Carp Catchers Blog

The Atomic Tackle Choppa Droppa is a safety helicopter lead system, offering a setup that can be fished in or around weed that will allow the lead to drop should it become snagged.

In this demonstration I used the Atomic Tackle Choppa Droppa Ready Rigs but Atomic do sell a Choppa Droppa Kit which enables you to use your own choice of leadcore or leader.

Step 1.

Pull the micro bore bead off the small leadcore link, then thread on your lead followed by the micro bore bead onto the small leadcore link.

Step 2.

Using a baiting needle pull the leadcore link through the Choppa Droppa clip.

Leadcore link pulled through.

Step 3.

Now tear a small piece off a PVA nugget and roll it between your fingers.

Step 4.

Push the PVA stop into the loop at the end of the small leadcore link and pull it tight against the clip. Attach a rig and the setup is now ready to cast out.

Tight Lines

Dave

Here’s a handy little tip for getting really neat knots. Instead of using saliva to bed down knots use a dab of Lipsalve which is easily obtainable in chemists or supermarkets and comes in handy tackle box size containers. It will give you a much tighter knot with no line burns or pig tails.

Best Fishes,

John

Customer Adam Holmes has had the big one out of his local lake. Here’s what Adam had to say :-

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

Fishing for short periods in the week can bring you success when the lake is quiet and all the other anglers are at home. Here is a 25lb mirror I had on a recent overnighter after baiting the swim on a regular basis for nearly 3 weeks. The fish was landed using an ESP Leadcore leader and Armaled Lead Clip with a Korda 3oz pear lead. The rig consisted of Atomic Jel-E-wyre and a size 6 Korda Wide Gape Hook  tied blowback style fished with a snowman hookbait and a 2 bait stringer cast to the baited area.

Tight Lines

Dave

Triggalink is a revolutionary hooklink braid. It is woven with PVA which once in water it melts drawing in the braid and becomes an elasticated, self hooking rig. Carp do not know how to deal with Triggalink due to the elasticity which makes it hard for them to use the weight of the lead to throw the hook. The elasticity in the braid doesn’t allow them to make contact with the lead without the hook penetrating and taking hold. Triggalink is proven to enhance hook holds, especially when fishing barbless hooks and in weed.

To tie this rig I used Nash Triggalink, Nash The Missing Link, a Nash Safety Bolt Bead Ring Swivel and a Nash Fang Gaper Hook.

Step 1.

Strip 8 inches of Missing Link and tie a small hair loop in one end.

Step 2.

Now thread your choosen bait onto the hair with a baiting needle and secure it in place with a bait stop. 

Step 3.

Pass the other end of the missing link through the back of the eye and set a gap of about 6mm between the top of the hook and the bait.

Step 4.

Whip the missing link up the shank of the hook 5-6 times…..

….Before passing the tag end through the back of the eye again.

Step 5.

Now cut 12 inches of Triggalink off the spool and hold it along side the tag end of the missing link with your hook and bait attached to.

Step 6.

While continuing to hold the two along side each other create a loop with the triggalink.

Step 7.

Take the shorter end of the Triggalink and pass it round the Missing link and through the loop created 4 times.

Step 8.

Now create a loop with the Missing link along side the Triggalink.

Step 9.

Pass the tag end of the Missing link around the Triggalink and through the loop 4 times.

Step 10.

Now moisten both knots and tighten them down gently before butting them up together. Then trim the tag ends and blob them with a lighter.

Step 11.

Pass the tag end of the Triggalink through the ring on the ring swivel.

Step 12.

Create a loop with the tag end alongside the length of Triggalink tied to the Missing link.

Step 13.

Pass the tag end around the Trigga link and through the loop 5 times.

Step 14.

Moisten the knot and tighten gently, then trim the tag end.

The rig is now complete.

The length of the Triggalink when the rig is complete measures approximately 6 1/2 inches.

Once wet the PVA in the Triggalink melts and contracts the braid. Shortening it to approximately 5 1/2 inches.

This is worth baring in mind when tying a rig with Triggalink as it will always end up shorter once wet. This rig is known as a Combi-Link Rig and can be used with either bottom or pop up hookbaits. If you wish to use a pop up, mould some tungsten putty, such as Kryston Heavy Metal Plus , around the knot in the two hooklinks.

Tight Lines

Dave

This is an alternative to the previous Carp Catchers Blog on how to tie The Shot On The Hair Rig. It is tied in exactly the same way except the hair is lengthened by 10mm and the shot is placed halfway along the hair rather than directly next to the bait.

