It's all about the presentation!

All I could do was to sit and be completely dumbstruck at what I was watching. The guy in front of me was feeding the inside line, presenting a waggler time after time to exactly the same spot by a set of reeds on an island 25yds out, as well as baiting up, talking to me and catching fish after fish which was made up of a mix of carp, roach and the odd tench. The way this guy worked his swim was like nothing else and the way he was going, he would empty this 3.5-acre lake by lunchtime!

One thing that really stood out was the way he read the float he was using, as once it had settled, the trap was live and little by little he fed the area around it and bingo! It dipped ever so slightly followed by a strike and another carp took up the fight.

If you get the last 5ft right, then you’re almost there

As we know, a well set-up float is absolutely deadly and a method long since forgotten by the majority of our fellow carp anglers or sadly now a tactic some of the younger generations of “carp anglers” have never learnt. The gentleman in question was fishing a banded pellet hard on the bottom and each cast was so delicate and landing every time in the same spot with perfect presentation and done so quietly. I am no master float fisherman, but I can use a float and have caught many carp through the years on this method from a range of waters when I put my mind to it, and yes, I am guilty of opting for the standard lead set-up over the float, but just think of how delicate a float presentation is and how a bite is transmitted so quickly.

In situations where it’s close quarters, I have managed to present baits within a foot or even closer of a feeding fish, and there are few tactics like a float which get the heart racing. When you can either see the carp feeding near your float or the float starts that merry dancing before gliding off under the surface or rising out of the water. It’s electric.

Autumn brings feeding spells and opportunities

Consistency is part of the jigsaw that is carp fishing

But why, you ask, are we talking float fishing? It’s all about the presentation, not just what rig you have on, or what super boilie you are using, or even how far you can cast, it’s just getting that last section spot-on and set-up so that Mr. or Mrs. Carp have a good chance of being hooked. I always feel that a float would be the best way forward with the way you can present a bait, with the ability to present on pretty much any lakebed, quietly and with no line to worry about sinking out of the way, but using this technique is a different matter, as trying to watch a float in the edge let alone out in the pond for long periods of time is tricky, let alone in high winds and rain. But talking through the float approach may just get some of you thinking as to how you tackle your next session, or give you a laugh, but either way, don’t dismiss the opportunity by boshing a 3oz lead on a carp’s head!

Ricky Knight with a Snails common. Right rig, right bait, right place, right time

There really is NO excuse for poor rigs these days, as let’s face it, if you can’t tie a basic Knotless Knot rig then just buy one and the same applies to many of the successful rigs out there. I have never bought a ready-tied rig but I would rather an angler bought his or her rigs rather than tie a poor or unsafe one. There are a multitude of great rig guides out there and that’s before you even start on the likes of Facebook and YouTube or many of the tackle company’s websites. As an angler, you should be 110% happy with what you’re using and confident it is safe for the fish and gives you the best chance to hook your quarry. Tangled rigs are not a thing of the past, but we, as anglers, have moved on leaps and bounds from the days of tangly braid and Multi-Strand.

There is not one issue or problem that stands out when it comes to presentation, but having cleared many trees and bushes of line and rigs at Diggerlakes, I will use what I’ve found to give the highs and lows of presentation, be it the type of rig or where the rig was cast to.

The Faults

The most common mistakes I find and an easy fix

Match the bait size to the hook

1. Massive hooks

The problem: I am talking shark size hooks which looks like they have come from a sea fishing trip where the angler couldn’t be bothered to change them! I also know with these rigs that they don’t match the bait size as they have the Hair in place which gives me an indication of the bait size, or on a lot of occasions, the bait is still on as I unwind it from the tree or snag. One of the most awful rigs I found was a size 4 with two bits of fake corn on the Hair and this was a big size 4. Attached to this was some serious coated braid of around 20-30lb BS.

The fix: Match the bait size to the hook, especially with bottom baits or tiny baits such as corn – a size 8 or smaller for two bits of corn is ample. With pop-ups you can get away with bigger hooks, as their weight can be used to counter their buoyancy with the addition of some putty. Also, match the hook size to the hooklink material/breaking strain, as a size 10 with 30lb mono will be impossible to tie but also negate the reason for using a small hook in the first place. Put your baited rig in the margin and have a look at it and try to imagine what a carp will see on the approach, especially now as we’re in December and the water starts to clear.

