Hook size and pop ups

iain t · Apr 3, 2017

Not being a still water angler or even a Carp angler i need a bit of advice.
Last time i used a pop-up or any Bollie must have been ages ago. This time i will be using pop-ups, this is due to a weedy and silt base.
I will be using 14 and 20 mm sized Bollies. What hook size would suit. The Carp are said to be up to 20lb but the average around the 5/6 lb mark.
Would you recommend a fine wire hook? due to the smaller carp

fishing4luckies · Apr 3, 2017

I don't know much about Carp fishing but I caught a 15 1/2 lb beastie on Sunday on a size 14. (My biggest Carp so far I think)

Most of the guys at our lakes who go after the carp use mahoosive great hooks - size 6 or 4. Personally I don't understand why they need to be so big, but then like I said I don't know much about Carp fishing.

iain t · Apr 3, 2017

I find that strange sometimes. I've caught double figure Barbel on 12's and 10's. I only fish rivers but am getting bored so thought i'll have a go on a pond

peter crabtree · Apr 3, 2017

I use a hook roughly the same size as the bait for hair rigs. Not sure I'd try fine wire hooks though.

associatedmatt · Apr 3, 2017

the lake i was at the weekend has carp upto 22lb and max hook size is 10 when and people catch them bait popped up 2-3" and when i start going after carp once lake has woken up more i will be using 10mm pop up on size 10 hook .

depends if you want to pop up a good few inches or just above lake bed , ie having hook on the bed but bait just wafting around above the hook ( neutrally balanced . If poped up a few inches pinch on a shot or you cant buy sinkers that go on your line but i prefer a shot with some tungsten putty over shot and test in a bucket etc of water or in shallow margins . If you want wafting above the hook a shot on the hair but you will find the pop up will not need to be as big .

Even on a size 8 a 14mm pop up lifts the hook . Could even try a piece of fake corn over a bed of hemp and corn .

Even if fishing for carp upto 20lb mark i would still use my Avon / barbel rods unless if im chucking big solid pva bags of heavy feeders .

hope this helps .

iain t · Apr 3, 2017

Cheers associatedmatt. As i only own Avon rods i haven't a choice. Am using 2 rods, one using a what ive been told is a zig float( had it given to me a few years ago and hadn't a clue what a zig or a zig float was for. I like simple rigs. Good old youtube). So that one will start about 3ft beneath the top and the other one about 4inches off the bottom. Total depth is about 9ft in the margins. Thinking of trying both with a small bag of freebies.

---------- Post added at 17:38 ---------- Previous post was at 17:35 ----------

Peter. Maybe a bit misleading stating a fine wire hook. What i mean is a hook like a Drennan specialist against something like a Armo point

associatedmatt · Apr 3, 2017

With zigs you need to spod a sloppy cloudy mix over the top that floats down through water Column that clouds up . Or if close catapult slow sinking coarse pellets over top around 6 at a time every few minutes or so to bring fish up or down .

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iain t · Apr 3, 2017

I will Catapult pellets over the top. Was thinking of tying a small PVA bag to the hook on the one with the Zig float, so as the bag starts to break down the pop up will start to raise taking a few floating pellets with it. It's all hit and miss as it's usually corn and maggots for me when i do visit still waters which is rare for me. Stick me on a river and i know where to go and what to do.

associatedmatt · Apr 3, 2017

what about buy some pop up mix and make some cheapo pop up mixture to crumble up and put in a pva mesh bag and will rise when melts ???

never bothered with zigs so many methods out there i need to practice only a few until get competent with them .

like feeder fishing , fine on commercial but totally different on a estate lake . Want to go tench chasing this summer but have not figured out what best method is groundbait feeder or maggot feeder or pellet with pva bags

iain t · Apr 3, 2017

The only reason am using pop up's is that they were given to me free yesterday. For Tench i would look on you tube to get ideas. Tench seem to go for worms, maggots, bollies, corn, halibut pellets, sweet ground bait. I use an open end cage feeder or float with 1 or 2 white maggots but they may be tempted with something else you end. I always see what the matchmen use.

associatedmatt · Apr 3, 2017

Ah i see , pop ups are not cheap but work well on silty bottoms .

