smufter

Mmmm...... the "better" names out there are names like FreeSpirit, Harrisons and Century. You are going to be hard pushed to find a trio of rods from one of these manufacturers second hand with your budget. Personally, I'd be looking at Sonik.... Dominator X 3.25tc. Erics Angling..... £224,97 delivered. http://www.ericsangling.co.uk/index.php/sonik-dominator-x-carp-rods.html They will last you years. Believe me.

Shimano Tribal Velocity are quite heavy (I've had 3!!)..... For your budget I'd be looking somewhere in the Sonik or Wychwood range. You'll get three new rods for that money and they'll last you Donkeys. 😉

Out on Tuesday if the lake is lid free.

Wife bought me a packet of these new Skittles "Chewies" last week. Lovely and fruity, bit of coloured leakage when left in water. Lots of attractive colours to entice Mr Carp. As they have no crispy shell they are soft enough to hair rig a couple so they are sitting like two grains of corn or fish them as singles. Everything going for them I reckon..... I reckon it's the fruity flavours that will do it. I could be on to something here. He who dares Rodney, he who dares........

There used to be a 1 metre minimum tubing rule at White Cottage. Just how big are these fish???? Common sense prevails and this has now been reduced to 18".

I don't do little scrappers Geezer. It's big scrappers for me, or nothing. Usually nothing 😣😣

Nowhere near the serrated bend geezer, just good beads 😉😉😉

I've already tried the shirt test 😉😉😉

My biggest concern is that nothing has tested my barbed hooks recently....... these barbless may not get the workout I'm hoping for 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

I'm already sponsored by "Blankum Baits".... 😢😢😢😢😢

Running rig mate. I use korda run rig rubbers.... https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/korda-run-rig-rubber?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMDiBRDNARIsACKP1FFrOpivILbQiqXjfSRqREoZzm1IGX9Df6mqfV-iOxAoFVQMZ09sn2caAtAfEALw_wcB

Not a combi mate. 15lb n-trap with a little bit stripped back at the weight. They are nice and snug, not going to move........ And I did draw blood from my thumb 😢😢😢

Pop up rig using a 6 with a 14mm "ting tong" pop up. After trying to get those hook stops on, my eyes have gone wonky 😖😖😖

Was using bank tackle's curved shank barbed Yonny. Nothing wrong with them, just wanted to give these "gripz" barbless hooks a run out, as the lake we're fishing in France has a barbless only rule mate.

My "go to" blow back bottom bait rig, tied with the 4's. Not such an aggressive inturned eye as my usual hooks so had to incorporate aligners. On "looks" I'm 100%confident

No problem. Will post in the morning 😉😉😉

What, of the rigs or the hooks????

Mine arrived this morning. First impressions are very (very) good. Nice size (some size 4's are like 2's) and the 6's will make an ideal hook for pop up rigs. Seem ultra sharp and a nice matt black colour too. My lake allows barbed hooks, but I'm going to knock a few rigs up using these Gripz and see how I get on.

You do know I'm really Jim Shelley don't you???? 😉

Absolutely! It's still going strong, some 3 years on. Well worth the dosh.

It was about £55.00 or thereabouts. Top of the range me.................... 😱

I had the same "dilemma" a few years ago. Buy a cheap one for France or pay the 100 euros the fishery wanted to rent one for the week. I ended up buying a cheapie off of Amazon, (picture below), and used it for two years without any problem at all. I subsequently sold it one last year when I treated myself to a decent boat and the new owner is still using it. To be honest, I'd never have used it on a fishery over here for fear of ridicule, but on a lake exclusive in France???? The only ones that saw it were my family and they thought it was great fun, as did the Bailiff. We ended up christening it "HMS Gonads" lol! It did the job, got my bait to some difficult places that I couldn't cast to, and my biggest fish of the week was caught using it. As I say, I've got a decent boat now, but faced with the situation again, I'd do exactly the same.

Well documented on here, but this is my most important capture......my first "White Cottage" fish after 15 months of blanks, blanks, blanks without so much as a beep!! Caught in January of last year, 27lbs. Not my biggest, but certainly meant the world to me.

Good shout. Looking at these on Amazon now. £4.95 for 10. Might just order a pack of 4's and 6's.

Off to France in July, Lake rule is barbless only. Any recommendations for good ones. Bottom baits and pop ups preferably size 4, may go up to a 6. Help much appreciated.