Barbed Ronnie rig - losing fish

[pablo7uk]

Hi all

I recently decided to advance my carp fishing a bit and tied up some new ones rigs but my first day on the bank with them and I've had two fish and lost both after a few minutes fight but before even seeing the fish on the surface. 

Average carp size in the lake are probably 5-10lb so not huge.

Specially my rigs are a 3oz lead on a korda lead clip, size 8 swivel, coated braid hooklink about 5/6inch length, size 4 korda crank hook barbed one with a pop up and one fished with a bottom bait. Both fished were on the bottom bait.

The only possible issue I've noticed is the swivel is perhaps slightly easier to free from the lead clip than I would like. Also I've actually never used barbed hooks before. I've heard Ronnie rigs are a big fish rig, could there be an issue if I'm getting into small carp?

 

Thanks

[elmoputney]

4 hours ago, pablo7uk said:

Hi all

I recently decided to advance my carp fishing a bit and tied up some new ones rigs but my first day on the bank with them and I've had two fish and lost both after a few minutes fight but before even seeing the fish on the surface. 

Average carp size in the lake are probably 5-10lb so not huge.

Specially my rigs are a 3oz lead on a korda lead clip, size 8 swivel, coated braid hooklink about 5/6inch length, size 4 korda crank hook barbed one with a pop up and one fished with a bottom bait. Both fished were on the bottom bait.

The only possible issue I've noticed is the swivel is perhaps slightly easier to free from the lead clip than I would like. Also I've actually never used barbed hooks before. I've heard Ronnie rigs are a big fish rig, could there be an issue if I'm getting into small carp?

 

Thanks

Could be bad luck,hook sharpness, maybe the hooklength is slightly too short maybe try 7-8 inches,maybe the bait is too close to the hook or something can you add a pic of the rig that may help ?

[Its-grim-up-north]

are you casting long distance? If not I’d lower the weight of your lead to 1 oz maybe 1.5. Also use a smaller hook, size 6 maybe if your fishing for 5-10 lb fish.

Edited October 6, 2019 by Its-grim-up-north

[pablo7uk]

Was fishing at maybe 30-40 yards so could probably reduce the lead size. Does the bolt affect really work just as well with a 1oz lead though?

I managed two fish by the end of the day and both were hooked almost like on the outside of the lip which was unusual.

Hooks were brand new on the rigs so hopefully sharpness shouldn't be an issue and was a clay bottom so again shouldn't have had any issues with losing sharpness.

I'll post a pic later but the bait was an 18mm bottom bait boilie on bait floss on a rig ring with about 5-7mm gap from hook.

Edited October 6, 2019 by pablo7uk

[elmoputney]

21 minutes ago, pablo7uk said:

Was fishing at maybe 30-40 yards so could probably reduce the lead size. Does the bolt affect really work just as well with a 1oz lead though?

I managed two fish by the end of the day and both were hooked almost like on the outside of the lip which was unusual.

Hooks were brand new on the rigs so hopefully sharpness shouldn't be an issue and was a clay bottom so again shouldn't have had any issues with losing sharpness.

I'll post a pic later but the bait was an 18mm bottom bait boilie on bait floss on a rig ring with about 5-7mm gap from hook.

3 hours ago, Its-grim-up-north said:

are you casting long distance? If not I’d lower the weight of your lead to 1 oz maybe 1.5. Also use a smaller hook, size 6 maybe if your fishing for 5-10 lb fish.

Well spotted good advice, I think your bait /hook combination is perhaps too big something seems to be stopping it going in far eniugh, I would maybe try 15mm with a size 6 and maybe with a longer rig of 7/8 inches and see what happens with that 

[Its-grim-up-north]

A good tactic to use on lakes stocked with smaller carp is the method feeder fished with a short supple braid of about 3 inches and a piece of plastic buoyant corn. 

Edited October 6, 2019 by Its-grim-up-north

[yonny]

Imo the ronnie is no good for bottom baits. It's too heavy to be taken correctly, you need the pop up to take the weight out of it.

