hook links

[Carping boy]

Now the winter is here, what hook links would you suggest, mono or braid? i haven't done a lot of winter carping so im not to sure which is best :confused:

[craig2309]

i use super mantis 25lb for summer and winter i dont feel the need to change

 

craig

[hagz]

the only real advantage of mono over braid that i can think of is thet mono is less likely to be seen by the fish as the water is often a lot clearer in the winter. flourocarbon would be my choice for the winter fiddly but worth it.

[insanity]

I don't feel the need to change from my usual summer hooklink materials but i suppose it would depend on where you're fishing.

 

On gin clear or hard waters i think the flourocarbon would have the edge over braid purely from a presentation angle but at the same time its hard to beat a 3-4" link of decent braid and precise, pin point, minimal feeding in Winter. I'd concentrate more on that than what type of link material to use.

 

Have a great Christmas everyone!

[col]

i use 25lb bs sufix stealth skin in winter and summer as my main hooklink material but i also recommend the maxima chameleon mono use what ever breaking strain you think you need for the situation i generally use 10lb bs i also carry some 12lb drennan double strength for zig rigs. Dont think fish only feed up in the water in the summer fish a popup mid water in the winter and you could catch a few fish let us no how u get on.

[Steve Burke]

col:

Dont think fish only feed up in the water in the summer fish a popup mid water in the winter and you could catch a few fish let us no how u get on.

I'd echo that big time!

 

I've often seen carp in midwater in winter from a boat at several different venues. But are they feeding there?

 

I don't fish for carp at this time of year as I'm usually after my first love - perch. However if I fish worms or deadbaits on the bottom I rarely hook carp. In midwater though it's a different matter. In fact at one venue the carp are a flaming nuisance when fishing midwater baits!

 

I've mentioned this to my carp anglers at Wingham and suggested that they try at least one rod on a zyg rig. AFAIK, none has yet done so!

[Gaffer]

Carping boy:

Now the winter is here, what hook links would you suggest, mono or braid? i haven't done a lot of winter carping so im not to sure which is best   :confused:  

Personally I wouldn't favour one hooklink material over another, winter or summer. However, my hooklink designs do change to suit the feeding conditions, which differ between winter and summer.

 

I'm a great fan of single hookbaits and will use a stiff pop-up rig with a brightly coloured (glugged) fluro' pop-up for shallow waters and of course Zig (Zyg) rigs in deeper waters.

 

As far a Flurocarbon hooklinks go, these are my thoughts/experiences......

 

Despite what the manufacturers tell you it will be years before they can produce a fluro' with the same refractive index as water.

 

Fluro's, when new, do have a refractive index that is nearer to that of water than ordinary mono, for sure. However, fluro's are notorious for their poor abrasion resistance, and I don't just mean from the obvoius snags, etc.

Fluro's pick up micro-scratches very easily, these micro-scratches will drastically change the refractive index of the material, and in sunlight (clear water) the aboration will cause the fluro' to appear to glow.

 

The one good thing about the micro-scratches is that they do fill with sediment which makes it, if anything, more camouflaged (tarnish) - kinda defeats the object really!

 

Of coarse, fluro's do 'diddly squat' when it's dark or when the water is coloured, other than increase the risk of hooklink failure because of it's poor abrasion resistance.

 

Hope that helps,

[Carping boy]

well thats helped lads, thanks a lot. i'll have to go out and give the zig a go, only ever used it in the summer but i aint got anything to loose so i'll put 1 out fora bit and see how it goes.

 

have a good christmas everyone and a happy new year!!