Author: Evan Cartabiano

Rigwise Foam

by Evan Cartabiano

Rig tangles are always a concern while casting. There are a number of ways you can make your rig less likely to tangle, such as PVA sticks. But what if you just want to wack out a single bait? Rig foam is the answer, and the Rigwise Foam from Gardner is a great option.

 

The foam can be used on any rig, but I particularly like it when fishing baits with out a PVA stick,

The best part is its super simple to use. Simple wet one side of the foam and hook the hook into this side and wrap it around!

After you have wrapped it around the wetted foam will stick to it’s self, protecting the hook point.

Rigwise foam can also be used on stringers as well. It keeps the hook for getting stuck in any of the free baits.

Multicolor Rigwise foam is also available. Also, the Gardner Foam comes with a free storage pot that will fit in with your pop-up pots for easy use!

Tying a rig for a PVA bag

by Evan Cartabiano

Koi with Kids

by Evan Cartabiano

When taking kids fishing, where you decide to fish is the biggest thing that will make it successful – the same applies to catching koi. 

Finding the right place to fish is the hardest part of any kid-koi adventure, unlike a “normal” fishing trip, the ability to play in the dirt or ride bikes makes the outing more fun for everyone. I have been lucky to find just such a place in a shopping center of all places. There is a walking trail for riding bikes and another area for playing in the dirt. Other places have even had a playground right near the pond! However, I have found that most larger towns will have a spot and cities maybe a few. City parks are often a good place to look. One of the best ways to find places is to get on Google maps or Earth and see where there is water. Then see if the water has any access. Sometimes it’s not easy to see if you can get to the water or not so drive around to the locations and take a look in person.

After you have found a spot that looks like it fits the criteria, then you have to find out if there are koi in it. If the water is somewhat clear koi are fairly easy to spot so get you polarized glasses on and take a walk around and see if there is anything to see. I bring along a bad or bread just in case I see something interesting, and will also bait a spot and come back in a bit and see if there are any koi feeding – it has paid off!

Rigging for koi can be as simple as you want. For my kids I tend to stick with super simple, like a hook and split shot for most fishing. If a farther cast is needed a slip bobber is good. Koi often are used to feeding near the surface to a slow sinking bait with a bobber can work really well. The pictures below give an idea of the rigging I use on my rod. Scroll over the pictures for captions. Enjoy!   

Not every child likes to hold fish, but it’s a great way to capture the happiness of fishing if they will!

It is awesome to see the anglers you are training doing it by themselves!

Some children love pictures…And some children don’t like them at all. He was very happy right before and after and I just have to live with the pics…

Proper netting technique! Also, note the bike helmet since bike riding is a good way to pass the time between koi.

Having good bite indication is important since you will not be fishing the whole time you are fishing.

For most of my koi fishing I have found that a hiviz pop-up is really effective. This Rod Hutchinson Force pop-up in 12mm fits the bill nicely.

Sometimes you will find koi that won’t take bread…but not often. Most koi I have fished for have been all for it.

I am a big fan of liquidized bread – pack it around your hook bait and you are good to go.

take notes

Take Notes! (By Ian Chillcott)

April 30, 2024

While the title “Take notes” may not immediately convey it, this piece delves deeper into the essence of my angling journey, focusing not just on tactics and gear, but on the enduring lessons that have shaped my success over the years. From the inception of the hair rig in the… Read more

Beginners Guide

Basic Beginners Guide to Carp Fishing

April 24, 2024

If you’re new to carp fishing, the journey can be as simple or complex as you make it, read this short beginners guide to help you get started. Stepping into your local tackle shop for the first time might feel overwhelming with the array of options for bait, tackle, and… Read more

Steve "Spurgenator" Spurgeon Spring Fishing

Spring Fishing Success with Steve Spurgeon

April 15, 2024

Welcome to Spring Fishing at Manor Farm Fisheries with Fox Consultant, Steve “Spurgenator” Spurgeon! In this captivating journey, Steve shares his expert strategies for catching Carp as the seasons transition from winter rains to summer warmth. Join us as we explore Steve’s unique insights and techniques for adapting to the… Read more

Marker Float

Guide: How To Use A Marker Float

April 9, 2024

The Marker Float is a crucial tool for understanding your swim. By following some simple steps, you can accurately map out depths, substrates, and distances to fish with precision on specific spots. A Marker Float is a fishing accessory used to map out underwater features such as depths, substrates, and… Read more

Inline Leads

Barry Delderfield: Inline Leads Expert

April 2, 2024

Barry Delderfield talks about why he uses Inline Leads. He excels as one of Korda’s most reliable team members, persistently capturing fish from diverse, challenging waters. Stealth is crucial to his tactics, and his go-to rig consists of small inline leads and extended, rigid hook links. Barry’s preferred Inline Leads… Read more

40lb UK Catch: Securing My First UK Forty (Hanna Newell)!

40lb UK Catch: Securing My First UK Forty (Hanna Newell)!

