Carp Catchers Blog

This is a simple surface rig that will compliment the Korda Surface Controllers or any other surface set up.

To tie this rig you will need some Korda Cruiser Control Surface Line, Korda Mixa Hooks, some Enterprise Imitation Dog Biscuits and a Korda Size 11 Ring Swivel.

Step 1.

Remove about 3-4 foot of Korda Kruiser Control Surface Line and tie a small loop knot in one end.

Step 2.

Now thread on an Enterprise Imitation Dog Biscuit. Place one of the supplied shot in the hair loop and pinch in place, then pull it tightly into the recess in the biscuit.

Step 3.

Pass the other end of the line through the back of the eye of the Korda Mixa hook and position it below the bait. Then hook the imitation mixer on the side opposite the shot.

Step 4.

Whip the line up the shank of the hook 6 times making sure the first whip goes away from the join in the eye.

Step 5.

Now whip the line once back down the shank of the hook.

Step 6.

Pass the line through the back of the eye again and moisten before tightening down gently.

Step 7.

Now slide the hook round further so the shank is inside the imitation dog biscuit with the point of the hook free to get a hook hold.

Step 8.

Tie the other end of the hooklink to a size 11 ring swivel using a palomar knot. Double over the end of the hooklink and pass it though the big eye of the swivel.

Step 9.

Now form an overhand knot in the doubled over section of the hooklink around the swivel.

Step 10.

Pass the swivel through the loop in the end of the hooklink which was made when the overhand knot was formed.

Step 11.

Moisten the knot and tighten it down gently before trimming the tag end.

The rig is now ready to be attached to your surface setup and cast out.

Give it a go.

Tight Lines

Dave

The Korda Interceptor is a new distance surface controller. The design of the controller allows you to change the weight of the controller without having to break down your setup. The controller has a self orientating high viz sight, is very aerodynamic for long range casting with minimal tangles and is made with a low visibility surface colour plastic.

To setup one up you will need a Korda Interceptor and a Korda size 11 ring swivel.

Step 1.

Thread your mainline through the rigid tube.

Step 2.

Slide the soft insert onto your mainline and push the rigid tube inside it.

Step 3.

Now tie on the size 11 ring swivel using a Palomar knot. Double over the end of your mainline and pass it through the eye of the swivel.

Step 4.

Tie and overhand knot around the swivel with the doubled over section of your mainline.

Step 5.

Then pass the swivel through the loop created in the doubled over mainline once the overhand knot has been formed.

Step 6.

Moisten the knot and tighten it down slowly, before trimming the tag end.

Step 7.

Gently pull the swivel into the soft insert.

Step 8.

Locate the slot on the side of the interceptor body and place your mainline in the slot.

Step 9.

Slide the interceptor down the rigid tube until is sits firmly on the soft insert.

The Interceptor is now ready for you to attach your hooklink and cast out.

Give it a go. To purchase any of the items shown please click on the above links.

Dave

For you surface fishing enthusiasts we have the new Korda floater gear in stock now. The Korda Interceptor Controller  is for distance surface fishing. The Interceptor controller has some very clever design features. It will always land the same way up with the orange sight tag on top making it easy to spot. The body of the Interceptor has a slit running along it’s length, which allows you to change bodies without having to break your set up down. Finally the colour, we all know Korda’s track record with underwater filming, well the colour of the Interceptor was the one least visible underwater. For more information or to purchase please click on the above link.

The Korda Kruiser Controller  is a totally unique design. The innovative line attachment makes it virtually tangle free. The Kruiser Controller needs no lead or extra weight resulting in quiet water entry. It is the same low visibilty green as the Interceptor. For more information or to purchase please click on the above link.

The Korda Mixa Hooks  are the first hook specially designed for surface fishing. They have a silky smooth PTFE coating preventing reflective glint, which could spook wary fish. The Mixa Hook is flat forged for extra strength and has a super short shank for added lightness. They are available in both barbed and barbless patterns. For more information or to purchase please follow the above link.