Make sure your rigs are nice and balanced

2. Badly tied great rigs

The problem: By this I mean all the components are right with a good balance but they are tied badly or untidy. The most common fault is with stiff rigs such as the Hinged Stiff Rig which I have retrieved from trees or seen on the rods of many anglers. Not a rig I have used a lot BUT I do know it has to be tied correctly and set-up well to be effective. The common and very effective Knotless Knot I have seen tied in more or less the right way but the attention to detail is very lacking and the rig looks messy.

The fix: Watch the videos showing you how it should be tied and also look at the many pictures of anglers using it: Terry Hearn, Nigel Sharp or Gaz Fareham would be a very good place to start, as you will see what the perfect Hinged Stiff should look like. Buy a rig guide book and don’t be too proud to ask, as I know the lads who help me at the fishery are always more than happy to give out advice and point people in the right direction. If you struggle with a certain rig then maybe buy an off-the-shelf version and examine it to see how it should look or ask your local tackle shop owner.

You’re not striking so you need your hooks to be sticky sharp

3. Blunt hooks

The problem: Now before we go down the road of the sharpened or not sharpened hook, I will just say that let’s keep it at ‘hooks fresh from the packet’ for now. Like many other anglers, I get paranoid about hook sharpness, but I have witnessed hooks that are so blunt, or so obviously not as sharp as they should be, you would struggle to hook a mackerel. The type of rigs we most commonly use rely on the hooking being done without the aid of a strike, unlike a float angler, so it is imperative you have the sharpest hook you are capable of presenting out there.

The fix: Check your hook before you tie a rig, before you cast out and between casts, and if it is not sticky sharp then change it, don’t ever chuck out a hook you’re not happy with as it could cost you that all important fish.

4. The cast

The problem: Having retrieved rigs from one side of an island which were cast from the bank on the other side of said island, I see what poor or unlucky casting can be achieved! It does make me chuckle when I cut rigs out of trees 20ft up! Getting on the spot is more and more important when fishing pressured waters and many times I have watched anglers “just cast out” with little thought into why or where.

The fix: Take your time – don’t rush. If there are fish present, try to keep the casting down to one or two attempts and try to get a good drop and leave it. At the end of the session you can then do a bit of leading around rather than thrashing the water to a foam at the time. Use a note pad or phone and pictures to record the spot by either wraps or walking it out alongside physical features – really it is whatever suits you. If you don’t have to cast, then don’t, and by this I mean either dropping from the bank, a baiting spoon or casting to the far bank and dropping in, this can make the whole job a lot easier – and quieter too. Clipping-up until you get that sweet drop is so simple and with a little practise so easy.

Be different – but be different for a reason

5. Being different

The problem: Fish the same, catch the same, same rigs, same spots, same bait, same size bait, same shape bait, same swim, same results.

The fix: Now there is a fine line between being different and being consistent when the fish you are angling for have seen it all, so sometimes you are better off doing what you’re confident with, but do it well or better than the rest. If you are using the same bait, maybe give it a tweak by using a crumb approach with half a boilie on the Hair or if you are fishing the going swim, fish off the ‘known mark’, be it long, short, left or right.

Scale your rigs down if you can and fine the whole approach down from main line to hook. Bait up at 3am rather than 6pm. Just recently I had three bleeps in the middle of the night and after an hour on a very still night nothing had happened so I wound in, put on a fined down rig and recast with a stringer and early that morning off it went. How many times have you got up in the very early hours reeled in, re-baited and cast back out, honestly?

Ever thought of using different size baits or shapes? Back when we rolled our own bait, I had a special nozzle made which extruded 12mm cylinders, an idea I took to many waters and Simon did too. In later years, whilst fishing Wraysbury, we had local angler and good Devon friend ‘Super Bait Maker’ Dave Billet rolling all our bait and he used to make cowpats baits which we would break up and throw in. Round is not always the way, especially at short-range, or if you can use a boat, so think about how you use your bait to give you a needed edge.

With the amount of great end tackle out there it is often satisfying to see the care and attention anglers take in their presentation, and whilst witnessing a fish being landed, rods being cast out or rigs hooked in the butt rings, you get a chance to see what people are using. Many of our anglers are bang-on with what they are doing and spend hours honing their skill in rig tying – it makes my nylon Knotless Knot rig look like something out of the dark ages!

