How can I improve my line lay when there’s weed in between the bank and the spot I’m fishing to?
Scott Lloyd
The best way to improve your line lay is by ensuring that last 6ft is pinned right down. If leaders are banned, I like to use the new XL Tungsten Droppers which will be hitting the shelves soon from Thinking Anglers.
These pin your line right down to the deck, and although sometimes the scenario can’t be helped if there’s weed between you and the spot, this is the best you’ll be able to do. It’s all about that last 6ft! These aren’t just for putting on your line though, they can be used on rigs too instead of putty. Edge!
If you want to see the importance of pinning your end tackle down, make sure you watch Underwater Revelations on the Sticky Baits TV YouTube channel.
The XL Tungsten Droppers help to pin down the final 6ft of line to the deck
Is it best to use tubing, leadcore or a leadfree leader? Or is it largely down to personal preference?
Myles Gibson
I’d certainly say personal preference, and also venue-dependent as different lakes will have different rules. If I had to choose between the three, then I’d be using leadcore. It pins your end tackle right down to the lakebed, whereas I’ve seen leadless leaders in the past that don’t lay anywhere near as well without the weight inside.
However, fluorocarbon leaders are also a possibility, and at the moment this is what I use. They are super-strong, virtually invisible underwater and sink like a brick.
Braid combined with a fluoro leader would be my number one choice
So if I did have the choice, it’d be none of the above in the question! I’d go with a braid mainline and a fluorocarbon leader - this gives you the strength in the braid, yet a slight cushion with the stretch in the fluroro. It makes the fights that little bit better and not as savage.
A snaggy pit stunner caught using fluoro leaders
If the wind is blowing in the same direction for several days, will carp stay on the end of it or start to drift off to different areas again?
Jim Wilson
Every lake is different, and the only way you’ll figure what the patterns are is by logging the info every time you’re there.
Carp often follow a warm wind but always look for signs of fish elsewhere too
On some lakes they’ll follow a warm wind, then on others they’ll sit on the back of it. If you’re targeting a new lake and you have no signs to go on such as shows, fizzing, bubblers etc, then it may be worth the punt but let your eyes make the decision for you, not the weather.
Carp won’t always be where you expect them to be as this 36lb mirror proved
Is there a way to drop the lead when fishing helicopter rigs?
Gaz Fareham
Yes, there is. All you need is some C-clips from Thinking Anglers. These come in 3lb and 6lb strengths, and only if the take is an aggressive one i.e snag fishing or it gets lodged in the weed will it dislodge the lead to aid the fight.
Such a simple product but they allow you to fish helicopter rigs 100% safely
I tried floater fishing for the first time recently. I got the fish feeding on bits of bread but whenever I cast out the fish disappeared. What should I do?
Scott Lloyd
Floater fishing is all about patience and allowing the carp to build their confidence. One wrong move and they’ll easily be spooked like you said! It’s certainly one of the most exciting ways to fish, and once you get the hang of it, I can guarantee you’ll always have the kit in your car. If you follow these five simple steps, I’m sure you’ll up your floater game…
1. Locate the carp and find where they are happy to sit in the sunshine.
2. Prepare a variety of 6mm and 11mm floaters to get the best response from the carp
3. If the wind picks up and there’s a ripple on the water, add a splash of cap oil to your floaters to flatten the water
4. Use a catapult for accurate and precise feeding
5. Regular feeding to gain their confidence is a must. Allow the carp to feed happily until they’re competing for each mouthful, this is then the time to cast beyond the carp and slowly coax it into the zone.
What is the best thing to do when a fish starts kiting towards a snag? I lost a couple of fish on my last session when fish kited towards a set of reeds and I couldn’t reel them in quick enough.
Myles Gibson
Snag fishing is all about safety, but sometimes no matter what you do to prevent it, they’ll aim for that sanctuary and cover to help them get rid of the rig.
If you do get a take, it’s important to apply pressure straight away and direct them away from any potential danger. If you swim allows it, walking back with the rod is always a good way of gaining an upper hand in the battle, whilst maintaining control.
In terms of what you could do differently, assess the situation and if it’s not safe to hook and land the fish, simply don’t fish there. It’s not worth the losses and risk of putting the carp in danger.
Always assess whether you will be able to safely hook and land fish when considering fishing close to snags. Fish safety must always come first
Is there anything I can do to stop crayfish destroying my rigs?
Mitch Hammonds
The little blighters take some beating, but there are several things you can do to help avoid them. Firstly, use split shot to pin your rigs down and not putty. They love pulling the stuff off your rigs so if you use pop-ups, make sure you don’t have it on there.
