Christmas Pressie

[mpbdsnu]

It does look as though it needs a good 'tug' though Den?

 

I don't know if you remember, but I have seen it before - at Wingham 1 or 2 years ago (memories failing) in Rosie Barhams Volvo, sheltering from the rain with Elton - and eating all of rosies wonderful grub too!

 

So, I know it works Den, but it just looks so cumbersome? We all spend so much time and effort trying to disguise the rig and work hard at as natural a presentation as possible, but then something like this blows all that away??!!

 

Also in the pic it is shown with freebies around it, but in reality, I should imagine this to be difficult to achieve?

 

Sorry about all the questions, but I'm a nosy git!

[poledark]

Mbp,as you see it with the freebies is as it is fished...always and every time....never tangles.....always lands the right way up.......bait comes free at the slightest suck.......I am never in any doubt as to whether my bait is "on offer" or not.

 

Like you said, you have seen an earlier version of it and not much has changed, but the changes made have been very significant and quite dramatic in the effect on my catches.

 

I am not in the business of trying to convince anyone as I intend to keep the rig for my own use, you do need special leads to make it work and I do not intend to let anyone else have any

 

If it is of any use, the basis of my thinking is to start with how I want to present my baited hook and then work backwards, and believe me it is possible to present the bait in a near perfect way......not to say my rig is perfect, but I am convinced it is pretty close

 

You make the point regarding disguise and natural presentation....why? the carp know there is a hook attached, and a hook link attached, and a lump of lead nearby whatever rig you use, and if I can say

 

 

one thing with any certainty from my testing it is that the carp are NOT bothered by hooks!.

 

From actual tests (hundreds of 'em) I am certain that the "rig" is almost unseen as it gets covered in silt and the only thing visible is the bait on top of the "post", and with the freebies tied around the base of the post almost nothing is visible to alarm the fish.

Remember I am after big fish and big carp have to tilt their bodies up in order to get their mouths over the bait and all my observations show that they then suck up the boilie.....and if there is nothing to stop the free movement of the bait then it is sucked back into the mouth........this is why most, in fact almost every one of my fish, are hooked well back inside the mouth. Out of the last twenty or so fish only two have been liphooked, and one of these had a damaged/deformed mouth and the other had a very small mouth.

 

Many years ago, a very successful carper said to me that "sometimes rigs work for a different reason to what was intended" and I think that is true.

 

One of the rigs that is in fashion at the moment is the stiff rig where the main link is stiff and the last two inches is soft.......looks good (and does catch some fish) but what happens when a fish tries to suck the bait in? the stiff part hits the lips and if you are lucky the fish gets pricked, and if you are not lucky the fish is scared off and you never even knew you had a pickup. So I don't use stiff rigs

 

John S,, I am not just hoping mate, I am catching big carp steadily, and that is what it was designed for

 

Sorry to go on a bit but you did ask

 

Any more questions just fire away,

 

Den

[kleinboet]

Compliments of the season to you poledark, you lucky sod! Thanks for showing us the rig though.

[mpbdsnu]

Thanks for the info Den.

 

I did'nt realise the freebies were tied to the rig - that clears up that point, thanks. Do you tie them with, say, thick pva, so that they stay where they were intended on the cast(?) but remain available as freebies as/when the pva melts?

 

Bye the way - I don't need convincing mate - just very interested!

 

I understand what your saying re stiff rigs, I don't like em and don't use em! I've always believed the important part with presentation is the availability to the carp of the bait with the hook attached! IE: that the hookbait can easily be 'sucked' in. A simple, obvious statement, but some rigs/hooklengths seem to be designed to do the opposite???!!!

 

"I intend to keep the rig for my own use, you do need special leads to make it work and I do not intend to let anyone else have any"

 

I fully respect that Den, and don't blame you at all!

[erik]

respect a bit of innovative thinking, and that's certainly innovative , however isn't there a slight danger of gouging the fishes eye out during the fight. must also pick up a fair bit of weed on weedy lakes???

[poledark]

Eric, the answer is yes to both points, I do put a piece of "soft" catapult elastic on the top of the post to minimise that, I have often wondered about leads swinging about and clouting the fish in the face, and that was one of the changes made to the rig i.e. to put the wire that holds the bait in place in the boily instead of in the top of the post.

 

I will continue to develop mine and one of the priorities is to make the post flexible, difficult, as it has to hold the bait in place during the cast and on impact.

 

Den

 

[ 31. December 2003, 07:25 PM: Message edited by: poledark ]

[poledark]

Another one for the "Cherry Picker" rig

 

 

 

First thirty from a new lake and at the moment it's the lake record

 

I am grinning so much it hurts!

 

Den

 

Ooops, should have said 31lb 10 oz and a new PB Common

 

[ 06. January 2004, 07:26 PM: Message edited by: poledark ]

[Steve Burke]

Nice grin, nice fish! Many congratulations, Den!

[poledark]

Cheers Steve, I am off to get another one today

 

Den

[mpbdsnu]

Congratulations.

 

[ 07. January 2004, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: mpbdsnu ]