How to choose the right hook size
How do you pick the right hook?
Do you A - pick a hook to match the fish you're catching... or do you B - pick a hook to suit the bait you're fishing?
If you answered B you're doing it right!
Here's our guide to which baits are the best choice for the 13 sizes of hook available for the coarse angler.
We've detailed the best hook sizes to use for baits presented directly onto the hook, and the best hook sizes for baits presented off the hook, on a hair-rig.
Use this guide wisely and you're sure to catch more fish the next time your out on the bank...
Hook Size |
Bait - on the hook |
Bait - hair-rigged |
|
26 |
Joker, bloodworm |
None |
|
24 |
Joker, bloodworm, Squatt |
None |
|
22 |
Squatt, bloodworm, pinkie |
None |
|
20 |
2xpinkie, maggot, caster, punched bread, hemp |
None |
|
18 |
Maggot, caster, punched bread, redworm, expander pellet, hemp, tares |
None |
|
16 |
2xmaggot, 2xcaster, punched bread, redworm, 1/2 dendrobaena, sweetcorn, expander pellet, tares |
None |
|
14 |
Breadflake, 3xmaggot, 2xsweetcorn, dendrobaena, cocktails, expander pellet |
Single sweetcorn, meat |
|
12 |
Breadflake, paste, meat, 3xsweetcorn, cocktails, chum mixer |
Double sweetcorn, meat, mini boilie, peanut |
|
10 |
Paste, meat, bread crust, chum mixer |
Double sweetcorn, meat, maize, chum mixer, 10mm boilies, tiger nut |
|
8 |
1/2 lobworm, paste, bread crust |
21mm pellet, meat, triple sweetcorn, 11mm boilies, 14mm boilies, 2xchum mixer, maize, tiger nut, 14mm pellet |
|
6 |
Whole lobworm, paste, bread crust, liphooked livebait |
Meat, 16mm boilies, 19mm boilies, 21mm pellet |
|
4 |
Whole lobworm, paste, bread crust, liphooked livebait |
Meat, 20mm+ pellets, 20mm+ boilies |
|
2 |
Paste, liphooked livebait |
Meat, 20mm+ pellets, 20mm+ boilies |
Guide to hooklengths
Although your hooklength is the weakest point of your fishing rig, it's one of the most crucial parts. How long should it be, how do you attach it and which line should you use? We have the answers...
WHAT IS A HOOKLENGTH?
A hooklength – also referred to as a ‘bottom’ – is a length of line that is nearly always thinner in diameter, and must have a lower breaking strain than the mainline.
The hook is tied to this lighter line and then attached to the thicker, stronger reel line (or rig line if you’re fishing the pole) via a special knot.
WHY USE A HOOKLENGTH?
HOOKLENGTHS serve two important functions. First, If you snag your hook and can’t free it, you’ll be forced to pull the line until it snaps. (This is called pulling for a break.)
When pulling for a break, never attempt to use the curve in your rod or pole to snap the line. You could easily shatter a pole section or damage a rod.
Wrap a rag or towel round your hand so the taught line doesn’t cut you, and pull slowly until it parts. Keep the line low and turn your head away because the float could catapult back and spear you in the face. The line will snap at the lighter breaking strain bottom, so you only lose your hooklength, not the whole rig including the float or feeder you’re fishing with. It also means you don’t leave yards of line in the water to endanger wildlife.
Secondly, a finer diameter hooklength is less likely to be detected by wary fish, especially in clear water.
WHAT BREAKING STRAIN?
AS a general rule, your hooklength should be at least a pound lighter in breaking strain than your mainline.
Many anglers, especially matchmen, now express all their lines – reel/rig lines and hooklengths – in terms of the line’s diameter in millimetres. For example, 0.17mm reel line (roughly 6lb 12oz breaking strain) to 0.15mm (5lb 14oz) hooklength.
In this case, you’re looking for a minimum 0.02mm difference between the reel/rig line and the hooklength.
HOW LONG A HOOKLENGTH?