Finally we have the  Korda Kruiser Control Floater Line   has again been specifically designed for surface fishing. It is super soft and supple to ensure easy casting of even the lightest controller. Kruiser Control has a low gloss finish and near neutral buoyancy ensuring that it lies unobtrusively in the surface film. It has limited stretch minimising hookpulls. For more information or to purchase please click on the above link.

                                                                                         Korda Interceptor Controller

                                                                                              Korda Kruiser Controller

                                                                                               Korda Mixa Hook

Best fishes,

John

This Carp Catchers Blog is for those of you who like or would like too do a spot of surface carp fishing. It is fairly easy but there many people that are new to carp fishing so here goes.

These are the components needed for the set up.

Step 1

Loop your mainline through one of the Line/Rig Stops  loops

Step 2

Push one of the line stops towards your mainline

Step 3

Push the line stop onto the mainline loop

Step 4

Push line off mainline onto the mainline itself

Step 5

Cut off the kink in mainline caused by looping it

Step 6

Pull the line stop right up your mainline and thread the mainline through your TFG Surface Missile

Step 7

Tie on one of the size 11 ESP Hi Performance Carp Swivels  using a Palomar Knot

Step 8

Pull the Surface Missile up tight to the swivel

Step 9

Pull the line stop up to the back of the missile. This is what will give a bolt effect to the rig

Step 10

The finished rig. Tie on your hooklink and you are ready to go

This is a carp safe rig in that most surface fishing hooklinks are of a light breaking strain. Should the mainline break the line stop will come off fairly easily. The whitish or opaque finish of the missile will blend in with the whitish/light blue of the background(sky). Don’t forget the carp are looking up!!

Best fishes,

John

Now the weather has started to warm up the fish are moving up in the water and are often seen cruising in the surface layers, a lot of anglers choose not to go after them with floater gear as they have limited fishing time and wish to relax behind static rods, while others find it too frustrating. There is an alternative to surface fishing, the zig rig, that could well help you bank one of those cruising carp.

The zig rig is a statically fished suspended bait on an extra long hooklink. The most popular hooklink material for zigging and floater fishing is Drennan Double Strength .  

The use of zig rigs is a very productive tactic on days were the fish are up in the water but is a tactic that is normally overlooked due to the difficulty of setting them up and getting them out into the lake due to tangling. Tangling can be reduced by the use of soluble rig foam or better still a small mesh bag filled with floaters nicked onto the hook. Kordas’ Boilie Funnel Web PVA System  is particularly good for making small mesh bags and melts quickly with no residue.

Setting up a zig rig is easier than many anglers think, a simple lead clip will be more than enough in terms of a lead set up.  Firstly you need to find out the depth of the area you wish to fish. To decide these areas observe the carps patrol routes as they cruise just below the surface.

Once an area and its’ depth has been selected, the next step is to decide the depth under that water you wish to present your bait. As I said earlier this can be determined from observing the fish you’re targeting  and estimating how far below the surface they are. Now you have decided on the depth you wish to fish you need to tie your hooklink to the correct length. For example, if you have choosen to fish an area that is 8ft deep and the fish are cruising about a foot under the surface then you need to tie up a 7ft hooklink. Once you’ve tied up your hooklink you’re ready to go.

A few tips that might help with using zig rigs.

Lay the hooklink down on the ground or coil it round in the bottom of a bucket to cast the rigs out.

Coiling the hooklink up and tying it in a coil with pva tape can make casting easier. 

Try as many different colours baitwise as possible to determine the best colour to use, black foam works well as it stands out against a light sky. Gardner Tackle do a good range of  Zig Rig Foam  including black.

If the fish are up in the water try and observe what they are eating if anything, especially this time of year as there are a lot of fly hatches which will get the fish feeding on food items up in the water. Remember if there is a fly hatch happening and the fish are feeding use a small piece of dark foam, flies aren’t bright yellow!

