Carp Surface Fishing - Tackle Breakages!

[Anstalt]

Hi folks,

 

First post here! I'm very new to carp fishing, I've been maybe 10 times so far with my younger brother. We fish a carp lake in Melton, near Ipswich. It is reasonably well stocked but the fish don't really get over 12lbs in the lake we fish on.

 

Anyway, neither myself nor my brother really have much clue what we're doing, we've picked up some skills and information that allows us to catch carp but not enough to truely understand.

 

 

What we normally do is surface fish using bread for bait. We've tried middle fishing with pellets / pellet wagglers as well as ledger fishing but with minimal success. With surface fishing we end up getting a lot of activity, the bait is cheap and the fishing is active so it is fun. My primary issue at the moment is tackle breakages. My line snaps too often! When it snaps, I lose a lot of stuff, particularly the float, and the costs are starting to mount up and I end up frustrated. I am looking for advice for a surface fishing setup that will prevent breakages.

 

My current setup:

 

Size 8 Korda Mixa B Hook

This is tied to my leader using a tucked half blood. I usually use a lighter to burn the tag so it is harder to pull through.

Leader is usually around 3ft long.

At the end of the leader, I have a swivel. The swivel sits in the loop of a figure 8 knot.

 

For the float, I normally thread a clip onto my main line and clip that onto the float.

My main line is tied onto the leader's swivel using a tucked half blood, same as the hook.

To stop the float sliding up the line, I usually put a BB above it. It cant slide down the line due to the swivel.

 

 

My main line and leader line is 10lb. It is brand new line as the old line was quite a few years old. However, changing the line hasn't helped.

 

When And Where Breaks Happen:

 

Breakages are occuring above the swivel, i.e. on the main line, not my leader. I'm not sure if my knot if breaking, or if the line is snapping where the float is, or if it is the BB that is weakening the line. In terms of 'when' the line is breaking, it is normally as the fish is approaching the bank: it gets spooked by the shallow water, puts too much strain on the line and it snaps.

 

 

Now, the fish we're landing aren't big: 8lbs is the biggest I've landed. I've tried employing the reel's clutch to better effect and this has reduced breakages on the initial take. However, the particular lake I fish on has reeds either side of every single swim so once a fish gets in close, you have to be on it otherwise it gets in the reeds and you lose the fish and usually your rig too. I need to setup my rig better so that it can handle the extra strain when in close.

 

Questions:

 

Ok, hopefully I've given enough information that you know how im fishing and the problems I'm having. My questions:

 

1) Does my leader setup seem reasonable? What could be done to improve the leader reliability?

 

2) Is the way I'm attaching my mainline to my leader good? What could I do better?

 

3) What do you think of the way I am attaching my float and keeping it in place? What is a better way to do it?

 

4) Landing fish: The videos I've seen of professional carp fishermen always show the initial strike, then it cuts to landing a really massive but docile carp. What happens in between?!? My carp seem to fight like mad the entire time. How long should you "play" the carp before bringing it in to land?

 

 

I have a feeling that the way I am putting my float on the line is causing it to weaken the knot between mainline and leader, and I think I probably need to tire out the fish more before trying to land it. However, I'm just not sure and my experimentation hasn't really paid off yet. Attaching the float to the line is definitely a great mystery for me and my brother, we both end up bodging it with BBs / stopper knots to hold them in place but they always slip out of place and we lose tons of shot every trip.

 

 

I'm really grateful for any help you guys can give me!

 

Regards,

 

-Alex

[Barry C]

Hi Alex plenty of info there to go on.

You do'nt use the setup and knots that I would use but I would'nt expect what you are doing to fail with 10lb line and 8lb fish.

The number one thing that occurs to me is if you think the line is parting at a swivel are you moistening the knot before pulling it tight.

Just put some saliva on the knot before you pull it tight. Failure to lubricate can severely weaken your line with the friction involved.

I would tie the hook on using a palomar knot and the swivels using a grinner.

They can be found here

http://www.marinews.com/fishing-knots/grinner-knot/364/

For the size fish you have i would usually use a 1.5 test rod with a 30 size fixed spool loaded with 8lb line straight through to the hook, no swivels or float. Might use a controler float if I fished where the fish were further out but I mainly fish the margins.

