How to choose the right rig

Chod Rig

RIG MECHANICS: Probably the country’s favourite rig right now. The short and stiff hooklink that is mounted to a ring swivel via a Blood or Loop Knot and allows 360ş movement. This, coupled with the gradual or a more aggressive curve, gives the rig lots of movement, which makes it a deadly hooker.

TYPE OF LAKEBED It can be fished over any lakebed but it is super effective when fishing in weed, deep silt or dirty/choddy areas.

WHAT HOOKBAIT It is vital that you use a super buoyant pop-up on the Chod; the perfect hookbait being a corkball pop-up. If you don’t use a corkball pop-up, many air-ball type pop-ups are good for the job, but just check them in the edge before casting.

COMPONENTS ProLogic XC8 hook, ProLogic Pro Chod Mono (22 or 28lb), medium rig ring and a size-11 ring swivel.

360ş Rig

RIG MECHANICS The use of a swivel and long curved shank hook gives the rig lots of movement to flip in the carp’s mouth super quickly. This can be used with several different types of hooklink depending on the lakebed.

TYPE OF LAKEBED This can be used over a variety of lakebeds but not in weed, and all you need to do is vary the hooklink type to the lakebed. If you are fishing on clean gravel then a stiffer hooklink works best, whereas in silt a supple braid is better suited.

WHAT HOOKBAIT A buoyant hookbait is needed with this presentation. A corkball pop-up is the first choice or a super buoyant air-ball pop-up.

COMPONENTS A curve shanked hook, Hook Beads, Micro Hook Swivel, size 11 flexi-ring swivel

Withy Pool Rig

RIG MECHANICS The long and curved section of shrink tubing below the hook allows the hook and bait to be sat really aggressively and flip super quickly for good hooking potential.

TYPE OF LAKEBED This can be used over a variety of lakebeds; all you need to do is vary the hooklink type.

WHAT HOOKBAIT This presentation needs to be fished with a buoyant pop-up such as a corkball pop-up or a cork dust pop-up. However, it will work just as effectively with a standard air-ball pop-up.

COMPONENTS A curve shanked hook, long piece of shrink tubing (it needs to be stiff shrink tubing to help retain its shape), hook beads, medium rig ring, bait floss, putty/split shot and a coated braid hooklink.

Standard Knotless Knot

RIG MECHANICS The simplest Hair rig presentation there is, but one that is still super effective and forgotten about. This has caught more big fish than any other rig over the course of time and will continue to do so forever.

TYPE OF LAKEBED The Knotless Knot can be fished over any lakebed. All you need to do is vary the length of the rig and the Hair length can also be varied for use of different baits.

WHAT HOOKBAIT Any hookbait can be used. You can have a simple bottom bait presentation or use it as a pop-up rig and add a shot onto the hooklink. You are only limited by your imagination.

COMPONENTS You can construct a standard Hair rig from all manner of rig materials, but we’d suggest the following: ProLogic XC1 hook size 8, coated braid hooklink and a size 8 ring swivel.

Solid PVA Bag Rig

RIG MECHANICS This rig uses an in-line lead and a small, supple hooklink of around three-inches long. This is very effective because it is a short hooklink with a semi-fixed in-line lead that gives fantastic hooking. It’s also great because it’s a ‘mouthful-of-food’ trick for the carp and it works incredibly well.

TYPE OF LAKEBED The beauty of this presentation is that it can be cast anywhere, from clean gravel areas to low-lying weed. Thanks to the PVA bag nothing can get snagged up or mask the hook point and ruin your presentation.

WHAT HOOKBAIT Small hookbaits are perfect because of the micro feed used inside the PVA bag.

COMPONENTS ProLogic Viper Ultra Soft hooklink, Mugga hook size 10, size 8 swivel and a small in-line lead.

Blowback Rig

RIG MECHANICS The Blowback Rig utilises a rig ring mounted onto the shank of the hook. This allows the bait to leave the shank further down to make the hook point heavy. It also slides up the shank during the fight.

TYPE OF LAKEBED It can be used over any lakebed as long as you vary the length of your hooklink. Shorter hooklinks on clean areas and longer links in silt and low-lying weed.

WHAT HOOKBAIT This can be used with any hookbait including pop-ups, bottom baits and snowman presentations. A good trick right now is to tip your boilie with a piece of fake corn. The ‘flash’ of colour often grabs the carp’s attention.

COMPONENTS A longshank patter of hook in size 8, small/micro rig ring and coated or uncoated braided hooklink material.