I believe that colour is the key with zigs and not the flavour, you are trying to imitate natural food items or induce a take from a curious carp, you are not normally trying to get the carp feeding on free offerings. Although feeding free offerings can be a good tactic on heavily stocked waters. Spod a sloppy mix that doesn’t contain many free offerings over the top to bring carp into the swim and get them feeding up in the water where the zigs rigs have been placed. 

Hook choice can be a crucial factor. You need a strong, small, sharp hook that will sit at the optimum angle two patterns to try are the ESP Stiff Rigger , especially for pop ups or the ESP Big T Carp Hook  for foam. A size 10 or 8 should be sufficient.

Lead size is also crucial, use the lightest lead you can to achieve the distance you need. The reason for the light leads is so that you do not bump the fish off while playing it on a long hooklink

Give zig rigs a little thought and adapt them for your water, you could be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Tight Lines

Dave

Surface fishing is one of the most exciting fishing methods, so heres a perfect rig to get you out there and catching fish off the top. The components used to make this rig are a Nash Bolt Machine, 5mm ESP Rubber Shock Beads, Nash Safety Bolt Bead Swivels, Drennan Double Strength and Nash TT Fang Gaper Carp Hooks.

Step 1.

Tie up a 2 foot Knotless knot hair rig using the  Nash TT Fang Gaper and the Drennan double strength hooklink material and tie to the Nash swivel using a Grinner knot. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now slide the Bolt machine up your mainline then put the 5mm Shock bead on and tie the mainline to the swivel on the hair rig using a palomar knot. (See pictures below)

Step 3.

Then push the bead onto the eye of the swivel and pull it into the bolt machine. (See picture below)

 Here is what your finished setup should look like.

All the knots used in this demonstration can be found in previous blogs if you need to refer to them for help.

Tight lines

David

Over the past couple of weeks Ive been doing a bit of surface fishing at a local lake, although the fish so far have only been single figures with a couple pushing doubles its still good sport. The surface rig I have been using consists of a 10g ESP surface controller pushed gently onto a Korda anti tangle rig sleeve which is then pushed onto a size 8 swivel with another Korda anti tangle sleeve the hooklink side to kick the bait away from the mainline. The Hooklink is 8lb Drennan Double Strength tied using a simple knotless knot with one extra turn on the way back down the shank to avoid it slipping as mono so often does to a size 10 kamasan hook with a 11mm  Dynamite Baits Expander Pellet on the hair with a pellet stop to prevent the pellets falling off when they become soft.

Tight lines

David

It’s that time of year again when the carp are up in the water and it’s now that it’s possible to get them going on surface baits, one of the most exciting but frustrating methods of carp fishing.

I did my 1st bit of surface fishing of the year on Sunday at a little lake just outside Market Harborough, which turned out to be good fun as always. I managed to bank 6 carp including a few of nice little ghosties during the period of the afternoon, nothing big but it was exciting fishing once I managed to get the fish feeding confidently, I even had them taking floating pellets later in the evening during the rain. The setup I used was an ESP controller float, a Korda anti tangle sleeve, with my mainline attached to a swivel followed by another anti tangle sleeve, Drennan Double Strength mono and a size 10 Kamasan hook tied as a hair rig. I will definitely be having a few more surface sessions in the near future but will be targeting a few different waters with some bigger fish.

If you haven’t already I would suggest picking up some floating pellets or dog biscuits and heading down to your local for a spot of surface fishing, you can’t beat it!!

Cheers

David

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Customer Nathan used his new Chub OutKast 9ft Stalker Rod  too help himself to a 21 fish mega haul . Nathan reports ” I couldn’t catch anything on the bottom but could not stop catching off the surface, I was really impressed with my new Outkast Stalker Rod.” Nathan used floating crust as bait and his biggest carp (below) was 18lb 11oz. Nice one Nathan!

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Here’s another great diagram showing how to set up the Gardner Suspender float which is really good for ultra cagey surface feeding carp.

Best fishes,

John