Fine down for winter - Best rigs for me

Hello and welcome to the episode of this blog and today I am going to be looking and my three favourite winter rigs and what you need to tie them.

It’s been getting cold over the last few weeks so I thought now would be a good time to take a look at some of the winter carp rigs and presentations I’ll be using this coming winter. In the summer I tend to fish bigger waters with a small head of carp but now in the winter I tend to target different types of waters just for the day, such as smaller waters of around 3 acres with a more fish in which allows me to test out a few rigs. It’s worth bearing this in mind because the waters I fish tend to be just as pressured in winter as they are in summer and this has had an impact on my rigs over the last year or two. So with this in mind let’s get onto the rigs.

Rig 1 - The KD rig

So where did the KD rig come from. The KD rig was developed by long-time Essex carper Steve Eves and many of the guys at Korda, Fox, Nash and other major fishing companies have used this presentation in their fishing because of the great hook holds that it attains.

The hair positioning is critical on the KD rig. It leaves the back of the shank just above the eye, which has the effect of making the hook eye light and the point relatively ‘heavy’ when used with a balanced bait. This helps to ensure that the hook is always in optimum hooking position and ready to prick the bottom lip. This is why I like using this rig as I think it gives me the best chance of hooking any fish that picks up the bait. I also think he KD rig is best used with a curved hook pattern. As a result, go get some Kurv Shanks and catch some carp, this is due to testing it with various hooks and comparing the results.

Components Needed

• Supernatural 
• Kurv shank hook 
• Split Shot 
• Size 8 Ring Swivel 
• Link Loop 

Rig 2 - Chod rig

The chod rig is perhaps the most popular rig of all time. So, why do so many anglers, professionals and novices alike, use the short, stiff, pop-up rig, Well I think it’s practically tangle free, presents the bait perfectly over any type of bottom debris and carp find it very hard to eject because of its inherent stiffness and curve. It also suits itself to the type of winter fishing I am doing which is on medium sized waters with a lot of leaves and branches on the lake bed due to the amount of trees around the lake and this means that I need a rig to sit on top of this.

Now, the chod rig is a specialised pop-up presentation and has to be tied carefully using the correct components. A stiff material in this case, I like to use Korda Mouthtrap which is now an absolute must in my tackle bag because it allows you to form that all-important curve that helps spin the hook into prime hooking position when touched by a carp. It also needs to be used in conjunction with a mega-buoyant pop-up. Anglers have experimented using it coupled with a bottom bait, but it’s nowhere near as effective.

Components Needed

• Korda Mouthtrap or similar material 
• Chod type Hook 
• Size-11 Ring Swivel 
• Small Rig Ring 
• Lighter 
• Chod-It Tool or Pulla Tool 
• Dark Matter Putty 

Rig 3 - Multi rig

The best part of the Multi-Rig is its extreme versatility and the way you are able to fish it in any situation. The loop at the hook end not only adds stiffness to the rig, but it also allows you to change hook and bait at the drop of a hat. Just take the large loop up and over the point of the hook and slide the hook off, it couldn't be simpler. The multi rig can be used as a bottom-bait presentation too. The angle created when you use a bottom-bait hook like a Wide Gape helps flip the hook into position to take hold in the bottom lip.

The stiffness that the doubled section of braid creates is key to the hooking efficiency of the rig as is the angle that the Chod style hook sits at on the loop. When fished critically balanced, or slightly overweighted, the multi rig kicks the hook bait away from the lead each and every time, giving excellent presentation. The little break in the coating allows the rig to spin and catch hold when sucked in by a fish.

Components Needed

• Your choosen Hook link material 
• Chod style Hook
• Small Rig Ring to attach the bait
• Split Shot and Dark Matter Putty or both if required

Anyway that's it for now so tight lines and keep fishing. If you need to any questions answered then please contact me.

The Eastern Carper