What your hook holds mean
Another three types of hook holds which will tell you a lot about how your rig is performing...
Hook Hold 5
Hooked in the scissors or very close to the corner of the mouth.
Evaluation
“Hooking carp in the scissors is a very common occurrence, but unfortunately can also be one of the most damaging places to hook the carp, which if we are in a position to change, then we should. We have all seen the pictures of ‘parrot-mouthed’ carp and this is generally occurring when anglers use very fine soft braids as hooklengths in conjunction with small hooks, often with small particle baits and/or the waters are very weedy and the fish are often bullied in or get weeded up frequently during the fight.
“Carp caught in this manner are often feeding on smaller type baits or from very tightly baited areas. The fish are hoovering up large amounts of food and moving to the next mouthful whilst chewing and the hooklink is tightening against the lead and the hook is catching a hold in the corner of the mouth.
“This is very simple to remedy, as a small shortening of the hooklink (I start in two-inch increments and then work from there) and the inclusion of a small curved piece of shrink tube or a line-aligner at the hook end usually gets the hook going back into the bottom of the mouth. Nailed!”
Hook Hold 6
Hooked in the upper part of the mouth
Evaluation
“Another anomaly this one. It can very often happen when floater fishing, particularly at close-range. The fact we hook most of the fish we catch in the bottom of the mouth proves that the rig mechanics are working, in conjunction with the lead set-up. Years ago, before we dare put any lead on the line for fear of the carp feeling the resistance and blowing the bait out, the majority of the fish landed were hooked in the top lip, as we had to pull our hooks through the bait on the strike. It’s a strange one this.”
Hook Hold 7
Or not as the case may be…
Evaluation
“Sadly, we are always going to lose fish on occasions. This not knowing whether we will land our prize or not is one of the fascinating aspects of our sport. Whilst angling experience is one of the most important tools we can use to our advantage, it’s something you cannot buy or learn without some heartache, but thinking about your rigs and learning to adapt and problem solve in any given situation will without doubt put you on the right path to thinking for yourself and becoming a better angler. One thing I’ve said before, but is definitely worth repeating is, “The best rig in the world is a bait the carp REALLY want.”