March 26, 2024

In a thrilling tale of triumph, Hannah Newell (supported by Trakker), shares her exhilarating journey to landing her inaugural UK 40lb ‘er. True to its name, this experience left me utterly astounded. My recent trip to the breathtaking Hacche Moor fishery in Devon was nothing short of remarkable. Accompanied by… Read more

Spod vs Marker Clip Distance

by Evan Cartabiano

So if you find a great spot with your marker, and get clipped up, how far should you clip for the spod? As it turns out it’s not the same as your marker, but shorter. Take a look at this chart, and say the water is 20 feet deep, follow this line and you will see that you need to take off approximately 5 feet from you casting distance. This is of course not set in stone as many factors such as wind, line type, and other factors can impact this. This chart is based off of 1 foot of line for every 4 feet of water and seems to be a fairly close approximation of what you might expect.

Find the depth on the Y axis and then subtract the number of feet indicated on the X axis from the point where your marker was clipped.

Keep in mind that if it’s windy you will need to give more line as you will get a large bow in you line as you cast. Stay tuned for my next article on accurate baiting and bait placement where I will discuss how I try and maximise my baiting accuracy.

Gardner’s Pop-Up/Bait Bag

by Evan Cartabiano

If you are having, as I had, a problem with you hook baits being a mess of pop-up tubs and various containers of all sorts, the Gardner Pop-Up/Bait Bag might be just what you need.

The Gardner Pop-Up/Bait Bag.

The outside of the Gardner Pop-Up/Bait Bag is a durable material with both handles and a strap for carrying. The bottom is made from waterproof material so you bait will stay dry if you set it down on wet ground. It also has the added benefit for being easy to clean when covered in mud.

Carrying strap.

The zipper has two pulls and is nice and robust. I have been using it for almost a year and it has not had any issues.

The top tray with six compartments.

The first thing you see when you open the bag is the removable top tray. It has six compartments and will accommodate variety of different bait and dip containers. It also comes with six empty tubs that you can add your own bait to if you so desire.

The top tray is soft.

The fact that the top tray is soft really helps accommodate a wide variety of bait containers. The compartments are also deep enough to dube stack smaller tubs of pop-ups.

Zipper pouch under the top.

Under the lid is a mesh storage area with a zipper closure. It is really handy for baiting needles, boilie stops, and other such items. If you are looking to travel light you can fit enough supplies in here for a short session.

Flap to bottom compartment.

Under the tray there is another flap with a zipper that keeps the bottom compartment separate and since it is insulated, cold.

The bottom insulated compartment.

The bottom compartment is big enough to hold a couple of kilos of bait, or you can fill it with more hook baits as it is large enough to accommodate full size pop-up tubs and dip containers. It also has a smooth coating that is super easy to clean.

Overall this is a quality item and extremely handy for keeping baits organized and in good condition.

To purchase this bag, click HERE!

 

Making The German Rig

by Evan Cartabiano

The German Rig is a super simple rig to tie and a super effective rig for fishing bottom baits. The stiff boom of the hook link keeps tangling to a minimum and turns the rig well in the carp’s mouth. So, let’s take a look at making one.

My hook of choice for this (and many other rigs) is the Special Edition Continental Mugga from Gardner. Of course, other Mugga hooks will work, as will other patterns, but I’d stick to patterns that are similar to this one.

 

The Items you need are simple: Trick Link hooklink or other monofilament hook link like Amnesia, hook of choice as we have already discussed, size 12 rig swivel, and a hook stop.

 

To start the rig slide the swivel onto the hook followed by the stop. The stop has a small pilot hole in it. This is used to align the point of the hook while threading the stop onto the shank. This is likely the hardest part of making this rig!

 

After you have the stop on, slide it up over the barb and onto the bend.  At this point it should look something like this.

 

Next cut about 12in of the hooklink and attach it to the hook with a knotless knot or any other snell knot you like.

 

I like to add a bit of shrink tube to get the angle I like. This is optional and many anglers don’t do this. I personally like the angle with the tube better as it catches on your palm better this way. It’s up to you and I’d recommend trying it both ways and finding out what you like better.

 

The tube has been shrunk. Again this it optional and is up to personal preference.

 

Next attach your bait. You can use any method you prefer but I am going to demo the “heavy mono” method. To do this use 5in of 30lb monofilament line. Put it through the swivel and double it over. Then start pulling the bait onto both ends until its about this far onto the swivel. Note: bottom bait is 20mm Rod Hutchinson Strawberry Cream Boilie .

 

In this example I am using a snowman arrangement. Notice the tag ends of the mono above the popup – these will be turned into the “hair stop”. I am a fan of the snowman arrangement of baits as I feel it gives the fish a bit more of a target. Note: popup is a 15mm Rod Hutchinson Fruit Frenzy.

 

Once you have the baits on the hair, simply blob the end with a lighter to keep the bait from sliding off. This method works well with boilies, tiger nuts, and plastic baits. Don’t overlook baits such as tiger nuts on this rig – it’s well suited to them!

 

After you have “blobbed” the mono with the lighter smash it down flat with your finger and it will form a stop that looks like this. As you can see it’s not very obvious and is also fairly large and really holds the bait on very well.

 

Since the bait is free to travel the length of the hook, I like to trap it down during the cast so it can’t get stuck on the point of the hook. I do this with a small PVA stick with a longer tag end which I wrap around the hook to lock everything down.

 

The final rig. If using boilies I like to use a small sick or bag of broken or crushed boilies of the same flavor that I am fishing with. Spraying the whole thing with a top quality attractor is never a bad idea either, but I have found it’s best to not go overboard with the flavor if you are looking for a quick bite.

 

And here is proof of concept! Not the biggest fish but it’s well hooked which shows the rig to be working well.