Went carp fishing today.

We use hair rigs with artificial corn and the last 3x we have gone out we have had as many runs/lost fish as we have been able to hook up and land. This has only just recently become an issue. We have tried different hook sizes (6,8,10) and have not found a real difference.

Any tips or tricks to improve hook ups when using hair rigs?

Should not really complaining -- we caught 6 today in 3 hours....but should have been 12,

sb

Go to a bigger hook size with strong hooks. I use 2, 1 or 1/0 Mustad Ultra Point 94140 hooks.

Thank you, I will try that out.

Gonna have to learn to tie my own hair rigs...something I should have done a long time ago.

There are several ways to tie a hair rig. I use this one for range cubes, but also use the same rig for corn, boilies, and pack bait.

The smaller the hook the more absolute razor sharp it needs to be, that's the first thing you need to make sure of. Avg 2 fish an hour this time of year is not bad to be honest. If I had to pick the best all around hook size for just about any type of Carp fishing on a hair rig I would suggest a size #4 hook. But I've had improved success with a bolt rig using a heavier lead. I'm now using 4oz weights instead of 3oz and I'm definitely seeing an improved hook ratio. I've seen some footage over seas of guys using 5-6oz lead (or bigger!) when fishing for large Carp, Catfish. But at that point they're not casting out, they're using bait boats or boats to drop their rig right over a chummed area. lol.. Another trend I've seen is anglers setting their bait runner drag a bit tighter, with their rods securely locked in place in a rod pod or equivalent so when the fish bolts it helps drive the hook home. I'm also using this method combined with the 4oz lead now days. Good luck!

Thanks, Osborn.



I actually picked up a bait boat on Amazon, so, that's a possibility.

It is probably time for re-rig on all my poles, in any case. We have been using pre-tied hair rigs and for probably too many trips without close inspection.

Also, need to look up "bolt-rig."

Thanks

I had issues using a regular "J" style hook always missing the mark. I switched over to the Gamakatsu Circle Octopus hook and it works out amazingly.

What size circle are you using JJ?

sb

oh boy...if you've never used a bolt rig, it may... change the way you look at Carp fishing forever. There's ton of videos on youtube about bolt rigs, this one is fairly basic and Brian explains things in a clear easy to understand manner. I use a bolt rig and also put a pack mix around the lead to chum the fish in. Have fun exploring, that's one of the coolest things about Carp fishing, so many ways to catch them.

Currently size 4, but may go up a size when I run out of hooks.

Appreciate it guys.

I currently have some #2 Octopus Circle Hooks and ordered some 4s.

The bolt rig I think I am gonna tie is based on this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r3-rSJDA8w&t=29s

Thoughts?

sb

I have had a lot of success with size 6 hooks. You may look towards them too. I like the octopus circle hooks too.

Way too much hardware to deal with, I'd use something like the video I shared earlier.