Making Pole Rigs

[Elton]

Posted on behalf of David, a visitor to Anglers' Net. Please post all responses to this thread:

 

I am relatively new to pole fishing. Up until now I have mainly been using ready made pole rigs. However I have just recently started making my own rigs. One thing that I am confused by is the need for

hook lengths. All ready made rigs appear to use them, but a lot of rigs I see described in books or magazines advise you not to use hook lengths and instead to use line staright through from float to hook. I would be very grateful if anybody could explain the advantages and disadvantages of using a hook length and if/when i should use one when making up my rigs. Also, if and when i should use hook lengths, how long should i make my hook lengths? Thank you for all your help.

[A Worm OOE]

There are two reasons for hooklengths.

Firstly it enables you to use very light lines near the hook to fool the fish, lines that are not durable enough for the complete rig. A lot of my silver fish rigs will have a mainline of around 2lbs (0.10di) and hooklengths of between 8oz and 1.75lbs. I would never use a line of les than 0.08di for a rig body as it would not be durable enough.

The second reason is to try to dictate where a rig will break. If you fish "strait through" the rig will break at either the hook knot or the link to the pole so you will run the risk of losing the whole rig. Not good for any fish attached or your wallet. By including a hooklength the rig is more likely to break near the hook so fish dont end up tethered to a whole rig and you dont loose the whole rig.

All of the above applies to fishing with a running line as well.

 

Personaly I always use a hooklength though some people have situation and styles of rigs where they do not but as a general rule I think it pays.

Edited July 4, 2006 by A Worm OOE

[James Pos]

The best thing about having hooklengths is if you get snagged you will only lose your hook length.But the disadvantage is if the hooklenght breaks when you have got a big fish on.The disadvantage if you don't have a hooklength and you get snagged you can lose your float.The advantage to not having a hooklength is if you get a bigger fish on you have got an 80% chance that it won't break.

 

Regards James

[Dick Dastardly]

On pole rigs people tend to use much shorter hook lengths than normal.This is simply so that there is no shot on the hook link.Reason being is that you dont damage the fine line used and if you do get snaged and have to break your hook link you dont affect your shot pattern so can quickly replace it and get fishing again.

[Steve Walker]

All of the above applies to fishing with a running line as well.

 

Apart from the risk of the knot at the pole end going. I think that strengthens the argument for using a hook length with the pole, because with a running line rig it is possible to ensure that the weakest link is the knot to the hook. Not so with a pole rig.

[terry t shirt]

skipping the obvious advantages that everyone else has mentioned about hook lenghts.

the main reason for not using one is strength. 6 inches of 2lb line will break easier than 6ft

purely due to the stretch of mono. i might be wrong but line breaking strain is calculated

using a 1 meter length that will stretch a suprising amount before breaking. 6 inches of

mono will break earlier with the same weight. If using the pole for carp fishing (not twenty

pounders you usual comercial fish) i tend to fish about 6lbs straight through. but like the others

for silvers i use a 12 oz hooklength merely for presentation rather than snap offs. i also like my

hooklengths as long as i can get them often upto 3-4ft long were conditions allow

Edited July 4, 2006 by terry t shirt

[Chris Goddard]

Pole rigs can be tied with either hook lengths or without. It is ALL down to BAIT presentation!! But at the end of the day it is a personal preference.

Expensive it may be but try using FLUROCARBON line for your pole rigs. A LITTLE more expensive but makes for a lot better presentation and don't forget, with ANY knot you are creating a weak spot!!

[A Worm OOE]

Apart from the risk of the knot at the pole end going. I think that strengthens the argument for using a hook length with the pole, because with a running line rig it is possible to ensure that the weakest link is the knot to the hook. Not so with a pole rig.

 

Steve I can see your point that if using a runing ledeger strait through you are likely to put the week point either at the hook or at the stop so the rig is safe. However when float fishing even if you are very carefull it is possible to weaken the line around the float so a hook length is a good idea. Also when fishing feeders/lead I rarely go below 5lbs main line of a robust nature I will however go down to much lighter hooklengths for presentation reasons so that benefit still exists. As always nothing is black and white.

[Steve Walker]

Steve I can see your point that if using a runing ledeger strait through you are likely to put the week point either at the hook or at the stop so the rig is safe. However when float fishing even if you are very carefull it is possible to weaken the line around the float so a hook length is a good idea. Also when fishing feeders/lead I rarely go below 5lbs main line of a robust nature I will however go down to much lighter hooklengths for presentation reasons so that benefit still exists. As always nothing is black and white.

 

I do a fair bit of float fishing with 6lb line straight through, which is the kind of situation I had in mind. Provided that care is taken with shots, the line will always break at the hook, a preferable outcome to a fish trailing a hooklength. For "normal" floatfishing with 2-3lb mainlines I will always use a hooklength, mostly because I am likely to want to change to a lighter one if I'm not getting bites. To be honest, even with a hooklength it's more common to lose just the hook.

 

I have recently been using hooklengths even for my heavy float fishing, but this is because I've been using a low diameter 6lb line different to the mainline. Otherwise, with such heavy tackle, I don't see the point.

[Steve_MK]

For you guys that make up your own pole rigs, how do you get the micro shot on, I have hands the size of hams and I just can't handle the stuff onto the line