OPINION differs as to how long a hooklength should be. Some canal anglers use hooklengths as short as four inches. Other anglers fishing slow-sinking baits like maggots and casters on clear water venues, make theirs as long as 30 inches.
If you’re tying your own hooks, a 12-inch hooklength is a good place to start. (Many pre-tied hooks to nylon are this length.)
Make sure you tie all your hooklengths the same length. This way, if you snap a hooklink and tie on another, or simply want to change to a bigger or smaller hook, you’ll still be fishing at exactly the same depth.
One good tip is not to nip dropper shot on fine diameter hooklengths if you can help it. Even legal lead split shot (size 8 or less) can damage and weaken fine lines.
WHAT LINES TO USE
IN summer, strong, stretchy and clear monofilament lines are best. When the colour drops out of water in winter, try fishing a fluorocarbon line.
Fluorocarbons are far less visible in water, but they’re more expensive to buy, and can be heavier, more brittle and wiry than monos.
WITH OR WITHOUT A LOOP?
THE best way to attach a hooklength is the loopto- loop method shown (below).
Tying the loops correctly is essential. If you just tie a granny knot, the loops can pull apart under pressure or part under sudden impact pressure – such as when striking into a fish.
The strongest loop by far is the figure of eight loop. The knot used to tie the figure of eight is 60% stronger than any other – and it’s simple to tie.
1. Grip the mainline between thumb and finger and then pass the mainline loop through the centre of the hooklength loop
2. The hooklength loop is now on the left so you need to pass the actual hook back through the mainline loop (right)
3. At this stage wet the loops in your mouth and gently pull the them together. The knot MUST look like this for full strength
4. If it looks like this, you have a lark’s tail knot which is up to 60% weaker than the correct loop-to-loop connection
HOW DO YOU CONNECT HOOKLENGTH TO MAINLINE?
Once you’ve tied figure of eight loops in your reel/rig line and your hooklength, follow the sequence below.
If you connect the loops the wrong way, you’ll end up with a lark’s tail knot – which is extremely weak, and could snap when you’re playing a big fish. Never use this knot!
If you’re unsure how to tie a figure of eight loop use a loop tier sold by tackle shops. The one shown is a Sensas model and costs £4.99 for a twin pack.
1. You will need a loop on both mainline and hooklength. First, fold 10cm of your line back on itself like this
2. Put the neck of the loop tier so that it captures both strands of line and pull it tight as shown
3. Rotate the head of the hook tier twice to twizzle the line. Then put the loop over the head of the tier and into the open ‘jaw’
4. Pull the line tigh to snug down the knot and then simply remove it from the ‘jaws’ and trim off the tag end neatly
Steve Ringer's Guide to Pole Fishing
Here is Steve Ringer's Guide to Pole Fishing...
"Welcome to my Angling Times guide to fishing the pole in association with Daiwa!
When I started fishing, poles were a rarity and often rubbish - too short, too heavy and too droopy - but how times have changed. Today even a £500 pole is a beauty and working with Daiwa, I've had hands-on experience of developing tackle that I just know will help any angler, regardless of their ability.
But there's more to pole fishing than owning a good pole. Like any method it needs thought putting into rigs, baits, feed and feeding strategies, plus where and when to fish in the peg. This super little guide will set you on the oad to a busy summer's fishing on commercial carp waters.
There's sound advice on buying and rigging up a pole, float choice and rigs, elastics, accessories and articles on four common pole approaches on carp waters - the margins, fishing shallow, silverfish and snake lake work.
If you're a beginner to the pole it'll be invaluable, but even experienced pole anglers will pick up a few gems of information too - after all, in fishing we never stop learning!"
How to use pole rollers
Splintering carbon is the sound pole anglers fear - now learn to reduce expensive breakages...
Pole rollers are essential to allow you to fish the long pole smoothly and effectively. Get it right and you’ll fish in comfort. Get it wrong and you’ll end up with backache or worse, an expensive pole breakage.
