CC Moore
Gemini
CARPology Features
Image

Can you fish on top of weed?

Most of the guys fishing the same water as me fish to clear spots in the weed. Is it possible to fish in the weed itself? Can you suggest a suitable set-up for this? Mr. Evans, via e-mail

Sam Bascombe says:“Personally I would fish the clear spots, as this is where the carp will be used to finding bait, but in some cases fishing just into the weed off the side of spots can be vey effective too.

“There’s a number of ways you can present a bait in these situations, my personal favourite is a longish braided hooklength of 12-inches. The use of a supple braid, like Trickster, will allow your hookbait to settle nicely and not kick-up at horrible angle. Bait-wise, I would go with a snowman presentation, usually with a small bright pop-up on the top to give a visual aspect and add a little buoyancy to the hookbait. This is combined with a small PVA Stick that will ensure your hook settles without snagging on any debris.

“If the weed is thick – say anything from 3ft to 6ft – then I would use the Chod Rig with the bottom bead a good 2ft up the leader to allow the bait to settle on the top of the weed. Remember to tie your leads with a weak link, as this will help no end with landing the fish (it maybe necessary to use PVA to strengthen this connection for casting).”