Carp Catchers Blog

This Carp Catchers Blog will show you how to prepare hemp. The fresher the hempseed the easier it is to prepare so try to make sure your supplier (if it’s not us) has a regular turnover.

The first step is to soak the hemp in water for 24-48 hrs. Make sure that there is plenty of water over the hemp as some of it will be absorbed by the seeds. Step 2 is to boil the hemp till the seeds split and a little white sprout appears, if you add a little salt to the water it helps to keep the seeds a nice shiny black. After cooking you can add any other flavourings or additives that you like, although it is more than adequate as it is. Once the water has cooled it ready to use or bag up as required. Make sure to keep the hemp in the water it was boiled in as this will contain all that lovely hemp oil. Also if the hemp dries out it will float!! Freezing is the best way to store your cooked hemp if you are not going to use it straight away. Here at Carp Catchers we do dry Mega Hempseed in 5kilo bags.For those that don’t want to prepare their own we also do our frozen ready prepared Mega Hempseed with maggots, casters plus added betaine. We also have Dynamite Baits Frenzied Hempseed  and for PVA bagging TFG PVA Friendly Red Hot Chilli Hemp .

Best fishes,

John

Hey it’s the 1st of march and the sun is shining and spring is in the air, hopefully we’ll all be able to go fishing soon.

Best fishes,

John

We now have the new Dynamite Baits Robin Red and Banana Nut Crunch Ranges in stock. The Dynamite Baits Robin Red Hookbait Dip,  Liquid and Fluro Pop Ups are all made with the original Haiths’ Robin Red. Haiths’ Robin Red is arguably one of the finest and most popular carp catching additives ever and Dynamite Baits have now made it available in this user friendly range. For more information or to purchase please click on the above link.

The new Dynamite Baits Banana Nut Crunch Boilies ,  Hookbait Dip and Pop Ups were developed by Terry Hearn and feature a crunchy banana and chopped nut base with a creamy banana flavoured attractant. The base maximises the leakage of the natural sugars and attractants, making the Banana Nut Crunch range a perfect alternative to fishmeals. For more information or to purchase please click on the above links.

                          Dynamite Baits Robin Red Range

                         Dynamite Baits Banana Nut Crunch Range

Best Fishes,

John

At last! a catch report. Sean and Lea went carp fishing over the Christmas holidays on the Bluebell Lakes complex and were the only two there. Sean unfortunately didn’t have a sniff, but Lea had two jack pike and the very welcome mirror carp shown below. Lea’s mirror weighed 20lb on the nose and was caught on glugged Dynamite Baits Red Fish Pop Ups . Well done to both Sean and Lea on managing to actually getting out in the arctic conditions. Special congratulations to Lea though for getting the one we all want, a carp in the snow!!

Best Fishes,

John

We have a couple of interesting new products, the new JRC Digital Scales and Dave Lanes’ new book A Flick Of The Tail. First we have the JRC Digital Scales  which are a nice carpy green colour and weigh up to 100lb. They have a nightlight and memory function so you can record weights. The JRC Digital Scales are very reasonably priced and amazingly a padded scales pouch is included in that price. For more information or to purchase please click on the above link.

The long awaited sequel to Dave Lanes first book is now available. The new book  A Flick Of The Tail  continues on from the first and details Daves’ adventures at Conningbrook, St. Ives, The Secret Mere plus many more. Dave has mellowed a bit but the obsession still burns. Again for more information or to purchase please follow the above link.

                                             JRC Digital Scales

                                          A Flick Of The Tail

Best Fishes,

John

I’m sure this weather is driving all you fisherman out there mad, I know that it’s driving me round the twist. A good use of time in these circumstances is to sort your kit out ready for the coming thaw. Go through all your carryalls and rucksacks and give them a good spring clean. Clean your rods and reels, if your reels need a service now is the ideal time to get them done. Also sort through your tackle box and top up on anything you’re short of. Now is also a good time to tie up lots of spare rigs in the warmth of your living room rather than when your hands are cold and chapped on the bank. Roll on the thaw !!!!

Best Fishes,

John

The Solar Quick Change PVA Bag System is ideal for anglers who use PVA bags for the majority of their angling. The system will ensure you don’t lose the bag on the cast while improving casting distance and accuracy. The system is designed to be anti tangle and works with any inline lead.

For the purpose of this demonstration I used a Korda Flat Pear Inline Lead, Solar Contour Super Supple Rig Tubing and Korda Size 8 Ring Swivels  was used between the helicopter beads for the rig to be attached to.

Step 1.

