10 simple tricks to dramatically improve your rigs
Achievable goals – adding one percentage at a time – are a far more successful way of improving your angling than setting yourself massive, scary targets.
“Keep ‘em simple. Have a bottom bait rig, a pop-up and a chuck-anywhere rig that you are happy to avoid changing all of the time. Oh yeah, and make sure the hook is pin sharp. Arma Point SSBP’s are the way forward!” Rob Hughes
“Match your rigs to your baiting situation. If you are spreading your bait, fish longer hooklengths but when fishing a tight baited spot, use a short rig. Get this right and you’ll be amazed at the difference.” Harry Charrington
“I like to match the length of my rigs to the baiting situation I have in front of me. So over a heavily spodded area I would fish a much shorter rig than I would do if I was fishing a scattering of boilies over a wide area.” Ian Poole
“I change rigs all the time as I fish such a variation of waters. One thing that always remains the same is the super sharp Nash Fang hooks that I use; I don’t like to leave anything to chance and ensure my hooks won’t let me down.” Joe Jaggar
“Don’t pre-tie your rigs or you’ll be tempted to use them even when they’re not right for the situation in front of you, because that’s the easy option. Always tie your rigs in the swim to suit the lake and spot that you’re fishing at the time.” Martin Locke
“Don’t get tempted to swap and change all of the time. Find one that works for you and stick with it. This will leave much more time to worry about the more important things in carp fishing such as finding the right area to put it.” Shaun Harrison
“Pick a couple of rigs that will suit all situations, so choose a rig that will suit clear lakebeds and gravel and then one that is going to overcome weed. By using only a couple of rigs you will be uber confident in them.” Iain Macmillan
“Sharp hooks and a rig the fish can get in its mouth are two of the most important things to me. The lakebed and baiting situation dictates what rig I’ll use and the Longshank Mugga range has played a huge role in my rigs.” Tim Childs
“Sharpen your hooks, it makes an incredible difference to the effectiveness of rigs and how easy it is for a carp to shake the hook out. Get yourself a JAG sharpening set, practice continuously and you’ll be laughing.” Myles Gascoyne
“Keep your rigs as simple as is possible, you are only confusing yourself. Check how it looks in the lake’s margin, as this is
quite obviously the bits that the carp comes into contact with. If it’s too obvious it may need changing.” Ian Russell