Jason Hayward: Critically balanced hooks

“Looking at this rig, it really appears just far too simple, but as with most good ideas, that’s the beauty of it,” states CARPology’s favourite rig analyst. “Now, I’m a fan of big hooks and I just couldn’t start using small hooks as I’m convinced that they ‘pull out’ easier so I started balancing my (big) hooks with a piece of foam onto the shank to completely negate the hook’s weight. At first I honestly thought it was just the fact that the hooks were flying back further into the carp’s mouth when they picked up my bait, but after thinking about it, it became very obvious that there was more to it and the hook being held in a ‘point down’ position had to be a large part of the answer.”

Jason also realised one other aspect was also at play here and that’s the surface area of a hook which is very minimal when compared to say that of a boilie. However, by putting a piece of foam on the hook he realised he was increasing the surface area dramatically, therefore he wasn’t just making the hook more buoyant, it also made it far easier for the hook to be influenced by the volume of water sucked up into the carp’s mouth.

“At the end of the day, it’s pretty much a standard rig with a piece of foam on the hook – but DO NOT underestimate the foam’s importance. What we are trying to achieve is a hook that only just sinks. The only other adjustments I make to the rig is the addition of a small piece of rig putty, approximately two-and-a-half-inches from the eye of the hook.”

According to Jason you want to balance and position the foam on the hook shank so that the hook sits up off the deck with the point and eye in contact with the bottom. And, although it may only seem like a minor detail, the type and brand of foam that are used can make a big difference to the buoyancy, so have a play around with some of the brands available.
Make no mistake, the difference the addition of this little piece of foam can make is astonishing – and we know this from reader feedback we received when Jason briefly touched on this set-up some three years back, so give it a go – after all, it’ll only cost you a tiny piece of foam!

Here’s how to balance your hook

To start off, tie a standard rig using a Knotless Knot to secure your chosen hook in place like Jason has here.

Cut a small piece of your chosen black foam and using a baiting needle, thread it onto the Hair.

Next thread on a 5mm section of silicone tubing (it needs to be tight enough to grip the hook shank).

Finally, simply push the silicone tubing up to the foam to lightly lock it into place. Simple, but deadly.