We are all so concerned in pinning our lines down when most of the time it’s a pointless exercise due to various features between you and your hookbait. Slack lines, backleads and leadcore literally have no effect. What about keeping your lines up out of the way? Just think about it. I have recently talked through putting your line up in the water with Colin Davidson and if I fished more than once every two-months I would put into practice an idea that I believe in smaller waters (under 10-acres) would work very well. It’s not a new idea but one I have yet to see in practice myself.

Hand-placing your bait or dropping it from a baiting spoon or boat, means you can try a few different things

Other Considerations

Such as distance, features, depth and pressure

Having located your fish, there are a range of parameters that need to be considered and to think about:

Subject: Distance you are casting
1. Margins
2. Mid-range up to 50yds
3. Long-range up to 100yds
4. Extreme-range over 100yds
5. Remote controlled boat or row boat range

Advice: If you’re fishing in the edge, you can try all multitude of rigs and set-ups and not have to worry – it’s a real experimental zone for me – otherwise hone what you know already for the out-in-the-pond work.

The further out you go, the more your gear has to be up to the job and all the various pieces become trickier, such as baiting, getting a clean drop and finding that all-important area to fish in. Practise and confidence all help with the longer-range of fishing. Over 100yds and beyond is an art I have never had to master but having watched a few proficient long-rangers I know it all comes down to getting every part of your gear 110% and doing it over and over again. The ones that do well are the ones that do it better than the rest and often who can cast further!

When it comes to bait boats I have never had the need to use them and can honestly say only twice have I lowered my baited rig into a bait boat. I think they are an incredible edge BUT they need to be used responsibly. If I were fishing a water where they were allowed I know I would be foolish not to embrace and learn the art, but this does not mean I would use them all the time.

As for rowing boats, well this is by far the BIGGEST edge ever and I have caught a lot of fish from them. With the use of an electric outboard they are deadly and especially if the lake is weedy as it enables the netting of fish to be carried out without damaging the fish’s mouth from trying to drag them through acres of weed. One thing I have noticed is that with a boat, people tend to over bait, and with a row boat it’s so easy just to throw it in. Think about it, as once it’s in, it’s in!

Don’t go mental with the bait

Just enough to get a bite

Subject: Above water feature you may be fishing to
1. Islands
2. Visible weedbed
3. Exposed snag such as a fallen tree

Advice: All snags should be treated with caution and if you ever feel you may not get the fish back from them, then don’t fish to them. With islands and weedbeds it’s often best to get close to them, but trees or sunken bushes you should always present your bait in such a place that it allows time to get the fish under control. Look for patrol routes between snags or weedbeds or near holding areas to cut off the fish in and out.

Prime areas and think what you’re trying to achieve when you bait up

Subject: Underwater feature
1. Bar
2. Silt
3. Gravel
4. Snags
5. Variations of the above or other natural or manmade features

Advice: All of the above need to be found and find the best part of it, often a gravel bar, can be easy to find but there is always a sweet spot and it’s finding those areas which comes with time and searching. On a long-term campaign these areas will come with time and either through plumbing, leading or looking from a boat. One such lake I was able to look at from a boat and I found a small marginal area that screamed carp and after a couple of weeks of priming I was able to walk a bait into place some 30yds down the bank and lower it on to this ledge. My best result was five in a night, and from the bank this spot was all but impossible to see. It’s commonplace to record all your findings these days and the use of a mobile phone accompanied by photos is such a great method.

Subject: Depth of water
1. This can affect the way your rig drops
2. Features between you and the chosen depth/spot

Advice: As above, depth is a massive part of carp angling and the weather plays a massive part in this. If you are fishing in 10ft of clear water you have all the time in the world to let your rig drop and feel it all the way down – perfect, but what about a shallow or heavily weeded water where you struggle to feel the drop or your line is over weedbeds and bars – that’s when you need to carefully think about your last 5-10ft. Again, having used a boat a lot I have witnessed how poor your rig can end up having cast and then gone out in a boat to see what it looks like, it’s a real eye-opener. Try to think through what you are trying to achieve and envisage your rig hitting the bottom between a weedbed in shallow water or how your line lay will be if you’re over a massive bed of weed or bar – then there’s no point in slack lines or back leads. Think, think, and think again, and then think some more.

On most waters, a lot of these are not of a concern as they have few of the above or don’t need long-range casting, but take time to think through your presentation and why you are casting where and what’s on the end, as let’s face it, you don’t need all the gear to catch fish, but the last 5ft is SO, SO important and where you put it.

At the end of the day it’s just fishing so enjoy the journey and don’t take it too seriously.

Always think through how you’re going to present your rig to its best ability