There are loads of models on the market from freestanding designs with three or four integral legs, to simple ‘V’ or flat-shaped roller heads that need to be screwed into a bankstick. Freestanding models are best because they can be used on concrete or wooden surfaces where a bankstick won’t penetrate.
HOW TO POSITION THE PERFECT POLE ROLLER
Left: CORRECT
1. Set your pole up to the length you are fishing.
2. Find the pole’s balancing point - where the part in front of you is as heavy as the part behind you.
3. Position your roller at this balancing point. When your pole comes off the roller it remains parallel to the ground and easy to to ship out.
Right: WRONG
If the roller is too close, the back of the pole dips down, forcing the tip upwards. The more you push the pole back, the more those sections protruding behind the roller sag under their own weight. This increases the pressure placed on the narrow piece of section resting on the roller. This fulcrum point is often where the expensive carbon section snaps or splinters.
WRONG
If the roller is positioned too far back you’ll struggle to set the pole down on the roller as the butt section tips downwards under its own weight, forcing the tip section upwards. Even if you do manage to get the butt on the roller, the pole will sag downwards in the centre, creating another stress breakage point.
CORRECT
When fishing two lines - one straight out into the lake and one down the margin - don’t try and use just a single pole roller. If you’re fishing the left hand margin at the 9 0’Clock position, place the second roller in the 3 O’Clock position (see pic above). This eliminates the need to sweep the pole all the way through to the 12 O’Clock position to ship onto your main roller.
How to elasticate a pole from start to finish
A pole needs elastic to cushion the fight from a battling fish. We’ve teamed up with tackle giants Maver and leading pole angler Jamie Masson to show how to turn the new pole you left the tackle shop with into one you can actually use.
In this article Jamie shows us how to create a silverfish set-up and a heavier carp rig.
How to elasticate a silverfish kit using the No1 and No2 sections from a match 3 kit...
1. You’ll need the following tools to do the job – fine hacksaw, sharp craft knife and sticky tape
2. The narrowest diameter (No.1) section is telescopic and should be pushed into the No2 section
3. Pull the thin No1 section right through the No2 until it seats tightly
4. Take a Maver Rappa Bung (this allows you to adjust tension) and push it tightly into the No2 section
5. Add the extractor rod into the bung . Count the number of rings left exposed – in this case its 6
6. Withdraw the bung and place the knife a further two rings along the narrowing bung (that’s 8)
7. Carefully cut the bung at this point (on the eighth ring)
8. The bung will now slide 6 inches into the No2 section. This gives room to connect the No3 section
9. Match the diameter of an internal PTFE pole bush to the diameter of the No1 section
10. Score the pole all the way round at this position and very gently snap off the excess
NOTE: If cutting a larger section Jamie wraps it with tape and cuts with a hacksaw
11. If the bush doesn’t fit, keep cutting off very small pieces (2mm-3mm) of No1 until it does
How to elasticate a power 2 kit for larger fish like carp...
1. Once again you’ll need exactly the same tools as you used to rig up your silverfish top 2 kit. This time we’ll be using the supplied top 2 power kits which are stronger, to cope with big hard-fighting fish
2. Repeat the bung sizing process (above). This bung should fit into the base of the Power 2
3. Push the eye of the wire diamond threader through the base of the Power 2 out of the No1 section
4. Now slip the elastic through the diamond eye until it grips firmly in the wire
5. Pull the protruding wire from the bottom of the No2 section, dragging the elastic with it
6. Now go back to the pole tip end and thread on the ‘cup’ part of the stonfo connector like this
7. Thread the elastic through the hole in the ‘peg’ part of the stonfo connector like this
8. Tie an ordinary overhand knot in the elastic. Now push the ‘peg’ and the ‘cup’ firmly together
9. This Maver Rappa Bung allows you to wind on extra elastic so you can adjust the tension
10. This pole also comes with a cupping kit, you’ll need to make it up. First, fit the screw thread
11. Cut the end of the No.1 cupping kit section so that the screw thread fits tightly over it
12. Add a dab of superglue on to the end of the cupping kit ‘s No1 section
13. Push the screw thread adaptor on to the end of the section and hold firmly until the glue sets
14. You are then able to screw on the two cups that come with the Maver 121 pole
15. Clean Caps which help clean the female joint when unshipping
16. They’re a tight fit so you need to work them in your fingers to soften them
17. These go on the sections you remove most – No3 and No4
Jamie Masson's guide to fishing the pole
Taking your first steps into the world of pole fishing can be confusing to say the least. Although pole fishing in itself is really very simple because after all there's no reel or casting to contend with, there's still lots to learn.
