fantasticmrfox

I have a 2 12ft banshee feeders and a marker a spod, they're great, especially for the price, I think they were 2 for £60 when I got them. The only problem I had was one of the eyes on one of the quivertips was blocked, I emailed them, and got 2 replacements (one for each rod) the very next day. That was from fishtec all though I ordered from the TFG website. TFG does get a slating at times, but these I cannot fault and the companies I dealt with were awesome

Can you elaborate please on the things that would make you change your rig? Ok I'll try, I tend not to think about why I make the changes I do, I just do it instinctively I guess. If I'm getting bites but no takes, or poor hook holds, I'll change to a bolt rig with a long hooklink, because the extra resistance on the line helps set the hook, which helps when fish aren't feeding very confidently. If I'm struggling to bait up at a distance then I'll shorten the distance between the running lead and the hook, than add a PVA stick, this helps get bait to difficult areas (under overhanging trees etc) and goes a long way to helping eliminate tangles. If I'm fishing over weed or amongst lillypads, then I may use a braided hooklink for the added abrasion resistance, or use a buoyant bait and small blobs of putty rather than a ledger, which will allow the bait to sit on top of the weed rather than bed into it, this only really works short distance. If I want similar effects but at greater distance I tend to use a helicopter set up. Method of bite indication makes a difference to the type of set-up I use, When using my quivertip I like to keep it simple and use my "Default" setup for lack of a better word, then tweak it depending on the strength of the tip I'm using, wind conditions etc, but I mainly only change to a slightly heavier lead or feeder. When using bobbins I like to use a running rig with a fairly heavy lead, because regardless of the way the fish moves off, line will always be pulled so no drop backs, I allow my bobbin to sit on the ground with very slack lines and wait for the fish to lift the bobbin considerably before striking, I also set my bait runner so I can hear line being taken if I get a take when I'm not fully concentrating, but this is only really good to use mid water, as a fish can take line and be snagged up before I've even got to my rod if fishing tight to the margins. That's kind of all I can think of off the top of my head. As you can tell I tend to use the same old methods with slight variations depending on a certain situation, I hope this has helped Keenook.

Yup, I do, 90% of my fishing is mono straight through, with a running ledger (as light as I can get away with) a stop shot between the lead and the hook to stop the lead running right down the rig and a hook tied to the end, If I'm using a hair rig then its nearly identical except I tie my hooklink out of mono 1lb less than the mainline I'm using, tie a bead onto the mainline just below the lead, then loop to loop the hooklink on. Simple, easy and effective. If it aint broke, don't fix it! It's worked for me since I was 7 and is still working so why change it? Occasionally I'll use different or more complicated rigs, but only if I feel the occasion calls for it. sometimes I REALLY like to spice it up a little and use a cage feeder instead of a lead! It's fun taking risks

Seem's like you all ready have your mind made up mate, in which case why ask? Nick gave you a very useful piece of advice and an effective rig for the situation you gave mate yet you seemed to completely disregard it. If you come across with that demeanour when someone answers the question you ask with something other than what it is you want to hear no one will want to help in future. Try taking all the advice and use it constructively, not turn a deaf ear until you hear what you want.

Pop on Youtube and look for fox, nash, ESP and gardner pages, they all have loads of how to tie different rig videos, It'll help you a lot, many of the videos tie the same rigs just slightly different ways using their own products, so you'll get an idea of what type of product you need rather than watching a fox video and thinking "I have to buy this fox product for this to work" sort of thing. I did add links to these videos on another thread a while back, I'll try and dig it out and send you the links mate hope that'll help. Edit. Can't find the post where I listed all the rigs and added a video link to it, it may have been removed but I doubt it, I can't remember which topic it was in either :/ sorry mate, but if you search Youtube for how to tie the "rig name here" rig loads will come up. I always use the simple knotless knot on mono with a line aligner though, simple and VERY effective, you don't need complicated or fancy rigs to catch fish mate.

90% of my fishing I use running rig's, mostly using pendant style leads but occasionally I'll use in line. More often that not though if I'm using an in line lead its a semi-fixed set up, using a tulip bead over the swivel then the lead connected to that with a bit of tubing, pushed on gently to allow the lead to slide off the line if I break off. I always use a hooklink of a lesser breaking strain than my mainline by at lease 1lb, so if I break off, 99% of the time I break the hooklink and not my mainline anyway. I don't see many people using tulip beads any more, it seems all about the lead clips etc. why is that? are the lead clips really that much safer? I've never used them but have never had too, if it aint broke, don't fix it and the tulip beads work well for me.

