10 hookbait attachments you need to know
And how they make a difference...
Do you use a standard Knotless Knot for all your rigs? If that's the case you could be missing out as Oli Davies explains...
1. KD Rig
Most suited rig set-up: The KD is best used in conjunction with a bottom bait or with a pop-up pinned down by the use of a shot on the Hair rather than the hooklink itself.
Advantages: Because the Hair exits the Knotless Knot by the eye of the hook rather than further up the shank as in a standard Knotless Knot, the hook tends to hang point-down. When a fish sucks the bait in, this puts the hook point in prime position to catch in the bottom of the mouth. When a fish is pricked, the Hair being close to the eye also makes it difficult to dislodge by the fish sucking and blowing. Hook holds are generally securely in the middle of the bottom lip.
Rating: 9/10
2. Large Blowback Rig
Most suited rig set-up: The anti-eject potential of the large ring is further enhanced by the use of a large bait. Try it with a double bottom bait or a snowman presentation.
Advantages: The range of movement of the bait is greatly exaggerated by the use of a large ring that will actually pass over the eye of the hook. Because of the mechanics this creates, a pricked fish that blows the ring past the eye will struggle to shed the hook. If it does, however, the rig is then rendered virtually useless as it cannot ‘reset’ itself although it is possible to tell if you have been ‘done’ by a fish.
Rating: 7/10
3. Long D Rig
Most suited rig set-up: This is an excellent boilie rig and lends itself to both pop-up and bottom baits.
Advantages: A Long D allows the bait to travel up and down the hook shank. By altering how far up the shank the whipping continues, it is possible to finely tune the angle at which the hook sits. Often used with pop-ups, a Long D is also effective when used with a bottom bait, and has excellent anti-eject properties as the bait travels right down to the eye of the hook. The bait can be tied to a rig ring or directly onto the D-section.
Rating: 8/10
4. Rig on Shank
Most suited rig set-up: This is better suited for use with a pop-up, as the lack of separation from hook to bait will hinder the hooking potential with a bottom bait.
Advantages: For those of you paranoid about the Hair tangling, then this is the rig for you. There is no Hair so tangles are impossible. The hook beads can be positioned at any point so the rig can be fished in a variety of ways and the amount of movement controlled. It is easy to change hookbaits by simply sliding the ring off and mounting another.
Rating: 6/10
5. Short D Rig
Most suited rig set-up: This is a great rig for use with very stiff hooklink materials. Best used with a pop-up, it is ideal for Stiff Hinged and Chod presentations.
Advantages: This type of D allows the bait lots of movement whilst remaining tangle-free. It also adds the vital element of movement to otherwise stiff rigs. Using a very small D keeps the bait close to the eye of the hook and the point hangs at a very aggressive angle. Hook holds are usually central in the bottom lip.
Rating: 9/10
6. Side Hooked
Most suited rig set-up: A simple mono hooklink along with a sensitive running lead set-up works well in conjunction with a side-hooked bait.
Advantages: The arrival of the Hair rig has lead to mounting the bait on the hook becoming less popular. However, side-hooking still has a place in the modern carper’s armoury. When float fishing or surface fishing and where you can see the fish take the bait, side-hooking should be considered. There are many types of bait that can be used in this way, from worms to particles. It is usually necessary to set the hook by striking, but it is possible to hide the hook inside the bait to fool wary carp.
Rating: 5/10
7. Silicone on Bend
Most suited rig set-up: Braid, coated braid and mono are all suitable for this arrangement and it can be used with any bottom bait or pop-up weighted by a shot on the Hair. It’s also preferable to use a longer Hair.
Advantages: This is a simple way to improve the standard Knotless Knot. Trapping the Hair with silicone allows you to alter the mechanics of the hook and encourage it to turn more readily. Used in conjunction with a long Hair, the hook falls to the bottom of the mouth as the fish mouths the bait and the bottom lip touching the hooklink will turn the hook. This rig doesn’t rely on the fish ejecting the bait to prick it.
Rating: 9/10
8. Semi Blowback Rig
Most suited rig set-up: A supple braided Hair is best to take advantage of the anti-eject properties that the sliding ring provides. This can be an extension of a braided hooklink or whipped onto the shank. Double bottom baits and snowman presentations are particularly effective fished on a blowback ring.
Advantages: Unlike the large ring that can pass over the hook eye, the small ring won’t render the rig completely ineffective if the rig is ejected. It still offers excellent anti-eject properties, especially when used with a long shank hook and the ring blown down to the eye will still function with similar mechanics to
the KD Rig.
Rating: 9/10
9. Standard Knotless Knot
Most suited rig set-up: Truly versatile and any type of hooklink material or bait combination can be used.
Advantages: Simple to tie, a straightforward Knotless Knot can be used with just about any bait. Hook holds can be erratic, however, with the hook often catching in the scissors as the hooklink tightens to the lead. The addition of a simple ‘kicker’ over the eye of the hook dramatically improves the turning potential and means more fish hooked in the bottom lip.
Rating: 6/10
10. Swivel on Shank
Most suited rig set-up: Unlike the ring on the shank, this is well suited to pop-up and bottom bait presentations.
Advantages: A swivel provides far more movement than a straight ring arrangement and marginally better separation allowing it to be used more effectively with bottom baits. As with the ring on the shank, the hook beads can be positioned at different points to create different mechanics. If the swivel is allowed to run down to the eye, excellent anti-eject properties can be achieved. Using certain baits, such as two peanuts on the Hair can cause it to spin and twist. A small swivel will stop this from happening.
Rating: 8/10