Use split shot rather than putty on your rigs
Secondly, using plastic baits soaked in liquids is a good way to ensure they cant pinch and pull the bait off the rigs.
Plastic or foam baits soaked in liquid can’t be pulled off hairs
How long would a 12mm pellet last on a hair rig before it breaking down and needing replacing?
Tom Gibson
It’s a tricky one without knowing what pellet you’re using as they will all have slightly different breakdown times. If it was something like a Sticky Ellipse pellet it would take a few hours to break down when hair-rigged.
If you want to extend the breakdown time you could try gluing the pellet to the hair so you don’t have to penetrate it with a needle as this always water to get into the pellet and speeds up the breaking down process.
A hair-rigged Ellipse pellet will take a few hours to break down
I’m planning on fishing a lake on a commercial fishery that has lots of double figure carp but their rules don’t allow a lot of normal specimen carp tactics. What type of rig would be best?
Adam Penning
With the rules that you’ve been given to fish, I’d suggest looking at method feeder or small PVA stick tactics which will no doubt be used on the venue.
Small PVA sticks add a pile of attraction around the hookbait
This will allow you to use a hooklink of your choice which complies with the rules and also ensure you are presenting effectively. With the hook size being so small in terms of what you’d usually use when targeting carp, you’d be better off using a match style tactic as those boys certainly know how to catch them!
Try adding Calanus Liquid to your Method mix
Using liquids such as the Pure Calanus or others in the liquid food range and mixing it with either the active mixes or boilie crumb will give you a perfect method mix to use.
When carp crash out does it always mean that they are feeding and it’s worth casting a bait towards them?
Adam Penning
This is a tough one, as it’s more about what happens before the show. For example, if you spot bubbling coming from the lakebed and dispersing on the surface, then a carp follows suit by showing itself from the water, that carp will no doubt have been feeding below.
Whether you cast or not is your call, as sometimes you can spook the warier fish when you cast a lead towards it.
Experience will tell you whether it’s a good idea or not, but in an ideal world, I’d look to be setting traps close by with the most minimal of disturbance to allow the carp to carry on feeding, without knowing your rig is close by.
Fizzing is a sure sign of fish feeding
Can bottom baits be as effective as pop-ups for hookbaits?
Steve Renyard
I’m a huge fan of bottom baits and always use them if I can get away with presenting one. Pop-ups are great, there’s no denying that, but when a carp feeds, it’s usually sieving its way through the contents buried in the lakebed.
Bottom baits are my go-to hookbaits
So why would you use a pop-up if the carp are happy to feed amongst it? It’s all about the situation you’re putting the hookbait in…
If you’re looking to fish right on top of a weed bed, then a chod rig with a pop-up will no doubt be far more effective than a bottom bait. If, however, you can present a bait on the deck - whether that’s a wafter or bottom bait - I’d always favour it.
I’ve heard some anglers say that curve shanked hooks can damage a carp’s mouth. Is this correct or is there a way to use them which makes them less likely to cause any damage?
Tom Gibson
In honesty, I’ve not heard of this one before! Maybe it’s a certain rig that you’ve heard of that’s incorporated this pattern of hook? Curve shanks are a fantastic pattern lending themselves to numerous different presentations, whether that’s the popular Ronnie rig or a German wafter rig.
Curved shank hooks are extremely versatile
I’ve used both of these rigs in the past with this pattern of hook and have certainly never come across damage to the mouth as a result of the pattern of hook. Any hook used incorrectly with a rig can cause damage, but with the amount of information on the web and in magazines these days, there should be no excuses for poor/ dangerous rigs.
Well-tied rigs are unlikely to cause damage to carp
What is the ideal length a leadcore leader should be?
Gaz Fareham
The trick to leadcore is to ensure it’s not too long, as this can cause problems when casting.
I’d also recommend purchasing ready tied leadcore leaders. The TA ones are great as they’re the perfect length and are set up to either fish helicopter style with a drop off bead. Or you can buy plain 1m ones for use with lead clips etc if that’s what you prefer.
Leadcore is my favourite way to present rigs
These are also far more subtle than others, with a thinner core running through the material which allows it to lay over the contours of the lakebed far better than a thicker leadcore.
I have just started fishing a low stocked park lake which has very spooky carp. There are about 35 of them in one acre. How can I track down the carp and catch them?
Scott Lloyd
One of my most valuable tools when angling is my eyes. Location is everything when it comes to angling, if the fish aren’t there, it doesn’t matter what rig or bait you put out in the pond, you can’t catch what’s not there. It’s that simple. Keep mobile, travel light and keep on your toes and react to the signs from the carp.
