Carp Fishing Tips | Baits and Rigs to get started - Hassan Khan

"I have just started getting into carp fishing, there are so many rigs and boilies out there, is there a basic set-up to get me started?"

With the amount of information available out there via magazine and the internet, I can see how things can be confusing but here's my simple recommendations.

In terms of rigs, a great starting point would be a simple knotless knot/hair rig. Have the bait (boilie) on the hair rig, so that it just brushes the bend of the hook. Have the rig around 7-inches in length and use it in congestion with a simple lead clip system.

A simple hair rig is adaptable and will catch plenty of carp. You can attach as many baits as you like. Fish with PVA bags or mould some paste around the hookbait.

A lead clip system is reliable and safe for the fish

When it comes to bait, we are very fortunate in that all boilies that are produced by the major bait manufacturers nowadays are proven fish catchers.

As a guide rule, there’s two types of boilie…

Fishmeal boilies (e.g. Sticky Baits The Krill), are rich nutritional meaty/fishy/savoury smelling baits, which are often preferred in warmer water temperatures, but can be used in cold water in smaller quantities.

Fishmeal boils are often preferred in warmer temperatures

Birdfood based boilies, (e.g. Mainline Cell), these are often sweet/nutty in flavour and can be used all year round.

Birdfood/milk protein based boilies can be used all year-round but are favoured in the winter months

My advice would be to pick one based on your preference or what’s catching on your water and stick with it, don't fall into the trap of continually changing.