The reasoning behind it is as you pierce the pop up, you break the skin allowing it to take on water and become less buoyant over time, also if your using cork ball pop ups then there is a good chance you will push some cork through the pop up, creating a rather big tear in the skin of the pop up, which reduces the integrity of the pop up and makes it more likely to loose buoyancy. It's only really a problem if you have the same pop up out for many hours.

Ok that makes sense, why are they no longer used? I for one could benefit from that, looking at your tip for a while, as the ripples lap past really does your eyes in, having something to focus on behind the tip would certainly make things a lot more comfortable, if not easier.

That's how this thread started, yes, but if it can help others by providing general knowledge then all the better!! Some of you may have seen the catch report, but if not, I'd like to tell everyone that the advice given here gave me all that was needed to have a very productive session with my then new rod As Cob said, I try to use the lightest tip possible for the conditions, that day I used the 2oz tip and had fish from small perch to 16lb carp and didn't miss a singe bite, It was soft enough to register the small bites from the perch, yet stiff enough to not give false bites on what was quite a windy day, so since then, as a rule of thumb, I've used the 2oz tip as a starting point then going heavier or lighter where needed (another advantage is the fact I have 4 2oz tips and only 2 of each other tip) Without meaning to sound sarcastic, (I am genuinely interested) what is a target board and how is it used in fishing? my initial reaction would be to shoot it

Nick, I value your help and advice on here above many others, as from reading through many of your posts you always have valid points to your discussions as well as doing plenty of research and tests to find facts to back them up... recently I have been drawn towards the leadcore leader for its pinning properties,. however for many reasons I'd prefer to keep away from it, one being that I like my hooklink to be the weaker link than the mainline so if in the event of a lost fish, it'll only be trailing maximum of 18" of line and no lead (all though I do use running rigs mostly and semi fixed rigs using tulip beads when method feeding etc so they're safe regardless of where the line breaks.) I would like my hooklink, line and rig to be as inconspicuous as possible and yet pinned to the bottom as well as possible to stop spooking fish, so I'm guessing that a flurocarbon hooklink would be best? would I benefit from using a flurocarbon leader for the duration my line would trail through the baited area to help keep it as hidden as possible, or benifit more from having a flourocarbon mainline all the way through to reduce the number of knots in my line? how would be best to pin this to the bottom whilst remaining safe? as bits of putty up the line at intervals would prevent the lead coming free wouldn't it? the world of leaders is new to me as I tend to fish nylon mainline through to a nylon hook link, and all though I have had results on this, I'm hoping to target bigger fish through the winter and into next spring and want to do everything I can to aid in hooking the more cautious lumps. so my question to someone who is of far greater experience than myself is, do you have any advice on how I can create an inconspicuous, strong rig that will pin nicely to the bottom yet remain safe? are there any mainline and/or hooklink materials you have found better than most for this you could advise me on? I am asking because I have recently been fishing with whatever I've had knocking around in my dads old tackle box, but I am hoping to join a syndicate next season, and will be getting a new tacklebox and filling it all with new tackle, and as I've been out of the loop so to speak for a fair while what is on the market now is quite daunting and confusing and the mags don't really portray anything safe, and are mainly one large, continuous advert!! I'm asking you because I know you value fish safety above all else and have tried and tested many items out there, and the main reason is you are unbiased! Sorry if this is a long post I'm just a bit lost with it all and thought you the best person I know of to ask

Definitely the best. Stood the test of time, so I see no reason to change. I have never had a Kryston braid or coated braid give way on me, and their putty is also the best www.kryston.com Only just started using putty, and got the kryston stuff, it's ace! Seem like a great company, looks like the kryston braid is a winner on this thread I agree, I've got spools of kryston braid in my tackle box that have been there for YEARS! and they're still going strong, however I've not used many other braids, and never coated so I wouldn't know which is best... I do feel however that its a case of better the devil you know... I also use their putty and wouldn't use anything else, had it in my box for a fair few years now, It went all hard, but 30 seconds over the stove sorted that and its just like new! don't know how many other putties would last like that :/

just watched a video on youtube mate, never seen one of those before, looks good in principle, would you then twitch it back like a normal feeder once it has emptied? I've used the rod once at Drayton a bout a week or so ago, using a cage feeder and maggot as a hook bait, and had quite a good session. http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=51562&highlight= catch report, rod review and pictures on there... I'll have to get a set of those, looks like they'll be good in the winter.. I've only ever used method and cage feeders before, will be good to try something new thanks for the tip mate

awesome! I'll have to try those out next time my hook link ends up twisting all over its self! Thanks

do these to tips also work with mono?

great question, I too would like to hear an answer to this one, as my rig's tend to tangle and all sorts!! as a guess I would say stiff flouro's and coated braids, however I've never used them and don't have the money to experiment with them just yet!!! Really looking forward to hearing the more experienced advise as to how they get around this problem!