You might feel like you’re chasing them around, but inevitably, you’ve got to be on the fish. Secondly, learn as much as you can about the lakebed and what the general feel of it is like. You can then choose the most suitable rig for the job.
If it’s quite choddy and silty, which most park lakes are due to the surroundings, then I’d be opting for a hinge rig which will pretty much be presented effectively on all manner of lakebeds.
I’m going to launch a river carping campaign this year to try and get away from the crowds. I’ve never actually fished a river before so would love any advice on how to tackle one for carp.
Nick Helleur:
The best advice I can give from my own experiences is location. You’ll probably feel like you’re spending hours on end walking the stretches you choose to fish, just looking, but it’ll be well worth the wait when you do spot something or find a feature which the carp will use.
As the rivers can be so long, these features tend to hold carp as there’s not much else for them to find. Trickling bait in and keeping an eye on the areas which you have done will always help you too.
Get the smaller fish grubbing around and no doubt something bigger will come into investigate! Most of all though, enjoy it. The river is a magical place and if you’re kind to the stretch, it’ll be kind in return.
What’s the benefit of using a D-rig set-up as opposed to a standard hair rig?
Tom Maker:
I love the use of a D-Rig, not necessarily as I believe it’s a better presentation than the hair, but for the ease of tying and how it suits my style of angling. With my angling being very fast paced, I need a rig which I can be confident wont tangle, can present a hookbait which allows movement between the hook and bait and also one which if it did get picked up and ejected, is capable of resetting itself and still be fishing effectively.
If I’m fishing over a fairly clean area, I know for a fact this rig will be fishing and the chances are, a bite will be just around the corner!
Tom Maker’s ever faithful D-rig presentation
Match anglers catch lots of carp on paste during the summer, but I rarely see specimen carp anglers using it? I know it’s not great for casting, but do you think it would make a good stalking bait?
Jim Wilson:
One hundred percent! Paste is one of the most underused baits going, and I’m not sure why in honesty!
Maybe trends with bait move around in circles and there will come a time once again where paste will be back in the spotlight. Whilst it’s not being utilised as much, however, it can provide a massive edge to the angler using it.
It breaks down very, very quickly, leaking off masses of attraction. If you can lower it into the edge and not cast to ensure it remains on the hair/hook, I’m sure you’ll have lots of success with it.
The Krill paste is an incredible product, and a big edge if you're willing to use it in the right situation
What is the best bait to use once carp have finished spawning and need to build their energy up again?
Dan Wildbore
Once they have spawned, they’ll be extremely hungry and a good quality boilie which meets all their nutritional needs is essential.
A bait which needs no introduction, not only for its unrivaled catching record, but the immensely nutritious compound that it’s built on, is The Krill. Formulated with the carp in mind, it has been tailored to suit everything that a carp would want in its diet.
At Sticky, we don’t just want to create something which will give the angler a huge advantage, we want to provide the carp with some of the best fishmeal’s and milk proteins that we can get our hands on which will benefit the carp in the long run.
The Krill Active, our latest bait developent which is a perfect food source for the carp
Why are pop-ups available in lots of nice smelling and fruity flavored versions, but very few bottom baits in these flavours?
Tom Gibson:
That’s a very good question! If you take the initial part-reasoning behind bright / fruity pop-ups, they were designed to mainly be cast as single hookbaits to either showing fish or among thick weed to nick the odd bite as well as stand out like a sore thumb.
Like me, if you’re looking to put a bed of bait onto a spot and encourage the carp to feed, sometimes a big, bright colour in their face can spook them as it looks almost too obvious.
This is why most bottom baits, like the Tuff Ones we do in the boilie ranges, are designed to mimic the exact feed you’re putting out.
Most of the time if you’re fishing on the bottom for a bite, you’re fishing over a clean and presentable area and most anglers would opt for a match the hatch hookbait.
The Tuff Ones are my go-to bait if im fishing on the deck, and micic the freebies perfectly
I’ve just kitted myself out with a two-rod setup for the first time. Would you recommend fishing the same rigs on both or is it best to try different tactics on each rod?
Jim Wilson:
With two rods now at your disposal, I’d recommend giving both options a try! You may find a spot on the lakebed which is only suitable to fish one rod, which means you’d have to find an alternate area to place your second.
In this instance though, let’s say you’ve got both rods in the same area. This would be a perfect time to stick to a rig which is suited best, but maybe try two different coloured hookbaits?
This can often make a bigger difference as you may find one colour is working better than the other on the day.
If you notice a pattern you can make the decision to change all the rods to the winning tactic. The Signature’s have three different colours in the pots, which make them ideal for this tactic.
I’m sure out of the three colours to choose from, one will work on the day!