Smaller hooks on ronnies is a no-no imo. They lead to inconsistent hook holds. Bigger hooks work much, much better in my experience.

[framey]

2 hours ago, yonny said:

Imo the ronnie is no good for bottom baits. It's too heavy to be taken correctly, you need the pop up to take the weight out of it.

 

Agreed

use a multi if you want to use a similar rig

[yonny]

2 minutes ago, framey said:

use a multi if you want to use a similar rig

Agreed!

[pablo7uk]

Great thanks for the advice, will have to try the multi rig as I've never used that one before. Or I could use a wafter with the Ronnie rig?

[yonny]

10 minutes ago, pablo7uk said:

could use a wafter with the Ronnie rig?

You can but imo it's still not wholly effective. It's a pop up rig mate.

A wafter will work much better on a multi imo.

[elmoputney]

I've spent a while playing with rigs this year only to deduce that a simple knotless knot rig has been as useful as any,especially for bottom baits and wafters,the only extra I've added is a line aligner

i do like a multi rig for pop ups though 

 

[finchey]

1 hour ago, pablo7uk said:

Great thanks for the advice, will have to try the multi rig as I've never used that one before. Or I could use a wafter with the Ronnie rig?

I've been converted to the multi rig. When I started carp fishing a couple of years ago I only used hair rigs but having  watched quite a few vids on YouTube and read a few threads on here I tied a few up and used I've been using them since. My main method has been bottom baits and I've caught quite a few fish on it with really good hook holds and up to now no hook pulls so far. I have loads of confidence in this rig and my bait and I think that makes a big difference in my fishing. If I ever come to using pop ups I  will not hesitate in using a multi rig and a big plus is there so easy to tie.😁👍

[snowmanstevo]

 

3 hours ago, pablo7uk said:

Great thanks for the advice, will have to try the multi rig as I've never used that one before. Or I could use a wafter with the Ronnie rig?

Can I suggest you watch Julian Cundiff multi-rig on YouTube........ all will be explained if your thinking of using the multi 😉😬

[salokcinnodrog]

On 5 October 2019 at 13:37, pablo7uk said:

Hi all

I recently decided to advance my carp fishing a bit and tied up some new ones rigs but my first day on the bank with them and I've had two fish and lost both after a few minutes fight but before even seeing the fish on the surface. 

Average carp size in the lake are probably 5-10lb so not huge.

Specially my rigs are a 3oz lead on a korda lead clip, size 8 swivel, coated braid hooklink about 5/6inch length, size 4 korda crank hook barbed one with a pop up and one fished with a bottom bait. Both fished were on the bottom bait.

The only possible issue I've noticed is the swivel is perhaps slightly easier to free from the lead clip than I would like. Also I've actually never used barbed hooks before. I've heard Ronnie rigs are a big fish rig, could there be an issue if I'm getting into small carp?

 

Thanks

In most cases rigs are a complete fad as Elmo has pointed out. For pop-ups I still resort to plain bog standard pop-up rigs, often a D-rig or a sliding ring on the hookshank, weighted down with a match anglers olivette.

 

For the smaller fish on Bromeswell (4-15lb), it put loads on the bank for me earlier in the year. A coated braid, with a short stripped section near the hook. The pop-up either on a bait screw or a rig ring, and tied on.

 

I do use Bromeswell as an experimentation lake, and the maximum hook size in the rules is a 10, so I use the largest size 10 possible. (Different makes have different size standards).

 

This same rig has produced fish on the (big fish) reservoir as well, as has a coated braid line aligned rig with 2x 20mm bottom baits on a braided hair.

 

I also mostly use running or bolt rig lead set-ups, rarely helicopters, I think that there is too much free movement on the end tackle end, with no indicator or buzzer movement on helicopter leads.

