Short PVA Bag Rig

99% of the time, I wouldn’t use this short rig (that I’ll describe in a moment) without it being in a Solid PVA Bag or one of these bags with any other type of rig. In my opinion, the rig and the bag need each other to achieve the maximum effect, as I’ll explain.

Rig mechanics

The fundamental result I’m looking for with this rig is to hit the carp with an instant bolt effect, which I find invaluable when the blighters are being a bit cagey or lethargic. What I am talking about are times when the fish have been placed under considerable angling pressure and feed with caution or times when the carp just aren’t in much of feeding mood.

In both cases I don’t believe they move very quickly or far from sucking in a mouthful of something and potentially spitting it out again. So I want to make to the most of the slightest movement to promote the turning of my hook to a hooking position before it can be ejected. For me a short braid hooklink without stretch connected to an inline-lead is the best way of achieving this. Perhaps a fairly technical philosophy, compared to the simple rig I’ll use, which is a three to four-inch braid hooklink tied to a size 8 wide gape style hook with a Knotless Knot.

A size 8 wide gape hook, fake ‘sinking’ maggot, balance a single grain of pop-up corn exactly

This is a short rig only three to four-inches long

When combined with the weight of this hook and a sinking fake maggot used as a bait stop, the single piece of fake buoyant corn threaded length-ways onto the Hair becomes the perfect wafting hookbait. The only added-extra is a short piece of steamed shrink tubing, pushed down the hook so the Hair exits level with the hook point, as well as providing a small kicker.

Simply tied with a piece of tubing to position the Hair and act as a kicker

As with all my rigs, I find the hookbait colour to be vitally important. Yellow corn with a white or red fake maggot forms my preference for fishing with the contents of the PVA bag alone or when fishing over a hemp and corn based spod mix. Later in the season through autumn and winter when I’ll incorporate maggots within the spod mix and eventually go to an all maggot mix, pink corn with a red maggot has produced the best results.

A small, bright bait wafting over some pellet is difficult for any carp to resist

Casting these light hookbaits tied to naked braid would simply result in the rig tangling if used on its own, which is the main reason for concealing it within the PVA bag. The contents of this bag then provide the ‘balanced’ hookbait with an impeccable high level of presentation, as well as attracting fish to its position. A selection of small pellets with varying breakdown rates and a little groundbait to take up any unwanted pockets of air within the bag is difficult for any carp to resist. Once the hookbait enticingly ‘wafting’ above the pellet is taken, the short length of braid quickly transmits the resistance of the in-line lead, the confused carp bolts and you’re in!

This short rig works best concealed within a Solid PVA bag

I’m looking to bring the resistance of an inline-lead into play quickly with a short rig