Stiff bottom bait with supple Hair

RIG MECHANICS The use of a stiff hooklink means there is direct contact with the lead at all times and this makes it very hard for the fish to eject. The other benefit is they have immediate contact with the weight of the lead which pulls the hook home. The Hair is tied to the shank with soft braid to give the bait lots of movement.

TYPE OF LAKEBED The use of the stiff hooklink should only be used over hard lakebeds such as gravel and hard clay.

WHAT HOOKBAIT This presentation is best with a straight bottom bait on the supple braid.

COMPONENTS Stiff fluorocarbon hooklink (ProLogic Spectrum Z Fluorocarbon), supple Hair braid (ESP Hair Braid) and a Chod style hook in size 8.

Claw Rig

RIG MECHANICS The Claw Rig utilises a short shrink tubing kicker off the eye of the hook and has a piece of silicon tubing trapping the Hair right around the bend of the hook. This makes the point of the hook heavy which grabs the bottom lip super quickly.

TYPE OF LAKEBED This Claw Rig is very versatile and can be used in most situations apart from thick weed. All you need to do is lengthen the hooklink in silt and low-lying weed and shorten it for gravel and clean areas.

WHAT HOOKBAIT This is designed for use with a bottom bait or snowman set-up.

COMPONENTS Coated or uncoated braid hooklink (but a coated one works best), a wide gape hook in size 6, shrink tubing and hook silicon. You can also put a large lump of putty an inch from the hook to help with hooking.

Hinged Stiff Link

RIG MECHANICS Known as one of the best pop-up rigs of all time, consisting of a stiff boom and D-rig section. There are large Loop Knots at either end of the boom section attaching them to the ring swivel of the helicopter set-up and the small and stiff hooking section

TYPE OF LAKEBED This is generally fished over cleaner lakebeds because the Chod Rig has been designed for fishing in weed and really deep silt.

WHAT HOOKBAIT Just like the Chod Rig, this rig has been designed for fishing with really buoyant hookbaits such as corkball pop-ups and cork dust pop-ups. Without such a hookbait the rig will not work as effectively.

COMPONENTS Amnesia hooklink in 25lb, size 11 ring swivels, ProLogic Pro Chod Mono 28lb, a Chod style hook in size 6, medium rig ring, putty and bait floss.

The Multi Rig

RIG MECHANICS This is another really effective pop-up presentation using a coated hooklink material that makes the presentation similar to a D-Rig. The rig of choice to the likes of Jon Mac and ProLogic's head consultant, Adam Penning.

TYPE OF LAKEBED This can be fished over lots of different lakebeds apart from thick weed. If you are fishing it in silt, you sill need to make the length of the rig longer.

WHAT HOOKBAIT These are fished with a pop-up hookbait, most air-ball pop-ups are fit for the job but corkball pop-ups are the best.

COMPONENTS A coated braid hooklink, Atomic Chodda hook in size 7, medium rig ring, putty/split shot and bait floss.

Mag-Aligner

RIG MECHANICS As its name suggests, the Mag-Aligner has been designed for fishing with maggots. This is a simple presentation with a fake maggot threaded over the hook eye and a couple of live maggots hooked onto the shank. It hooks really well because the rubber maggot helps the hook flip really quickly like a Line-Aligner.

TYPE OF LAKEBED It can be used on most lakebeds apart from weed. It seems to work best when fished in silty areas.

WHAT HOOKBAIT You have a fake maggot on the eye of the hook and a couple of real maggots nicked onto the shank of the hook.

COMPONENTS A soft braided hooklink material, Enterprise Imitation Maggots and a curve shanked hook in size 10 are the only components required.

Zig Rig

RIG MECHANICS A Zig Rig allows you to present your hookbait up in the water. You can either fish a standard Zig Rig using a lead clip that is suitable for shallower waters or for deeper venues you can use the Adjustable Zig Rig that allows you to present your hookbait in any depth of water.

TYPE OF LAKEBED Zig Rigs can be cast anywhere because the hooklink is presented above any bottom debris or low-lying weed. The only time you can’t use it is in surface weed.

WHAT HOOKBAIT Many hookbaits can be used but they have to be super buoyant. Foam and cork is perfect for Zigs and you add some spice to them by glugging them in a liquid attract before casting.

COMPONENTS ProLogic Spectrum Zig and Floater Special in 13lb, a size 10 wide gape hook and an anti-tangle boom