Mono hooklink with Mono hair

[adders60]

Had a few issues with braided hook links today, yet the Fluro hook links on my other rods with supple hairs never tangled

 

Thinking of making up some mono 12lb hooklinks and using a mono hair

 

would that work well do you think and would knotless knot in mono be strong enough ?

 

I also have some IQ2 in 12lb and 15lb Fluro but that may be too stiff especially the hair

 

Should I ditch the coated braid for mono or IQ2 ??

[margin_master]

12lb mono hook link is my fall back rig. Fished straight though with double bottom baits. Just whip back up the knotless knot a couple of times to lock it in place.

[newmarket]

Yeah mate , its simple , the carp dont see it very often and it works . Just use your mainline .

Also great if your on a strict budget .

[adders60]

No issues of knotless knot strength ?

[margin_master]

No non at all. That's why I lock the knot I place to stop it opening and closing during the fight. If your still worried just add some silicon tubing so it forms a kicker.

[salokcinnodrog]

Had a few issues with braided hook links today, yet the Fluro hook links on my other rods with supple hairs never tangled

 

Thinking of making up some mono 12lb hooklinks and using a mono hair

 

would that work well do you think and would knotless knot in mono be strong enough ?

 

I also have some IQ2 in 12lb and 15lb Fluro but that may be too stiff especially the hair

 

Should I ditch the coated braid for mono or IQ2 ??

 

Knotless knot in mono can part, the hook eye can rub over the knot and break, so check it before every cast. If I do use a mono hooklink, then it is often the same mono as the mainline, but I do also have Amnesia, Berkley XL or Drennan Fly Leader

 

The occasional problem with mono hairs is that they can be too stiff, therefore I would tie the hook on, and then go back to a finer more supple (thinner) hair, either dental floss, 4lb mono or a Kryston/ESP hair material.

 

As for avoiding tangles with braided hooklinks, some occur as you pick up the lead on reeling in, the hooklink has fallen around the lead, then as you reel in, it just tightens around the lead.

 

Ways to avoid tangles; a wet hooklink avoids trapped air, so sinking better. Always feather the cast, to throw the hooklink forward. The use of PVA, stringers and bags. Obviously the whole hooklink in the bag (and the lead), stringers attached to just the hook, or even stringers attached to the hook, and the hooklink swivel near the lead.

 

Another possible is the use of a anti tangle rubber over the mainline/hooklink join, effectively the same as the tail rubber you use to cover the swivel/quick link as per:

 

These are the quik links i was referring too, just tried them in several brands of lead clip and the all fit snugly.

 

large size i believe, the sleeve on the hooklength is a chod rig sleeve, slightly bigger bore than my A-T tube so fits over the link easier. but you could use another tail rubber for the same effect.

 

 

or even just stiffening the hooklink near that mainline join, superglue or stiffening material as like this stuff:

http://www.kryston.com/products-redone/super-stiff/

http://www.kryston.com/products-redone/styx/

[newmarket]

Cant say i've ever had any problems with knotless knotting mono though i dont use it very often to be fair .

The mono specialist hooklink that i have is the sufix one (cant remember its name) but it is very stiff , almost like a fluoro carbon , which causes hair problems so (because i have fluorocarbon mainline at the mo) i saved some leftover mono from previous mainlines i have used .

Sensor , the blue ultima mono ( again cant remember) both make for decent hooklink materials as does gardner pro-carp in 10 and 12lb which is going on my spools in the spring .

 

Surely a small pva stick or mesh bag keeps the tangles away every time ?

I've only ever had braid tangles on the retrieve of that i'm convinced .

[adders60]

I think I have the reasons why I had some problems

 

My hooks are ESP Long shank size 6, used these a while with blow back style hairs ( silicon or ring on hook )

 

The hooklink is Coretex from Fox coated and the hair and the first 1" behind the hook has the coating stripped off

 

The tangles are not from wrapping around the lead so much but the hook tangling with hooklink itself if that makes sense

 

Yes i could wrap in PVA nugget or stick in a bag, my venue doesn't lend itself to PVA bags so maybe the PVA nugget is the only solution apart from Mono or Fluro as an alternative.

 

I like the simple approach so maybe 12lb mono including the hair is the way forward ?

[newmarket]

Yeah it does work ok mate , i also found that a long hair with a double large hookbait works well in keeping the hook/hair/bait out in front of the lead on entry to the water .

 

I've never had issues with mono hairs but , as i mentioned earlier , hardly ever use 'em except maybe with fluorocarbon hooklinks .

 

What do you mean martin , when you say your water doesnt lend itself to pva bags ? Just curious ...

