What's your favourite carp rig? | Quest Baits Blog

What’s your favourite carp rig?

December 7, 2009 Ron Key 14 comments

Over the years most of us refine our presentation and arrive at a point where we have a favourite rig. We do of course change our presentation to match the conditions and multitude of problems we encounter, but I bet if I could do a rig check on your rods over the course of a season, more often than not I would find the same type of rig.

The rig shown will be recognised now by everyone, popularised by the angling media as the claw rig it is in fact a bent hook rig.

I was fishing in the early eighties when the rig was first developed, spending much time destroying mainly trout hooks with my pliers to develop the perfect bend. The extended shank and the aggressive bend turn the hook very efficiently.

Although now discredited for “double hooking” I still believe it is one of the most effective hooking mechanisms ever developed. The amazing growth in the availability of carp hooks and rig components means that the hooking mechanism can be constructed with the same hooking characteristics, but without the potential to damage fish as the shrink tube can straighten when the fish is hooked.

I usually construct mine now with a size 8 Korda Longshank X . A BB shot perfectly balances the rig every time with a 15mm Quest Baits pop-up (the one in the picture is covered with heat shrink tube to protect it from signal crayfish, I’ve been fishing in the Colne Valley).

This rig or something very similar to it has hooked a very large proportion of the carp I have caught for the last 20+ years.

What’s your favourite rig, and why?

Cheers Ron

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Written by Spencer Humble about 2 years ago.

Hi Ron,
Got to be honest, I struggle to cast anything out nowdays except a multi rig or a chod. I know the Chod has been done to death in the mags and is on every website everywhere but the truth is most anglers still dont use them and the Carp struggle to deal with them. In a ‘spread out boilied bait’ situation Im not sure I can come up with anything better!
Written by shaun about 2 years ago.

Hi Spencer,

Great to see you on here. I’m one possibly a little stuck in my ways and as Ron rightly says most of us have our own favourite methods which have worked for us year in and year out on a variety of waters.

From my own point of view I tend to use lead clips and home tied combi-rigs. If I want to give the carp a more immediate jolt against the lead I simply employ a brilliant method shon to me by Dave Booth and that is to tape the hooklink to the heavy end of the lead. Normal insulating tape is perfect for this as it will peel off in the event of any mis-hap.

Chod rigs seem to be one of these things which have been re-invented so many times over the years. I was using similar in the early 80′s when w used to call them rotary rigs, then these were re-christened helicopter rigs and then the Chod seemed to be the next stage to a common theme.

I will admit to never having cast out what is now termed a Chod Rig but must also be missing out by the obvious amount of big fish I keep seeing caught on these rigs. What advice could you give to someone like me who doesn’t incorporate them in their own fishing but is always willing to keep an open mind. If I were to decide to give them a go what terminal components/set ups would you recommend?

Best fishes
Shaun
Written by Pat Gillett about 2 years ago.

Hi all,
I think we all become a ‘little stuck in our ways’ as a lot of successful fishing comes down to a confidence thing, and the more fish you catch on a certain rig / set-up the more confident you become, and so the more you use that rig / set-up.

A number of the ‘modern’ day rigs are really rigs that have been around for a long time and have just been ‘re-named’. Has Shaun says the ‘Chod’ rig was being used nearly 30 years ago but was then known has the rotary / helicopter. I can remember using a rig to fish floating crust or anchored crust at various depths in the early 70′s. This rig had no name but is now commonly known as the ‘Zyg Rig’.

Personally i always try and keep things as simple as possible. Over the last few seasons i have had a lot of carp using a standard lead clip with a fluorocarbon hooklength (although i do use longer hooklengths than most – often 12″ plus).

Although rigs are obviously important i personally place far more importance on location an bait application.

Cheers,
Pat
Written by spencer about 2 years ago.

The chod is far from new agreed, however it is now much more refined, having managed to watch a fish in shallow water get nailed on chod and trying to get rid of it, without luck, I’m convinced there is massive worth in it. I also believe it important to use as light a lead as possible and to give it plenty of movement between beads. I’ll post pics of my version but would suggest anybody who thinks it is a re hash or fad rig to give it a try
Written by Shaun about 2 years ago.

