Chod Rig HELP PLEASE

[ryanowner]

Im about to start fishing a couple of lakes. One being incredibly silty and the other being a mixture of silty and layers of weed. I thought the best way to tackle these problems would be to start using chod rigs. I went down to my local runs water this weekend to have a little play around with this method as I have not used it before. I've started off with using a metre long ready made lead core chod rig with the hooklink being about 2 inches long with a rubber band as the hair. The hook link is Korda IQ2 which is very stiff which I have curled using a solar rig curler put over the kettle to set it. For bait I have played around with either a pop up or a very slow sinking boilie from which I've had similar success on both. When casting I've been attaching a pva nugget to the hook just to guarantee my rig will end up sitting perfectly and also been carefully pulling the lead out of the silt after casting which I'm unsure if it's acceptable to do so. Any sort of feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[jules007]

A lot of anglers on here dont have a lot of time for leadcore, so you might not get much response to this as leadcore can and often is a potential death rig.

I have deleted your duplicate post, hope you dont mind

[ryanowner]

Ok well I'll be changing to a fluorocarbon leader when I fish the two other lakes as it's clear water if anyone's keeping quiet because of the leadcore. Any tips or advice on the chod rig subject?

[richierich71]

sounds if your doing things right. i use a five foot lenght of lead core and a break away lead which is tied useing a rottern bottom. i've just started tying my chods useing a slightly less stiff mono maxima line in 12lb breaking strain it still curves nicely if youwant to but i don't bother as the hook kicks over nicely without a curve to it. the lenth i tie them is about 2/3 inches. the water i'm fishing is very weedy and i wold not pull back as this could end up bogging everything in the weed. i also fish the chod link running on the lead core. i wouldn't bother changing over to floro carbon leaders theres no need just match the colour of your lead core to the lake bed ect. i use the weed green esp lead core at the moment.

 

on a note lead core is only dangerous if used incorrectly as was make sure the hook link can come off easy and always use a rotter bottom so the lead drops of if things do get stuck.

[jules007]

in some situations lead core would be okay, but i suggest reading this sticky post https://forum.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=53599

 

also use the search function to find lots of posts on chod rigs

[adam77]

I use naked chod where the chods on my mainline, i put a bead above the chod i use korda ready made rigs then a bottom bead and usually put small bit of putty to stop the bead and chod sliding down to my lead. i also put a peice of putty on the swivel for the chod and take small pieces off till it sinks really slowly so gently sits ontop of the weed if you know how deep the weed is you can move the bottom bead further up so the lead goes through the weed without dragging the rig with it hope this helps

[salokcinnodrog]

I absolutely hate leadcore with a passion, and think for carp safety's sake it should be banned from fishing altogether, as many fisheries have done. I've had to desnag fish that have been tethered in the stuff, even with helicopter set-ups, where the supposedly safe beads (fitted correctly through the hole), have been unable to release themselves and the rig is unable to come free.

 

I also spent a lot of time experimenting with various lead set-ups to prove or disprove, and the only safe way is not to fish the stuff.

 

If the lead drops off on a rotten bottom, then the beads and rig are often stuck in the middle of the leadcore, both ends of which are being towed behind the carp, offering two ends to snag up with, or one very thick line which it stands little or no chance of breaking.

 

So my advice is totally ditch leadcore, and find a safer alternative.

 

I also think the chod rig is overated, and overused. In many cases a standard pendant set-up, either running or semi-fixed can be fished effectively in silt, just by lengthening the hooklink. This can be fished with a bottom bait or a pop-up. Or you can fish the lead on a lead link, attached to a run ring, and buffer bead as per normal. The lead pulls everything behind it on the cast, and can be fished safely in weed or silt.

 

However, in silt, the helicopter or "bomb on the end of the line" silt set-ups do offer a very good way to fish, and I would prefer to fish it naked, but I came up with a version years ago, that can be fished on a leader if required as the silt set-ups (including chod) can cause excessive line twist, and potential breakages (written about by Tim Paisley in his book Big Carp, Big Fish Summer chapter I think). So some protection of the mainline in the form of suitable beads, or heaven forbid a leader. (However with leadcore, this twist can be transmitted down the leader, preventing beads coming free, so again, spot the leadcore issue again )

Pics on this thread:

https://forum.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=37603

 

No point in fishing a hookbait above the silt if the fish feed in it.

 

Whichever way you fish, fish safely so that the rig can be safely ejected, and is all that the fish is left trailing in the event of a snap-off.