To help you along when taking your first steps into the world of pole fishing, we joined Jamie Masson for an in-depth look at some important basics of fishing a pole.
These little details really matter. They may seem insignificant and many anglers either do them wrong or completely ignore them. But put them all together, and these suggestions will help improve your pole angling no end.
Here’s what Jamie had to tell us...
HOW TO SIT CORRECTLY
On the level Having a level seatbox is the key to pole fishing success
Something as simple as the way that you set up your seatbox and then how you sit on it can make all the difference between a keepnet full of fish and excruciating back pain. By keeping your back, knees and feet at 90-degrees to each other, you’ll be able to fish the pole comfortably for many hours.
Look... no hands! A balanced pole equals better angling
Balance is imperative to successful pole fishing.
The weight of the pole should be distributed between the forearm and thigh so that the pole can be held steady while giving the angler the ability to use both hands freely.
This skill can only be achieved with practice but it is worth the effort. You can easily feed with a catapult or do other tasks while fishing. This makes the session easier and you’ll catch more fish.
PLUMBING THE DEPTHS Take time to map out the swim’s contours
Only by taking your time to plumb the depth of the swim in front of you can you get an accurate idea of its contours.
On many lakes there will be quite obvious features to fish to – like islands margins, reed and/or lily beds or snags.
However, there can also be a number of fish-holding features that are less obvious, under the water.
Depressions in the lakebed, weedbeds or the bottom of marginal shelves can all attract and hold large heads of fish.
This means the proficient pole angler will spend at least 10 minutes searching all of the water in front of them to find these hidden, golden areas.
To see what the bottom is made of, Jamie always uses a 1oz plummet and lowers it slowly through the water on a tight line until it touches the bottom. The sensation that registers up the line tells him a lot about what he’s fishing on.
If the plummet sticks the bottom is soft silt, if it feels firm but not hard the bottom is clay, if the plummet lands with a ‘bang’ the lake bed is gravelly.
ON THE DROOPAdjust your elastic with a Rappa Bung
All new pole elastics have a great deal of stretch in them.
After playing a large fish, the elastic may not fully retract to its original length, causing it to droop out of the end of the pole.
To adjust this tension, Jamie always elasticates his pole with an adjustable bung which incorporates a winder.
This winder allows you to adjust the tenstion of the elastic.
There are a number of different types of adjustable winder bungs on the market. Jamie always uses a Maver Rappa bung in his set-ups.
The excess elastic can be simply wound around this Rappa Bung,to take up slack, or even make it quite tight for fishing close to snags.
To loose the droop, firstly pull the No2 and No3 top kit sections apart
Insert the Extractor Rod into the top kit and pull out the Maver Rappa Bung from inside the number two section
The loose excess elastic is then wound around the winder incorporated into the Rappa Bung
KEEPING THINGS CLEANUsing joint cleaners and Shipper Bungs will extend your pole’s life
Dirt and grit are a pole joint’s worst enemy – nothing will wear a pole out faster.
By using Maver’s Clean Cap system and Shipper Base Bungs, Jamie ensures that the insides of his most frequently unshipped sections – No3 and No4 – are always cleaned. The Shippa Bung protects the pole’s base sections from damage.
Trouble ahead!
Without the use of a Shipper Bung, the pole’s base
sections can be easily damaged on bankside debris
Shipper Bung
By using a Maver Shipper Bung, the base
sections of the pole will be protected
CATAPULTING CORRECTLY WITH A POLE To catch effectively, you need to master feeding while holding the pole
Many novice pole anglers struggle to hold a pole – especially at longer lengths.