[leggs007]

I have used drennan 12lb double strength with simple knotless knot on many occasions and can't say I can remember it ever letting me down,even with fish upto 34lb in extremely weedy water

I will say that if I use mono its the only mono I use for simple carp rigs

I have used the 8lb double strength on waters with the average stamp of fish 14-15lb and never had problems with that either

[Benjamin Perry]

IQ2 straight through is a very underused rig, just with a single boillie can be great, as the carp try to eject the bait it works as one with the hook, so the stiffness allows the hook to catch bottom lip.

[adders60]

Yeah it does work ok mate , i also found that a long hair with a double large hookbait works well in keeping the hook/hair/bait out in front of the lead on entry to the water .

 

I've never had issues with mono hairs but , as i mentioned earlier , hardly ever use 'em except maybe with fluorocarbon hooklinks .

 

What do you mean martin , when you say your water doesnt lend itself to pva bags ? Just curious ...

 

PVA bags was my go to feed method at other venues but where I fish now there is a large stock of near record size roach, a lot of bream too so pellets etc is gone before the carp see it. I could stick boilies in the pva bag but now I tend to use stringers and fish over a bed of boilies put out via cat or stick.

 

Its been nice not using the PVA bag as I can cast further but now finding that the bag was serving a good role of keeping tangles at bay as well as adding free bait.

 

I could carry in with bags with boilies in but trying to avoid that

[adders60]

IQ2 straight through is a very underused rig, just with a single boillie can be great, as the carp try to eject the bait it works as one with the hook, so the stiffness allows the hook to catch bottom lip.

 

did you find the knotless knot an issue with IQ2 ?

 

What BS did you use 12lb ?

 

I have 12lb and 15lb, might have 20lb as well ?

[dalthegooner]

Had a few issues with braided hook links today, yet the Fluro hook links on my other rods with supple hairs never tangled

 

Thinking of making up some mono 12lb hooklinks and using a mono hair

 

would that work well do you think and would knotless knot in mono be strong enough ?

 

I also have some IQ2 in 12lb and 15lb Fluro but that may be too stiff especially the hair

 

Should I ditch the coated braid for mono or IQ2 ??

 

PVA nugget. It's irrelevant what you use for the hair then.

 

I use one every time. I know that the hair is never tangled and I have a good presentation.

[newmarket]

Lots of people use a small pva stick purely and simply to avoid tangles.

Doesnt have to be big , an inch long maybe , and next to know food value ie groundbait or pellet powder/boilie crumb , as i say purely to avoid tangles .

 

Then you can still bait up using the method you wish ...

[adders60]

this would also allow me to cast without the hindrance of a big bag

 

I do have some PVA nuggets which I have never used, planned on using with my zig rigs but maybe I should use on the hair

 

Thanks for the helpful advice

[newmarket]

Martin , i actually use the nugget ( wrapped round the hook)AND the stick .

 

Just to be sure

[Benjamin Perry]

Hi Adders,

 

yes, knotless knot, never any issues, I wouldn't like to use any other knot as it wouldn't lie true I font feel, and the knotless knot doesn't give any kinks. I use both 12lb and 15lb, depending on situation.

 

You could tie a knotless knot, cut the hair section off, then tie on a floss hair or use a micro swivel on the shank, with say a pop-up, the hook will lie flat on the bottom and the micro swivel will present the bait just above, and almost covering the hook.

 

Ben

 

Perry&Dix

[theobeeus]

In short I much prefer the neatness of braid.

Edited March 23, 2014 by theobeeus

[theobeeus]

this would also allow me to cast without the hindrance of a big bag

 

I do have some PVA nuggets which I have never used, planned on using with my zig rigs but maybe I should use on the hair

 

Thanks for the helpful advice

I can think of one fail safe and three almost perfect anti tangle rigs, but will only give away one to you as they were very hard earned through fretting, spending etc.

Funnily enough the one that I don't use is the best of all and that is solid PVA bags.

I prefer to use long hooklinks so they just don't suit me and are not that necessary on the lake I fish.

Edited March 23, 2014 by theobeeus

[theobeeus]

PVA nugget. It's irrelevant what you use for the hair then.

 

I use one every time. I know that the hair is never tangled and I have a good presentation.

