Why I don't use Chod Rigs
There have been many methods and tactics used over the decades, but here’s Nigel Sharp’s top ten which have seemingly dominated the big carp scene for the past 20 years - next up, the Chod Rig.
Dominance started: 2005
Influential anglers: Terry Hearn and Frank Warwick
PB using rig: 52lb 12oz
Yawwwwwwwwn. The last decade has seen this rig go from being a whispered edge to become like shit in a cow yard. Everywhere you go, there it is. Chod this, Chod that. I personally don’t lay any claim to its development and was secretly shown it by Terry during one of his Arfur campaigns on The Car Park Lake. When he showed it to me I was very impressed and took note. I even used it on one rod during my time on the Causeway Lake but I had no success so my confidence in it wasn’t at all high.
I think the time I did actually gain confidence in the rig was just over a decade ago during a winter whilst fishing with Terry, Nick Helleur and Lewis Read and during that winter we fished all over the place, from the local canal to day ticket waters and even on Peter Drennan’s estate lake. The one rig that stood out back then was the Chod. It just kept on catching and we were almost laughing at how deadly it was as we baited our rigs.
All I did differently to Terry and Nick was to fix mine up the leadcore rather than fish it running. The reason for this was purely to try something slightly different to see if it made a difference. The outcome is hard to say because we just caught shed loads however it was fished!
After that winter I used it pretty much all of the time for over a year until I caught the Burghfield Common on it. Since that capture I’ve also equalled my PB mirror using it.
As I said at the start, it’s now done to death and is no longer as effective as it used to be and I rarely find myself using it these days. Shame really, but it’s just become another string in the bow and only gets used when the situation dictates.