I have been doing red maggots / corn / hemp in a open end feeder but i also have a mini spod i may try spoding corn / hemp / chopped worm / dead maggots with a groundbait cap but wouldnt use untill summer

Philip · Apr 3, 2017

iain t said:
Not being a still water angler or even a Carp angler i need a bit of advice.
Last time i used a pop-up or any Bollie must have been ages ago. This time i will be using pop-ups, this is due to a weedy and silt base.
I will be using 14 and 20 mm sized Bollies. What hook size would suit. The Carp are said to be up to 20lb but the average around the 5/6 lb mark.
Would you recommend a fine wire hook? due to the smaller carp

I would go with a minimum size 8 hook Ian. I would avoid anything fine wired if I was you. That should not put off the small ones and will give you a good chance of landing one of the bigger fish should it take the bait.

thames mudlarker · Apr 3, 2017

Hi Ian,

As Philip has rightly mentioned that I'd not go any smaller hook than a size 8, this is perfectly OK for the 14 mm baits, the 20 mm pop ups I'd definitely use a size 6 :thumbs:

associatedmatt · Apr 3, 2017

i have found with a 14mm on a size 8 hook you still need to either trim it down or add extra weight as lifts the hooklink up:wh

Philip · Apr 3, 2017

iain t said:
I've caught double figure Barbel on 12's and 10's. I only fish rivers but am getting bored so thought i'll have a go on a pond

I forgot to add ...I thought this was a refreshing change to hear someone say that ...usually its the other way round and people say they are fed up of Carp and want to give river fishing a go !

thames mudlarker · Apr 3, 2017

associatedmatt said:
i have found with a 14mm on a size 8 hook you still need to either trim it down or add extra weight as lifts the hooklink up:wh

Oh my days

mg: .....yer supposed to put a small amount of weight near to the hook :wh unless yer using Zig rigs

Normally an AAA shot about 2 inch from the hook would be the norm, some people prefer to use tungsten putty

associatedmatt · Apr 3, 2017

thames mudlarker said:
Doh.....yer supposed to put a small amount of weight near to the hook mg:

Normally an AAA shot about 2 inch from the hook would be the norm, some people prefer to use tungsten putty

If you read from my 1st post on page 1 i have said about adding shot , sinkers etc for a bit of experience i have picked up while fishing with them . If you didnt would turn into a small zig :wh

Philip · Apr 3, 2017

thames mudlarker said:
Normally an AAA shot about 2 inch from the hook would be the norm, some people prefer to use tungsten putty

Of course Mudlarker your right. A split shot of anchor weight is the usual way to do it.

However ! ...I have to say in the last few years I have been using pop ups straight off the lead more and more often. I am not talking full blown Zigs..More like 6 to 8 inch hooklinks off the lead. In fact its been working so well that i now pretty much do that as standard rather than stick on an anchor the bog standard 1 or 2 inch from the hook.

For anyone who has not tried it give it a whirl ...you might be pleasantly suprised...

thames mudlarker · Apr 3, 2017

associatedmatt said:
If you read from my 1st post on page 1 i have said about adding shot , sinkers etc for a bit of experience i have picked up while fishing with them . If you didnt would turn into a small zig :wh

Mmm.....well to be honest I can't see what the problem is, it ain't exactly rocket science, just add another shot or putty

mg:

---------- Post added at 21:39 ---------- Previous post was at 21:35 ----------

Philip said:
Of course Mudlarker your right. A split shot of anchor weight is the usual way to do it.

However ! ...I have to say in the last few years I have been using pop ups straight off the lead more and more often. I am not talking full blown Zigs..More like 6 to 8 inch hooklinks off the lead. In fact its been working so well that i now pretty much do that as standard rather than stick on an anchor the bog standard 1 or 2 inch from the hook.

For anyone who has not tried it give it a whirl ...you might be pleasantly suprised...

Absolutely Phillip, I totally agree, funnily enough I actually used to do this meself a few seasons back when fishing for the big River Lea chub, this was done to try and avoid the dreaded crays

Philip · Apr 3, 2017

thames mudlarker said:
Absolutely Phillip, I totally agree, funnily enough I actually used to do thus meself a few seasons back when fishing for the big River Lea chub, thus was done to try and avoid the dreaded crays

Not tried it in a river yet ...I sort of imagine the current bending it over all the time but in lakes I am using it almost as standard now when I use pop ups, especially when casting to things like island margins with overhanging trees. I recon a pop up off the lead means its well clear of all the debris on the bottom while something set the usual 1 or 2 inches can still be buried.

I also remember doing well on pop ups off the lead on a lake that was chocker with weed and deep margins. What I did was literally lower the bait (popped up sweetcorn) directly down off the rod tip into clear holes in the weed. As I was lowering it veritcally down I could feel the lead hit clean bottom and knew as the hooklink & bait was floating directly above and following it down in a straight line, that they would be clear as well. It worked really well, fished with ultra slack line...the corn being clearly visable against the green weed to any patrolling carp nosing their way along the margins.

Hook size and pop ups

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