The good news is, it is very easy to do after a little practice.
The first thing is to ensure the pole is balanced correctly. Secondly, rather than pulling the catty pouch backwards, push the catty frame forwards with your chosen hand, while holding the pouch steady in the other.
Tops and cupsHaving your cupping and top kits the same length means it’s easier to feed accurately
When Jamie first sets up his pole he tries to keep all of his top kits the same length as his cupping kit. This ensures that his rigs are right over any loosefeed that he has cupped into the swim. This is vital in cold water situations.
How to fill your groundbait feeder
Filling a groundbait feeder with crumb and feed isn't simply a case of shoving the feeder into the groundbait mix - there's a little more to is than that...
You need to fill the feeder in such a way that the groundbait leaves the feeder easily, but also remains inside the feeder when you cast it.
Here's a few simple steps that you can easily follow to ensure that you get the vest best from your groundbait feeders the next time you're out legering.
It's worth noting that your groundbait must be mixed correctly too - it should be soft, fluffy, slightly damp and be sticky enough to hold together with a single squeeze of one hand.
Place the feeder, bottom down, into your fluffy groundbait mix
Holding the feeder at the top push it firmly down into the groundbait mix to the point seen here
Lift out the feeder and with your fingers supporting the bottom, use your thumbto compress the mix inside
You should end up with a stiff plug of bait in the bottom. This will allow you to cast without the bait flying out
Now use the plugged feeder as a scoop to fill the remainder with light and fluffy mix
Use your thumb to gently tamp in this scooped up groundbait
The perfect feeder mix will travel through the water intact but ‘explode’ when it gets to the bottom
How to make the perfect PVA bag
There is no better way to accurately feed a carp swim than by using PVA bags filled with bait, and here we show you how to make, tie and create bags of bait.
It's quick, easy and cheap... but much more than that this technique of delivering little parcels of highly attractive baits, additves and goodies right next to your hookbait is by far the most accurate and productive way of fishing for both huge and medium-sized carp.
But it's not just carp that respond to this technique - you could use PVA bags for bream, tench and catfish on stillwaters, and even barbel and chub on rivers.
Once tied securely, the bags are simply clipped onto the hook and cast out into the swim. Once the rig hits the bottom the PVA will begin to dissolve, and after less than a minute the bag will have fully dissolved to leave a small pile of goodies that surrounds your hookbait. Perfect!
How to make the perfect bag
1. Fill your PVA Funnel Web with dry bait like this.
2. Remove filled bag and cut it to leave 4cm of the bag over the bait.
3. Now cut vertically down the centre of the excess Funnel Web to form two tag ends.
4. Finally, tie the two tag ends together like this to create the perfect tight bag.
Boilie web
Top: Tightly tie three boilies in Boilie Funnel Web PVA stocking.
Middle: Gently squeeze top bait in between the other two.
Bottom: Hair rig one one the end boilies, making it your hookbait.
As an alternative to stringers, use Funnel Web to present boilies. Take three hard, air-dried boilies and place them into the boilie Funnel Web tube. Place two baits side by side and the third on top to form a triangle. Tightly tie off the bag. Force the top bait in between the two bottom baits, stretching the PVA bag. Hair rig one of the end baits to your rig and cast into the swim. When the PVA starts to dissolve, the network bag will shrink, causing the middle bait out and throwing the two freebies further apart. This gives a different presentation than a standard stringer and could result in a few more fish.
Wet baits can be used in PVA!
Although wet baits are not normally used with PVA, you can get away with it with a little care. For example, you can add groundbait to particles and nuts (below) to dry them off.
Also, try coating the inside of a solid bag with an oil-based liquid or Hinder’s Tiger Slime before adding the damp bait. Alternatively, thoroughly dry your particles before bagging them up.
Many anglers try ‘doublebagging’ damp baits. This is using two PVA bags, rather than one.