[Phone]

Anstalt,

 

Welcome to AN.

 

Answers:

 

Let's assume you are using Monofilament fishing line

 

1. Your leader seems reasonable (and it isn't breaking)

2. I'm not particularly impressed with your knots. Try using a Polomar knot. Don't melt the tag!

3. A cheap device called a "bobber stopper" is better. If you are losing a ton of splitshot you are NOT installing it properly.

4. This is slightly more difficult. Mono has up to 40% stretch and is very forgiving at range. The closer in the less line the less forgiving and the more the rod and angler contribute. There is no 8 lb common carp on the planet you should be losing on 10 lb line.

 

If your knot is failing you can generally see a little curly-que on the tag end.

Describe your float.

 

Looking back - I doubt a polomar knot is possible. Equally good is a "trielene knot". http://www.animatedknots.com/trilene/

 

Phone

This is kinda the "beginning" keep asking specific questions - perhaps one at a time. Many of us are really old.

[viney]

The one thing I would add to that is loosen your clutch off a bit, carp have a tendency to make a run for it when you get them near the net, this may happen a few times before they give up.

[Phone]

Anstalt,

 

Is this ONLY happening when you surfact/float fish. Do you bottom fish without an issue?

 

Phone

[Phil Adams]

Good on you for asking the questions and in such a comprehensive manner.

 

Work on your knots, as has been suggested, there can be quite a few weak spots otherwise. Also, what rod are you using? Too powerful and you may have problems at the netting stage.

 

Don't be afraid to play a fish, as long as its given time to recover when released it should be fine. They don't need to be hauled in lol.

 

Edit.....

 

Have you setup like this? controller float --- bead --- swivel --- leader + hook

 

Edited August 16, 2013 by Phil Adams

[kirisute]

Get back to basics!!

Ditch all the crap! It appears that's what's failing...go less is more until your sure you've pinpointed the issue!

Fish your 10lb mono straight through to hook!

Size8?? You after marlin!? Doubt you need anything bigger than size 10!

Use a four turn grinner knot to the hook, it gives you two loops of line on the eye for extra strength, and I've never had one come undone yet!

http://www.carp-uk.net/knots/knots.htm

 

For float use a simple bubble float or similar.

With a bubble float you shouldn't need weights, just add water if required.

 

Clutch settings are vital as well...I usually have it set so that I can pull line off the reel with medium pressure....then adjust according to the fish your tackling.

 

As for playing a carp....you play it til it's knackered! Could take 5 mins, could take an hour! I've had double figure carp land in minutes and 4lb commons race around the lake like torpedoes for nie on half an hour! If you bully a fish in too quickly you will damage its mouth, stress your tackle and just have a naff time of it! The pleasure is in playing the fish!

If you can get the head up on the surface it's usually a good sign the fish is tired enough to land...but that's without yanking it like some matt Hayes wannabe! Lol!

Edited August 16, 2013 by kirisute

[Anderoo]

As phil says, what rod are you using? There's no carp of the size you're talking about that should be able to snap your line, if the rod is working for you rather than against you.

[Adam247]

Get rid of everything and just tie off to the mainline no float no leader just a size 6-4 hook. 1/2 slice of bread folded in half and half again pinch the doubled corner push the hook in turn 90degrees and push into bread lightly , slight dip in water and gentle cast , had double figure fish this way on a 3lb tc rod and 10lb line . First time using this method I had a 22 lb 3oz mirror carp off the edge of Lilly's. only word of warning keep an eye on the bait !!! And be fast to strike when the line goes tight

[viney]

Get rid of everything and just tie off to the mainline no float no leader just a size 6-4 hook. 1/2 slice of bread folded in half and half again pinch the doubled corner push the hook in turn 90degrees and push into bread lightly , slight dip in water and gentle cast , had double figure fish this way on a 3lb tc rod and 10lb line . First time using this method I had a 22 lb 3oz mirror carp off the edge of Lilly's. only word of warning keep an eye on the bait !!! And be fast to strike when the line goes tight

3lb test curve?! Wouldnt use any higher than 2 for surface fishing, generally use a 1.5lb Avon rod