Bits and pieces

I had a rig-tying session to finish the year 2011. I reckon I could say a few words about that. Not the most interesting stuff ever, but considering, possibly one of the most important things for banking fish. You don't want to have unbalanced or poorly tied rigs when the going is hard. I am not a top-ace considering CARP rigs, but my years in match angling taught me a thing or two.

First, use tools to make EVEN quality. When tied 100% by hand you just don't get consistent results. If you do, you are a natural talent, but most of us mortals are not! So I have bought a fly tying bench to get the tying to another level, and yes, it helps. It's really important to get the line in just the right angle, just as you want it.

The fly tying bench that I use for carp fishing rigs. Don't mind the x-mas decorations in the background. It was Christmastime then :)

When you have your rigs in your rig pouch, etc. it's difficult to tell the hook size and the hook link material breaking strain. So what I do, is that I attach a small paper note into each pouch with the rig. I write the hook link materials name, breaking strain, the hook type and size. Also I write the tying date, so I know which rigs have to be discarded (I don't want to fish with a rig that's 10 years old). You also get better in the art of rig-tying. Consider your rigs 5-6 years ago... Not the stuff you would fish now?

So for this rig, I used Prologic XLNT Fluorocarbon 0,39mm, Prologic C1 hook size 6. This chod-rig was tied on 27.12.2011. It's so easy. And you couldn't tell these things just looking at the rig, could you?

Essential Tackle vol. 2

So I would like to continue my list of essential tackle. The previous blog was about the MUST have tackle, which are intended to minimize the harm done to fish. This list is to help choose the basic tackle you need to catch carp. I mean, you really need to have a bedchair organizer and a gas-operated heater. But these aren't the tackle you start with.

1) Rods - usually you need many. I fish with 3 rods, but also have different rods for different uses. Don't buy the cheapest available if you have some money to spare. I use 3 lbs test curve 12' rods. It's a good allround choice, suiting light PVA-bag work and good casting capabilities. Choose semi-fast/fast action as it's yet another allround choice. Just make sure the rod has parabolic action. You want to have the thorough action reserve for playing the fish. You can get a good rod in the pricerange of 50-100 euros. These usually are good enough for several years to come. When considering the price, remember, it's a 12' rod. A quality one cannot be bought with 20 euros. According to my experience, there is just little difference in rods worth 170 euros and 500 euros. 

Here are my bite alarms, old rods, the reels that I use and the "swinger" type bite indicators.

2) Reels - match the number of the rods and yet again aim for the middle-priced models. I have used Okuma Longbows from 2007 and never had any problems with them. A product advert, yes. But it's just an example that nowadays you get quality stuff with medium prices. The size I have been using is 65, which is a bit too big. Now I am changing down to the Okuma Trio baitfeeder size 55, which holds 260 m of 0,35 mm monofilament line. The capacity for a carp reel should be around 200 m of 0,40 mm line. And most importantly, it should have a baitfeeder/baitrunner/freespool feature. The big pit -models are for advanced users and it should be considered only when the waters you are fishing demand long casts. But as a beginner, you shouldn't fish that kind of waters.

3) Line - you need to have your line flawless. The bottom is usually full of rocks and debris, so your line is in a constant stress. I use monofilament because I like the small stretch it gives (the hookhold is better that way). Also, I always run the mainline through my fingers while reeling in, so if I feel a nick on the line, I immediately cut it off. You won't have a broken line if your line is flawless when fighting the fish. My choice is 0,40 mm or 0,43 mm. It's a bit thick, but we have a lot of natural snags here in Finland. It's not like we are fishing in a gravel pit. Our lakes were formed after the last ice age, so it sets a few demands for the tackle.

4) End tackle - You need some end tackle in order to catch something. Well, there are as many rig types as there are carp in the world, so getting all the bits and pieces for all the set-ups will cost you more than your rods, reels and bait combined. You will be suprised that this is a fact acknowledged even by the tackle trade companies. The easiest and most commonly used rig is the bolt rig. I like it because even beginners can hook fish properly in the bottom lip. And why is that? It's because the rig does the hooking by itself. Get some safety lead clips, rubber sleeves, swivels and some hooklength material (I use Prologic Reptilian 25 lbs). Also buy some 70 gram and 90 gram flat weights for the bolt rig. You also need some hooks, designed for carp fishing. I use the Prologic C3 in sizes 6 and 4.

5) Bait - There IS a difference in catch rates between different bait. I consider being biased here (I am a part of Prologic/DD Bait Team for 2012), but I use DD Bait Original HNV range. I consider this generation of DD bait a lot better than the previous one. My catch rates went up like a rocket this year. And I can also say that not all the scents were working on every lake, but in overall that just tells the story of experimenting with different bait and scents. Now I have some bait in my baitbox, which I can trust 100% to catch me fish. One of the bait scents made the fish go crazy, catching on every night, including a double run. I cannot ignore it, the bait really matters. Of course, there are many good bait brands on the market, but my trust is now with the DD Bait.

These are some of the bait I used last year. I tend to keep some boilies ready for the spring sessions. I always store my boilies in room temperature.

6) Bite alarms - you need bite alarms. But I will write about them in my next blog...

The Ketchup Bottle Effect

In Finnish language there is a saying about a ketchup bottle. At the start you are not getting any, and then, KAWOOSH, you're getting plenty (or too much). This is a very uncommon phenomena in finnish carp angling. Most often, we're not getting any, and if we are getting, it's small time and seldom...

So far this year has been a success. 9 nights carp fishing, 7 nights with landed carp! And these are on different lakes, with two new spots included. It's not like I'm playing it safe. It's just that I am getting carp better than ever. I fear that I have learned something about carp fishing (!)

The most difficult thing here is that you really can't discuss the conditions with someone else fishing the same lake. That's because you are alone on the lake! It's a nice thing, but you can be doing things quite wrong with no feedback. You really can't tell whether you need to correct your rig, your spot or feeding methods...

But when you get it right, you can be very successful even in the hard waters of Finland.