Tips

Almost every modern pole now comes with top kits fitted with side puller systems.

At first, these seemed like a gimmick, useful only if you couldn’t land a big fish on light elastic. Nowadays, though, they are indispensable and a big help in getting carp in quickly.

In layman’s terms, a puller kit is a top kit with a side hole drilled near the bottom end. A PTFE bush or dedicated puller bush is fitted and the elastic pokes out, tied off with a bead and knot. When you break the pole down to the top kit, you can grab the bead and knot, pull elastic out and keep it there.

This means there’s less elastic for the fish to pull against, and as a result it will tire faster, while you will be able to dictate the battle and keep it away from snags.

I’ve even seen them used for roach and bream on rivers, so the puller kit is not just something you’d use for carp.

But what is the right way to play a fish on a puller kit without ending up having yards of elastic trailing all over the floor?

It all begins with having the right elastic in the first place…

The right elastic

With a puller kit there’s no danger of being broken, even with soft elastic. Don’t go too light, though, or the puller won’t work properly. White Hydro is soft enough to let you strip back lots of elastic but still cushion any surges a fish might make.

Picking the right pole elastic is important

How much to pull?

If you pull so much elastic out that there’s just a foot left coming out of the pole tip the elastic may bottom out and the pole may break. I’d strip enough out to have control of the fish while it can at the same time absorb the power of a bolting carp.

Don’t overstretch

The fish should be on the surface without the need to overstretch with the net. If you can’t see the float when you pull to net a fish, you must pull more elastic out until you can. Let the lot go back into the top kit if the fish gains its second wind.

If you can’t see the float when you pull to net a fish, you must pull more elastic out until you can.

How many sections?

I run my elastic through either a full Power top-2 or the No2 and No3 sections of the Match kit with the No1 section removed. This equates to 5ft-7ft of elastic, ample to let a fish run but short enough to strip back when it’s time for the net.

In layman’s terms, a puller kit is a top kit with a side hole drilled near the bottom end.

No8:

This is the softest elastic I would use on a commercial and would be my first choice when I know there is a variety of fish sizes in the lake, ranging from roach, small perch and skimmers, to F1s and carp of a few pounds.

The beauty of this elastic is that I know I won’t bump small silvers on the strike, while I still have a good chance of landing bigger fish with a little time and patience.

No10:

F1s are a popular target on commercials and my first-choice elastic for these fish, which can weigh 4lb-plus, is No10 hollow. This species fights all the way to the net and they also love heading for any underwater snags when first hooked, so you need an elastic with a bit of power, but that’s still soft enough to avoid bumping them on the strike.

No12:

When there’s a good chance of landing a carp or two along with F1s, then I’ll go one step further and use a No 12 hollow elastic.

This elastic is great for open-water carp in winter when they don’t fight as hard as they do in summer and you need to fish relatively fine tackle for them. A strong elastic might result in bumped fish at this time of year.

No14:

This is my favourite elastic for catching carp that weigh more than 5lb and also for fishing against bankside vegetation.

I won’t use it so much at this time of year when most carp tend to be out in open water, but like all hollow elastics, it will stretch a long way while still boasting lots of power.