Carp Rigs – A Beginners Guide

Posted in Fishing Tips - by Fishing_tips | September 6th, 2010

The carp rig is designed to position the hook away from the bait to improve the chances of hooking the fish. Instead of the bait being on the hook, it is placed above it, so that the carp takes the bait first and the hook follows. This allows the bait to pass through the throat of the carp before the carp knows that there is a hard hook attached. These have been very popular with anglers in Europe for quite some time, and are now gaining interest in North America.

For many fishermen, the Carp rigs are a brand new tackle for them to learn, but the advantages of the rig far suppress the learning curve. The idea is fairly obvious; the approximate length from the carp’s teeth to its throat is about two inches, once they take the bait and move it towards the throat, the hook is then already in their mouth and it’s practically a done deal. Carp rigs were invented because the carp would nibble on the bait and feeling the hard metal hook, would reject the bait resulting in few carp caught.

Carp fishing methods have grown over the years and will continue to do so. New developments have resulted in more sophisticated gear and clever hook bait arrangements. Your chances of catching more carp easier will increase the more you learn the different methods and type of the carp rigs, as well as the habitats and actions of the carp fish. If your carp rig is concealed, the chances are greater the fish will take the bait. Concealing your rig effectively is the objective. Fish aren’t exactly brainless, they are aware of their environment and can see, hear and smell more than we think.

Don’t assume that just because you caught a great-sized carp in one lake, that using the same rig in another lake will generate the same result. Generally, different waters require different rigs. You may come to find that switching up your rigs a few times in the same session will prove beneficial. To state the obvious, make sure that the color of your rig is the color of the lake bed so that it blends in much better.

Tricking the carp is the main focus when fishing- it’s almost a mind game, so being alert is a must. You will find many times that at the end of the day without a catch, more than likely, you have been out-witted by the fish. Whether you are a beginner angler or have been doing this for years, there are always new rigs and methods to try and always some new bit of carp gear to add to your collection.