Hello - I’m fairly new to carp fishing but I’d like to add hair line hook setups to my tackle.
I’m trying to find the best and cheapest place to buy hair line rigs that comes with a needle threader and plenty of bait stoppers since I imagine that’s what I will lose most of. Do you have your favorite and recommendations?
Thank you!

Most of us make up our hair rigs. Big Carp Tackle out of Oklahoma is a good source for carp tackle of all kinds. There are several tutorials of tying hair rigs on line.

https://www.bigcarptackle.com/

Thanks Curt - I caught a 36 and 31 incher this week just tinkering around for them for the 1st time. It’s given me the fever to get serious about them and build my carp specific tackle. I’m willing to rig my own as well once I learn how.

What curt said. 30lb braid works great, and bait stops and bait needles can be had for cheap. They are easy to tie.

Do you have a good easy list of items I’d want and maybe even a tie your own video?

I always used 30# braid and whatever short shank carp hook you like. Doesn’t have to be a specialty hook, I used vmc #6 circle hooks for a long time. You tie a small overhand loop in the end of the line, then use a snell knot to attach the hook about 1/2” or so above the loop. Then you tie the braid to whatever swivel you want. I usually do 6” leaders as I’m always fishing with a method ball, and I want a short leader since I tuck the hook into the method ball.

I’m sure there are plenty of videos out there, but I was taught by some other carpers while we were fishing.

this is a pretty informative video on the whole rig. you can substitute your preference on line, sinker, etc. i always prefered a bolt rig, which is what hes making in the video. basically, the swivel on your leader fits tight into the rubber sleeve in the carp sinker. then when a fish swims off, its provides some resistance to drive the hook home, then the swivel will pop out of the sinker and free slide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcPa2j089T4

I use a nail knot tool to trap both the hook and the hair (40 # braid) onto the hook shank with a nail knot. I could not do this easily using a knotless knot. I don't have to tie a knot in the braid...I just burn the forward tag ends together after I adjust the hair length. The mono can be run down or up through the hook eye, or the eye can be bypassed...each choice changes how the rig behaves. The last pic here is down through the eye. The rig is already leadered and ready to tie to the swivel. A few pics...



Nail Knot Tool Instructions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUXmde-Uz4

This method absolutely works too. The way I do it, the leader and the hair are one piece of braid. I think it’s a lot easier to tie, and a whole lot easier to do bankside if you run out of rigs.

This is all great stuff I appreciate it guys!

I’ve always been a believer in the less weight and tension a fish feels the better. What are your thoughts on using an inline method feeder setup? When I fish with a weight I like using something like an egg sinker so when the fish picks up the bait it doesn’t feel that resistance. Does the line run freely through the method feeders? Thoughts and advice in them?

Carp fishing is a little different. If you’re fishing with a single hook, like most of us are, you don’t really pick up and set the hook, as it is more likely to rip out of their mouths. The inline lead adds a little weight which helps the hook drive home without ripping it out. Obviously there are many ways to skin a cat, so I’m sure other people have other thoughts. Ive always preferred a bolt rig with an inline lead. But I’ve never used the kind where you tie the line on each end. The ones I use have a hole through them to run the line. The tension comes from the swivel being able to tuck snuggly into the rubber tube. It’s these leads here.
https://www.bigcarptackle.com/gettin-the-lead-out-inline-method-leads.html

Big fan of the bolt rig. I use it exclusively.

I've gone to almost no weight, but for two different reasons on two very different lakes. On Ray Hubbard, I fish straight down off the back of my boat in 25 ft and I'm set-up for Buffalo but still catch carp, usually with just an egg sinker below the hair rig. Buffalo bite very light...like their chewing gum, and I hook set hard upward. Buffalo don't seem inclined to run like carp do when they sense the hook, so couldn't see that light bite with a lot of weight.

On my smaller community lake, I use a fly rod and a yarn indicator, often just with a hair rig...maybe a little split shot if it's windy. Anything very heavy makes casting a fly rod a problem. The carp hit and the indicator takes off, and I have to strike quickly to set the hook. Neither approach is what most carp folks do but I've gone rogue a bit to fit my existing gear. I just got a baitrunner reel, and plan on trying conventional, and maybe the bolt rig is what I'll start with per the recos above. I do believe you need a decent amount of weight for carp to hook themselves and start running before you pick up the rod.

As suggested above, BCT is your best bet for all these needs. I'd recommend buying some of the pre-tied hair rigs to get you fishing for now while practicing tying your own (it's pretty easy to tie your own, you'll get the hang of it quickly). I like to tie my own so that I can specifically make the hair length as big or small as I need it to adjust for whatever bait I'm using. Before I tie the knotless knot I like to thread my bait on the hair so I can exactly measure how much gap I want between hook and bait.

You also don't need to dive head first into all the fancy carp gear right away as it can get expensive fast. Dave Pickering is an avid carper in the northeast (Rhode Island), has a cool blog I follow and he uses pretty basic methods - no fancy carp-specific terminal tackle. Some braid, sharp and strong hooks in the size 4 to 12 variety and egg sinkers is plenty to get you started. Set it up like a carolina rig (but with business end obviously being hair rigged), mold pack bait around the egg sinker and you're ready to roll. Before I cast I like to tuck my hook into the pack bait so the hair doesn't loop around the hook shank on a cast. And for rods/reels, any MH catfish or bass rod should work fine. Reels with a baitrunner are a huge plus but you can always use regular spinning reel just make sure you keep drag loose otherwise you'll lose the rod on a take. A baitcaster with a line out alarm in free spool also probably works fine.

Edit: here is Dave's blog, for those curious .. http://ricarpfishing.blogspot.com/