Not fond anymore

Once bought some off ebay that didn't dissolve (never again lol)

They tend to fly off, and if you compress them too much they don't melt properly (I tried all the brands and supposed best ones)

Also I don't like the thought of them elevating my hooklink only for it to descend sharply in a heap when they melt, and I think they often leave residue that spells danger to the cyprys in clear water

I use them sometimes on my running rigs to plug the lead for the cast, but I can think of five superior ways to prevent your hair tangling 

Edited March 23, 2014 by theobeeus

[theobeeus]

 

 

Anyway now you mention it, perhaps I was being a little bit unneccessarily secretive about my 4 failsafe anti tangle rigs, but there is no rocket science in any of it anyway, all proven methods in wide circulation for a long time now, so here you go:

 

Pva mesh bags get used wrongly in my opinion nicked onto the hook

If you thread a neat bag of pellet down the hooklink properly and embed the hook in it, then you have an almost tangle free rig

for all those worried about a big bag, start dampening and compressing the pellet more, dampened pellet does not melt PVA!

Also, ditch all the anti tangle sleeves, sinkers etc from the rig doing this, all they will do is hinder the threading on of the bag and rip the bag up, just a neat loop and a quick change swivel is all you need.. and to prevent the hooklink bumping off the quick change swivel, and for neatness, just mould putty round it, job dne

 

Groundbait on the hair.. this has been refined by Nash - called chain reactions. People put them on the hooklink, but I use one on the hair = no tangles, also a richworth rig tablet, same thing in a way, a hard, drilled, dissolving anti tangle nugget made of food! Brilliant!

 

Also what about the good old method?

I make mine so simple it is unbelievable, look for the right leads: what could possibly be better than a small gripper lead!? Mould groundbait around a very small gripper lead neatly, plug baited hook in, job done. All far superior to pva nuggets, like I said I don't like pva nuggets any more but do still use them to raise zig rigs up and help them stop tangling, and to plug my running lead clips o the cast sometimes.

 

Happy now!?

Edited March 23, 2014 by salokcinnodrog

[theobeeus]

Steady on mate

I am talking about anti tangle rigs here

I went into great detail on the 'safe lead setups' section with my tuppence worth, so I think that it is fair to say that I am far from secretive about that (as a bailiff)!!!

Anyway now you mention it, perhaps I was being a little bit unneccessarily secretive about my 4 failsafe anti tangle rigs, but there is no rocket science in any of it anyway, all proven methods in wide circulation for a long time now, so here you go:

 

Pva mesh bags get used wrongly in my opinion nicked onto the hook

If you thread a neat bag of pellet down the hooklink properly and embed the hook in it, then you have an almost tangle free rig

for all those worried about a big bag, start dampening and compressing the pellet more, dampened pellet does not melt PVA!

Also, ditch all the anti tangle sleeves, sinkers etc from the rig doing this, all they will do is hinder the threading on of the bag and rip the bag up, just a neat loop and a quick change swivel is all you need.. and to prevent the hooklink bumping off the quick change swivel, and for neatness, just mould putty round it, job dne

 

Groundbait on the hair.. this has been refined by Nash - called chain reactions. People put them on the hooklink, but I use one on the hair = no tangles, also a richworth rig tablet, same thing in a way, a hard, drilled, dissolving anti tangle nugget made of food! Brilliant!

 

Also what about the good old method?

I make mine so simple it is unbelievable, look for the right leads: what could possibly be better than a small gripper lead!? Mould groundbait around a very small gripper lead neatly, plug baited hook in, job done. All far superior to pva nuggets, like I said I don't like pva nuggets any more but do still use them to raise zig rigs up and help them stop tangling, and to plug my running lead clips o the cast sometimes.

 

Happy now!?

And before you say 'I said 4 and that's 3'

I already said that solid bags were the best of all tangle free rigs, but I don't use them as I like long hooklinks.

So that's 4 reasons not to need those horrible pva nuggets on your hair, fully explained

[grangemilky]

Pva mesh bags get used wrongly in my

Also what about the good old method?

I make mine so simple it is unbelievable, look for the right leads: what could possibly be better than a small gripper lead!? Mould groundbait around a very small gripper lead neatly, plug baited hook in, job done. All far superior to pva nuggets, like I said I don't like pva nuggets any more but do still use them to raise zig rigs up and help them stop tangling, and to plug my running lead clips o the cast sometimes.

 

Happy now!?

 

What if the lead lands bait down? You end up with your lead masking hook bait?!?

 

 

I vouch for two PVA nuggets folded around the hook. If the hair is real long, tie it up with pva tape wrapped round.

I don't like small PVA bags, everyone uses small bags of pellet or stick mix on their hook bait, just not for me. The wind resistance of the PVA is enough to hold it out straight on the cast, and if you hit the clip, or snag the line when it hits the water, it straightens out fine.

[dalthegooner]

 

 

You have posted four alternative ways, but have not shown any evidence that any of them are superior to a PVA nugget.

In fact, Milky's post above has shown one of them to be far inferior if the lead were to land the wrong way up (Which is a 50/50 chance every cast).