Dangerous ground putting anything aside without trying them first and I really should give them a go. Do you tight line them or fish slack’ish?

I often use small leads on bolt rig type set-ups and many dont seem to be able to get their heads around that one.

Quite simply it is giving the fish a totally different scenario to deal with and they very much struggle not to move the lead thus give indication when often you wouldn’t receive indication that they are on your baits.
Written by Ron Key about 2 years ago.

Hi guys, I think that the lighter lead also makes it harder for the carp to eject the lead. Without a static pivot point to work against (provided by a heavy lead) it is almost impossible for the fish to free itself.

I fished a rig very similar to the chod at Frampton. It had the short stiff hooklink, a pop up which I seem to remember was I fished on a D rig. The only difference was that the rig was a running rig formed with a large diameter John Roberts stainless ring connected to the lead with with a heavy nylon link, a large shock bead and then the hooklink. It was developed then as a safe anti tangle rig for long range casting with shockleaders, but fished in exactly the same way as the chod. The takes were extremely violent. Got to admit that in recent years I have never got around to using it. I’ll be interested to see your pics Spencer

Cheers Ron
Written by spencer about 2 years ago.

Slack as possible for me, runs are usually melt down jobs!
Written by Pat Gillett about 2 years ago.

Hi all,
Good points raised by all. I think one of the most important things in being successful is always keeping an open mind and being prepared to try different rigs / bait etc.

Interesting points about the use of light leads. This is something i have been doing myself over the last few seasons with some success. I will usually only use a lead big enough to cast the distance required. Could the success of light leads be down to the fact that it is usually different to what most other guys are doing ?

Has Ron says it will be interesting to see your rig piece Spencer, has it is always good to see a new ‘angle’ on things.

Cheers,
Pat
Written by Shaun about 2 years ago.

Beauty of small lead fishing is that you get so many more chances through not spooking the fish so much in the first place. One of the biggest carp scarers these days are leads crashing in!

I do a lot of short 2 – 3 hour sessions. If I were to blast 3 x 3oz leads in each trip then these short sessions would prove pretty futile.

As it is I can often get myself a chance very quickly rather than having to wait for the fish to return or a new group of fish to move through.

The more you fish for carp the better your watercraft/location becomes and ten the placement of the rig gets even more critical. If you have selected your swim properly – i.e. where the carp already are then the small leads are the only sensible way for a quick take.

I miss the odd fish through not striking quick enough but I’m convinced I get so many extra chances.
Written by Ron Key about 2 years ago.

I love this stuff. Its so easy to get the rods out with the rigs on you used last week. Good to get the grey matter working and reassess what you are doing . Keep it coming

Cheers Ron
Written by Pat Gillett about 2 years ago.

Shaun wrote ‘Beauty of small lead fishing is that you get so many more chances through not spooking the fish so much in the first place. One of the biggest carp scarers these days are leads crashing in!

I do a lot of short 2 – 3 hour sessions. If I were to blast 3 x 3oz leads in each trip then these short sessions would prove pretty futile’

Spot on, i totally agree.
Written by Spencer about 2 years ago.

To that end, have you seen the little Guru leads? Lovely!!
Written by shaun about 2 years ago.

No – not seen those Spencer. I tend to use small dumpy leads. I appreciate they make a fraction more splash than a long lead but grip a little better and tend to plug nicely into silt giving a little more ‘jolt’ on the take.

I tend to use the Korda dumpy swivel pear with the swivel removed and replaced with a oval split ring, or some small specials Jamie Simpson made for me.
Written by Ron Key about 2 years ago.

Hi Shaun my local shop has had them for a while. A whole range leads, clips, needles, feeders etc aimed at the general specimen and commercial angler marketed by Korda I believe. The usual range of gear that you see on the boards in tackle shop but smaller, lighter or finer. I snapped one of their baiting needles last night. Everyone is playing up about the cost they are not used to paying carp prices!

Cheers Ron

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