the usual experimenting with various idea "following the science" I settled for the PeteB mix. I would have sworn it was the bees knees until the local Decathlon sold a load of no name Monster Crab that was out of date for under €2 per kilo. I couldn't make my bait for that price. The rod I tested it on did just as well as my other rods. Now I use the cheapest I can find but pre bait very often and quite heavily. Again this is on large and hardly fished open waters where location and quantity is the key.

Yes you are correct. It is the catenary effect and it becomes more significant with heavier line. As a surveyor, when we wanted to measure a distance accurately, we needed to measure the tension in the tape, know its weight and do a complicated calculation to work out a correction to take off the measured distance due to sag. A stretched line will always sag a bit.

It has been a very long time since I went to school but if I remember my Physics lessons correctly, the line is not held down by water pressure. Water pressure acts in all directions on the surface of the line so there is as much upward pressure as downward pressure. For example, when you weigh yourself, you do not have to allow for changing atmospheric pressure. Depending on the type of line being used, water pressure could reduce its buoyancy by compressing the material slightly. However, I agree with Yonny, very tight lines are the way to go.

I understand the theory of a COG lead. i am not convinced it is the way to go but if I did, I think the Fox version is much simpler and safer.

Do you mean something like this:-

I'll get my coat

Ooops sorry peeps i got confused. Not an uncommon occurrence chez nous. I think you asked him a question Yonny and someone else answered or perhaps I have lost the thread of this altogether.

It is possible that when the lead hits the water, the momentum in the lead pushes through the lighter contents of the bag and sits on top of your rig. When you retrieve the lead, it pulls clear and everything looks normal. Of course if your fish spy tells you your multi tangle rig 😀 is normal then you have a different problem. Does it not give you any other clues what might be happening like fish shying away or picking up and dropping?

Are you saying that you put the lead inside the PVA bag as well?

I wasn't planning to try it as I am happy with my current rig but that sounds like a challenge. I was just trying to give a helpful suggestion BUT will have to give it a go now. I will tank test it first to see how it sucks up. There are a lot of variables - length of whisker, stiffness and thickness of whisker, number of whiskers, angle between whiskers. I have a mental image of it being a bit like having a small fishbone stuck in your throat.