[elmoputney]

This is my latest rig size 6 longshank for the club lake size 4 otherwise 

Simple and effective, I keep the coated braid on it apart from the hair I want it stiff all the way up to the hook, I've also started using a more hippy length hair, I believe that fish are finding it tricky to eject and I am getting a good hook hold so far, I have also experimented with longer hooklinks for me at present I like 8" plus 

[pablo7uk]

The multi rig and d rig are others I've been thinking of trying. Are these both pop up rigs too? 

Having the kicker bit of rig tube has worked well for me in the past but I feel on highly stocked lakes I've not done as well as would have hoped and I think lots of fish have escaped these after picking up the bait. But maybe I need to try it again with a bigger hook size now I have more confidence with higher hooks.

[salokcinnodrog]

32 minutes ago, pablo7uk said:

The multi rig and d rig are others I've been thinking of trying. Are these both pop up rigs too? 

Having the kicker bit of rig tube has worked well for me in the past but I feel on highly stocked lakes I've not done as well as would have hoped and I think lots of fish have escaped these after picking up the bait. But maybe I need to try it again with a bigger hook size now I have more confidence with higher hooks.

Don't necessarily think of a rig as just a pop-up or bottom bait rig, although the Ronnie rig is pretty much pop-up only.

I have used both the D-rig and Multi rig with bottom baits. My standard 'bottom' bait rig can be used as a pop-up rig, just by using a shorter hair, tying the bait tight to the rig ring, and adding a pop-up weight.

I can use the same D-rig, Multi rig or bottom bait rig for snowman baits.

 

On heavily stocked lakes it may be that there are not enough freebies around your hookbait, that could be pellets or particles, or groundbait. With a pop-up it could be that fish are wary of picking a bait that is 2inches off the lakebed. A single or double may recognise its not nailed down. A 20 or 30 may not.

 

The kicker may or may not be the problem, there can be a difference from water to water, area to area on hooking fish.

On one water I fished a standard knotless knotted rig failed to hook fish. I had to add a proper line aligner to hook them.

Just lengthening the tubing on a straight shank can create better hookholds, a bent or curved kicker is not always necessary.

[pablo7uk]

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely be trying some D rigs and multi rigs going forward. Will  just have to keep changing things up until something brings big success! 

[Machali]

About the ronnie, which hook are u using mates?

I need to buy some hooks. Any advice about it? Looking for really sharp hooks.

Usually i use wide gape for bottom presentations, but now in winter i'll use ronnie or multi rigs with PVA sticks, or inside PVA bags. Which hook would i use for it?

I'm using 14mm pop-ups, woyuld i use size 6 hooks?

 

 

[elmoputney]

48 minutes ago, Machali said:

About the ronnie, which hook are u using mates?

I need to buy some hooks. Any advice about it? Looking for really sharp hooks.

Usually i use wide gape for bottom presentations, but now in winter i'll use ronnie or multi rigs with PVA sticks, or inside PVA bags. Which hook would i use for it?

I'm using 14mm pop-ups, woyuld i use size 6 hooks?

 

 

I've been getting into the Ronnie rig lately I use bank tackle Continentals but have a look at the new ESP ones they look perfect for it, 

https://esp-carpgear.com/products/hooks/cryogen-trig-hammer/

Edited December 1, 2019 by elmoputney

[Machali]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

I've been getting into the Ronnie rig lately I use bank tackle Continentals but have a look at the new ESP ones they look perfect for it, 

https://esp-carpgear.com/products/hooks/cryogen-trig-hammer/

My options were Fox Curve Shank, Korda Kurv, or ESP. Read somewhere in the forum that Korda aren't really sharp so excluded.

I'll try those ESP size 6

thanks for your help one more time!

[pablo7uk]

Size 4 korda krank for me. Pretty happy with them so far, blamed the dodgey hook holds on fish being too small for the hook and bait but they were hooked 😂

[yonny]

18 hours ago, Machali said:

About the ronnie, which hook are u using mates?

I need to buy some hooks. Any advice about it? Looking for really sharp hooks.

Gardner Mugga.

If you want really, really sharp, the Specialist Sharpened Hooks version is as lethal as they get.

[framey]

Isn’t the new Gardner BCR really designed for ronnies?