Ask Bailiff

What rig for winter carp fishing?

Bailiff's answer, from the Carp Army rig library and what members have caught on.

Bailiff says: Solid PVA bag rig

In winter carp feed little and cautiously, so a solid PVA bag drops your hookbait right into a small pile of attractant to give them a reason to bite. It presents perfectly on silt or soft bottoms and lets you fish accurately with confidence wherever it lands.

Tweaks

  • Use a small hook, size 8-10
  • Short hooklink around 4-5 inches
  • Use crushed pellet or micro crumb for slow-release attraction

Solid PVA bag rig

A short supple rig inside a solid PVA bag of pellet or crumb. The hookbait lands in a pile of food, wherever it lands.

MainlineInline leadWide gape hookSolid PVA bag, pellet packedSmall pop-up or wafter

Parts

Wide gape hook, size 8 to 6
Supple braid, 4 inch
Solid PVA bags
Inline lead, 2 to 3oz
Size 8 swivel
Small pop-up or wafter, 10 to 12mm

How to tie it

  1. Tie a 3 to 4 inch hair rig with a small hook and a small hookbait.
  2. Attach to an inline lead on a short swivel.
  3. Put a little pellet in the bag, then the lead, then pack around the rig with more pellet.
  4. Lick and stick, squeeze out the air, and trim the corners.

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