Length of hook link when ledgering for carp.

[MaggotDrowner]

Thanks to BJP for the inspiration for this thread. By hook link I mean the distance between the lead and the hook.

I have just started targeting carp properly this year. I haven't targeted carp much over the years as my favourite summer fish is the tench and I like my local tench pool, which tends to be very quiet compared to carp lakes in my angling club. But, inspired by Casting At The Sun, I want to try and catch my first 20lb carp from one of three club lakes or the River Weaver (any size carp from the river would be nice) this summer. My typical rig is a 1 oz bomb, assuming the bottom isn't too weedy that is, which I have free running up the line.

I was wondering what the optimum distance is for the hook link and how different distances may effect the bite of a fish. I usually go for about 6 or 7 inches. What's the optimum distance for a positive bite? Any advice or opinions.

[Northern Eel]

it depends on the venue, for example: a silty bottom requires a longer hook length, beyond that I dont think the length matters too much if you are fishing a free running ledger. If you switch to a fixed or semi fixed setup with a heavier lead then I suppose theres a million & one opinions (especially from the hi tech super ultra turbo rig carp boys) about hooklengths & lots of complicated equations to calculate this

I find keeping it simple is the best advice.

Having said that, I like to use these when im fishing using small running ledgers 1oz or so, nice tangle free casting

john-roberts-feeder-booms.jpg

[Dave Burr]

I'm glad you were suitably inspired by that wonderful book, you'll read it again for sure.

Carp rigs can become as complex as bait making and rocket science but for every idea there's a counter one so I suggest you just do a few experiments of your own and you'll soon sort it out. As a clue to get you started, I think it depends on your choice of hooklink material. Crafty fish that have been fooled a few times do become rig sensitive and mono hooklinks are easier to detect than a nice soft braid or a coated braid with a stripped few inches before the hook. That is a generalisation and I could confuse you by going further.

I'd start with 8-10" of sinking braid and see how it goes.

Tight lines

[MaggotDrowner]

Thanks guys. Looking to keep it fairly simple. I'm not looking into rigs that have as many components as an aeroplane. Not my style.

I'll have a look at braid, Dave but I think it may be banned in my club. What about fluorocarbon?

[Michael]

There's plenty of examples for simple rigs on line......

[Barbulus]

That is the best advice Merlot. It depends on many factors. Just experiment ! How long is a piece of string ?

[SeanM]

I'd start with a hook length of about 18 inches. I usually use a mix of braid and mono (a combi link) which is easy to construct.

Tie your hook to a short length of a sinking braid (something like 10lb Drennan Sink Braid). Tie a small rig ring to the other end to give you a length of around 6inches. Tie your main line to the rig ring and set your ledger stop about a foot up from here to give a total length of 18 inches.

If you're getting quick pulls that you can't connect with try moving the ledger stop towards the hook to give a shorter hook length.

This sort of hook length gives you the soft supple braid close to the hook coupled with the more tangle resistant mono around the lead. Using a John Roberts boom or a Jan Porter rig (Google it or pm me for details) makes this a very reliable set up.

[Dave Burr]

Thanks guys. Looking to keep it fairly simple. I'm not looking into rigs that have as many components as an aeroplane. Not my style.

I'll have a look at braid, Dave but I think it may be banned in my club. What about fluorocarbon?

Be careful with Fluorocarbon as some are quite brittle and snap too easily especially when a hard, fast carp is involved. I use Riverge Reel Soft quite a bit which is a coated fluoro and is abrasive resistant and knots very well, it ain't cheap but 100 yards (it can be used as a main line but I don't) can tie an awful lot of hooklinks.

[Danny Boy]

if your going to use Fluorocarbon watch out for what knot you use ,I myself use the palomor as a blood knot will cause the Fluorocarbon to break at the knot.

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

In my humble opinion, I think it depends on how the fish are feeding, and the terrain you are fishing over. If the bottom is fairly clear of debris you can 'get away' with shorter hook-links, if the bottom is choddy or weedy then a longer length comes into play, thus to follow the contours better.

As for the feeding, if your loose feed is more scattered then the fish will upend between mouthfuls and a longer hook-link is the better option, if tight baiting has been done then the fish will move far less between scoffs, therefore a short length will be the most appropriate.