Step 1. Take a couple of handfuls of wet bait and place into a bait box.
Step 2. Add just enough groundbait to dry the particles.
Step 3. The mix should now be dry enough to be PVA friendly.
How to make a 50/50 PVA bait stick
Knowing how to create a 50/50 PVA Bait Stick can put your streets ahead when fishing for big carp.
Not only does this method allow the angler to present plenty of highly attractive bait within millimetres of the hookbait, but when created as per the instructions below, a neat tube of bait wrapped in PVA can be used to hide the hooklength and therefore help you enormously when it comes to tricking really line-shy carp.
Although this is a method created to catch big carp, there's simply no reason why you cannot alter the bait incredients to help you tempt big barbel, tench and bream.
Experimentation is key to this method. Once you have mastered how to put the bait inside the PVA stocking you're well on your way...
You could try bread crumbs, fruit flavoured groundbait, different colours of groundbait, crushed pellets, all manner of different baits to give you the edge the next time you're on the bank.
Here's how it's done...
How to make a 50/50 stick
1. Use a vegetable chopper to chop up some boilies.
2. Here’s what they should look like – very finely chopped.
3. Now push a small amount of very lightly-dampened groundbait into a Funnel Web tube.
4. Add the same amount of your chopped-up boilies.
5. Compress, push the web from the plastic tube and tie the ends. Pull your hooklength through from the groundbait end.
6. Continue to pull the baiting needle through until the hook point sits in the bottom of the web bag in the groundbait like this.
7. Attach the top of the hooklink on to a quick link.
8. The finished rig ready for casting.
What happens to a bait stick underwater?
Because the mix has been highly compressed in the tube, it explodes from the melting PVA like this.
The deadly Dynamite Stick
Korda's Funnel Web PVA system became very famous after Nick Helleur invented the Dynamite Stick. A Dynamite Stick is a very compressed, three-to-four-inch ‘sausage’ of Dynamite Baits’ tinned Meaty Marine groundbait.
Because the groundbait is compressed, the PVA sausage explodes on the bottom. This not only attracts carp, but also perfectly covers the hooklink.
This technique has since been copied by many anglers and seen by many fish. Therefore, you need to do something slightly different to still get bites.
One way to keep one step ahead of the rest is to use a 50/50 mix of Dynamite Baits' Meaty Marine groundbait coupled with a black groundbait such as Black Swimstim. This darkens the mix, making it just as potent in terms of the smell, but less obvious to any passing carp.
It's best to avoid oily baits in the winter because the oil can leak into the PVA, preventing it from dissolving properly. At this time of the year use either low oil content crushed pellets or add a higher percentage of crumb-based groundbait to your Meaty Marine groundbait.
After casting, the PVA bag and hooklink sit for a few seconds on the bottom like this.
How to create the perfect PVA bait stringer
PVA string or tape is the perfect medium for feeding full or broken boilies right next to your hookbait. A short length - say 12 inches - can make or break a session by ensuring that you present a neat little pile of free offerings right where it counts, and that's next to your hook.
This technique, clearly detailed below, can be used when fishign for carp, tench, barbel, chub, bream or catfish.
It can be used for presenting half boilies, full boilies, meat, drilled pellets and even drilled Chum Mixers accurately, and the bext of it is, because a string of bait doesn't weigh much, it can be cast very easily upon Avon rods or lightweight carp rods.
Here's how to make a bait stringer in six easy steps...
1. What you need: PVA tape, stringer needle, sharp scissors and several boilies or large pellets.
2. Cut off 15cm of the PVA tape.
3. Thread your boilies on to the needle, fold the tape over and hook your needle over the tape. Halve some of the boilies to help fl avour release.
4. Gently slide your baits from needle on to tape. Leave a 5mm gap between the baits on the tape and ensure the double thickness of tape goes through all the bait.
5. To prevent the hair tangling on the cast, use a small piece of separate PVA tape to tie the hair tightly to the hook bend.
6. Finally, attach the stringer the hook by pushing the hook points through the tape. Cast her in!
