SHARPER CARP AND CATFISH Baits and Rig Combinations

* There are many baits and rigs used to catch carpworking, and do yours differently. This way YOUR
and catfish. Obviously, when using a single hook, youcatches will stand out from the crowd.
need to maximize your hooks potential for hookingYou could try the 1 big dough paste bait on a hair
fish, every way you can, to get most 'takes'wrapped around a pellet or boilie.
converted from every 'pick-up!'Or try 1 big boilie bait of perhaps 35 millimetre in
You can start of in a very conventional way by usingdiameter, or even 2 baits of this size on a hair?
a 'side hooked boilie' or pop-up bait. Or use a ball ofPerhaps try a bigger hook a size 2 not 6, 8 or 10.
dough paste on the hook, but this is not a particularlyThis hook has a larger gap and more weight to drop
efficient fish hooking method.and hook the bottom lip.
'Hair rigs' were developed to maximize the hookingTry the hook floating over your bait rig: You put
potential of your rig, and there are very numeroussome plastic foam onto your hook tied so it sits over
types to get around different carp and catfishyour 'sinking' type bait. This way the hook will enter
feeding behaviours and fishing situations. But for mostthe mouth before the bait! (Very crafty - Have you
fishermen, simple is best, and risk of tangles, or timeever known anyone else use this rig?)
consuming tying of rigs is a potential drawback ofPerhaps trying a prepared nut with a boilie or paste
many more advanced rigs, although they can easilybait together, on a hair, or two hairs could be a
out-fish conventional simple rigs in many situations!useful solution. Has your water been 'hit with tiger
You can use a single or half or two halves of a boilienuts, peanuts, hazelnuts etc, recently and you need a
on your 'hair.' Or use two or three boilies on a longernew approach? Try foam 'popped-up' peanuts over
length hair. You could use a hair with 4 or 6 halfpellets or corn for a different approach.
boilies on it. Or even mix up different boilies ofHow about using a pellet with boilie on one hair or
different types on the same hair, perhaps includingtwo hairs, alongside a tiger nut or large peanut? (Do
some 'pop-up bait halves to help negate the weightyou find that tiger nuts are more effective with their
of the hook for the shyer feeding fish.skin cut off a little?) Just a little change can make all
The same goes for different kinds of pellets; howthe difference to your catch rate, but what
many anglers do you know mix different pellets ondifference will really big changes to your rigs or baits
their hook or hair or even on multiple hairs on theirmake?
hooks?The author has many more fishing and bait 'edges' up
Following the current fashion in bait use and hook rigshis sleeve. Every single one can have a huge impact
can often make you miss out on loads more fish byon catches. (Warning: This article is protected by
not using more alternative methods. See what thecopyright, but reprints with a link are OK.)
'average fisherman on your water is doing, assess hisBy Tim Richardson. 'The thinking angler's fishing
bait, and rigs attributes, dimensions and method ofauthor and expert bait making guru.