Setting the rig like this means the bait sits up off the lake bed by about 10mm if using a pop up hookbait. It allows the hook to lay flat on the lake bed alway from the bait, making it less obvious to wary carp. This alternate Shot On The Hair Rig  provides good bait separation and ensures the rig is hook heavy, making it more likely to catch in the carps mouth.  Though more effective with pop up hookbaits, a bottom bait can be used and the rig will still be very effective as it is still hook heavy.

Tight Lines

Dave

The Shot On The Hair Rig is basically a bottom bait rig with a small shot added to the hair to allow a pop-up hookbait to be used. This completely alters how the rig to reacts to how it would with a bottom bait. The hookbait is allowed to move more naturally due to it’s bouyancy and the length of the hair. The shot on the hair allows you to either critically balance or overweight the pop up hookbait.  The nature of supple braid allows the hookbait to be picked up with minimal resistance and the pattern of the hook means the point hangs low below the hookbait helping it to grab hold. The simplicity of The Shot On The Hair Rig makes it easy to tie and it minimises the bulky components such as shrink tubing used on some rigs.

For the purpose of this demonstration I used the Korda Supernatural Hooklink, a Korda Kurv Shank Hook and a No.4 split shot. The shot size is determined by the size and bouyancy of your choosen pop-up, the bigger and more bouyant the pop-up the larger the shot. I found a No.4 shot to work perfectly with a 14mm Richworth Pineapple Hawaiian Pop Ups  although it varies between different makes and types of pop-ups.

Step 1.

Cut 14″ of Korda Supernatural from the spool and tie a small overhand loop knot in one end.

Step 2.

Thread on your choosen pop-up and secure in place with a bait stop.

Step 3.

For this version of the rig pinch the shot onto the hooklink below the pop-up. This will give you a slow sinking hookbait which is almost critically balanced. We will show you an alternative version of this rig, which has  the shot positioned differently, soon.

Step 4.

Thread the Korda Kurv Shank Hook onto the hooklink passing the braid though the back of the eye to the front and position the bait about 6mm from the top of the hook.

Step 5.

Now whip the hooklink up the shank of the hook 6-7 times and then pass the hooklink through the back of the eye to the front to finish the knot.

Step 6.

Double over the other end of the hooklink.

Step 7.

Then form a loop with the doubled over section of the hooklink.

Step 8.

Now pass the end of the doubled over section around the bottom and through the back of the loop created in step 7.

This creates the figure of eight, if you get this eight shape then you have done it right.

If you struggle with tying the knot then try this method. Alternative Figure of Eight Loop Knot.

Step 9.

Now gently tighten down the knot and trim the tag end.

The rig is now complete and ready to be attached to your lead setup.

The rig is best fished of with a small Dynamite Stick or PVA Mesh Bag thread down the hooklink over the hook to avoid tangles.

Tight Lines

Dave

The Claw rig is a very effective bottom bait rig. With no shrink tube or rigs rings its also very simple to tie.

For the purpose of this demonstration I used the Korda Hybrid Stiff Coated Braid, a Korda Kurv Shank  Hook and a 3mm length of the Korda Silicone Tubing.

Step 1.

Remove roughly 4 inches of coating from the Korda Hybrid stiff hooklink and tie a small overhand loop in the stripped end.

Step 2.

Now thread a 3mm section of Silicone tubing onto the hooklink.

Step 3.

Then pass the hook point through the silicone tubing towards the loop tied in step 1. Make sure not the snag the hookpoint in the braid on the way through as this could damage the hooklink.

Step 4.

Thread the hooklink through the back of the eye and then thread your choosen hookbait onto the hair and secure it with a bait stop. Set the hair with about a 1cm gap between the hookbait and hook.

Step 5.

Now whip the hooklink up the shank of the hook 6 times before passing it through the back of the eye to create a knotless knot. 

Step 6.

Next thread two of the small Korda Sinkers onto the hooklink. It is easier the strip a small amount of coating off the end of hooklink as the coating makes it too thick to get the sinkers on.

Step 7.

Tie a figure of eight knot in the end of the hooklink.

Double over the end of the hooklink and create a loop like so….

Then pass the end of the doubled over loop through the loop just created….

And again….

Moisten the knot and pull it tight.

Step 8.

Position the Korda Sinkers evenly apart along the hooklink and gently steam it straight over a kettle.

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

Due to the stiffness and nature of this rig it is best fished over firm/hard lakes beds.

Tight Lines

Dave

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