Thread your mainline through your desired length of the Solar rig tubing.

Step 2.

Now thread 1 of the beads provided with the Solar PVA System onto the rig tubing followed by the Korda Ring Swivel followed by another bead. If you’re using mainline straight through there is silicone tubing provided for the beads to the grip. If you’re using leadcore then please ensure all beads can be pulled free of the leader to ensure the lead will be lost in the event of your line breaking. Tie or loop your hooklink to the ring swivel.

Step 3.

Now thread on one of the sleeves provided and push the tubing securely inside.

Step 4.

Then gently push the insert out of your choosen inline……

…..and thread it onto your mainline.

Step 5.

Tie a Figure Of Eight Loop Knot  in the end of your mainline and attach the Solar quick change PVA bag clip like so.

Step 6.

Now pull the lead over the clip followed by the sleeve and rig tubing. The finished setup should look like this.

All you have to do to attach a PVA bag is to pull the clip out of the bottom of the lead and hook a PVA bag on before pulling the clip back inside the lead. Then just thread the hook through the mesh of the bag and your ready to cast out.

This set up is particularly well suited to adding freebies with the Mag Aligner Rig and really comes into it’s own during the winter months.

Give it a go.

Tight lines

Dave

The Atomic Tackle Maggot Rig uses the inline lead setup fished helicopter style allowing a large PVA stocking of maggots to be tied to the swivel at the base of the lead. This enables the hook to be secured to the PVA stocking so once cast out the PVA bag will melt leaving your maggot hookbait lying in amongst the other maggots.

For the purpose of the demonstration I used a Gardner Readymade Mag Aligner Rig.

Step 1.

Pull out the large ring swivel from the base of the lead.

Step 2.

Now thread your mainline through the lead. ( If using leadcore or a leader, you will need to splice or loop the swivel on)

Step 3.

Tie your mainline to the swivel, I would suggest a palomar knot. To tie a palomar knot double over your mainline and pass it through the eye of your swivel.

Then tie an overhand knot with the doubled over mainline.

Now pass the swivel through the loop made by the overhand knot.

Then moisten the knot, slowly tighten it down and trim the tag end.

Step 4.

Once the knot is tied pull the swivel into the insert in the base of the lead.

Step 5.

Now you need to either tie your rig to the swivel above the lead. If the rig has a loop in the end pass the loop through the swivel before passing the hookend of the rig through the loop and tightening as I’ve done in this demonstration.

The finished rig should look like this.

The large ring at the base of the lead is for the PVA mesh bag to be tied to, then all you need to do is push the hook through the PVA mesh to secure it for casting.

Give it a go.

Dave

Here’s a nice 35lb 2oz mirror carp I had recently. It led me a right dance as it got into a massive weed bed and even though the lead had dropped on the take I had to go out in the boat to free it. It was well hooked though and it was never going to come off. I used half a kilo of scattered 18mm Mainline Activ-8  boilies as bait and the hookbait was a snowman with a 10mm Mainline Hi Visual  Milky Toffee pop up. The rig was tied D rig style with a size 6 Gardner Longshank Incizor  hook  and a 30lb GLT No Can See Fluorocarbon Hooklink .

Best Fishes,

John

The  MCF Dumper Lead Clip  is a very clever and innovative lead clip that is guaranteed to drop the lead in the event of a fish snagging or weeding you up. The tapered sleeves incorporated in this lead clip system help to minimise tangles. This Carp Catchers Blog will show you step by step how to set it up.

These can be set-up with any form of leader or tubing but for the purpose of this demonstration I used a ready spliced leadcore leader.

Step 1.

Using a bait needle thread the small rubber sleeve onto your leader or tubing.

Step 2.

Now you need to pass your spliced leader loop through the metal loop on the lead clip. Or tie on your mainline with your rig tubing already threaded on (Miss steps 3 and 4).

Step 3.

Then pass the lead clip through the loop in the end of your leader.

Step 4.

Pull the leader to secure the loop around the metal loop.

Step 5.

Push the small rubber sleeve over the metal loop.

Step 6.

Now push a baiting needle through the longer sleeve from next to the metal hook out of the tapered end and latch the baiting needle onto your choosen rig.

Step 7.

Once you’ve pulled your hooklink through loop it over the metal hook.

Step 8.

To finish the setup pull the hooklink tight and clip on a lead.

The lead should not eject on a normal force cast, however if a distance cast is required I would suggest securing the lead in place with PVA tape.

If you are using rig tubing then adapt the instructions accordingly.

Tight Lines

Dave