Dear Gaz Fareham,

My friend is always telling me that my rig lengths are too long and that I should shorten them. Does the size matter, and if so should I be using different lengths for different occasions?
Many thanks,

Stuart Hamilton
Grantham

Hi Stuart,

Although there is no answer to this that is set in stone, there are certainly some general rules of thumb that can be followed with regards to rig lengths, and yes, it matters greatly! My choice of length of hooklink material is based on two main factors: the baiting situation I am angling over and the nature of the lakebed on the spot I am fishing. It is all about visualising how a carp feeds in different scenarios.

I do a lot of my fishing over a scattering of pure boilies; in this situation the carp are moving from bait to bait, each being an individual food item they have to pick up with intent. In this scenario a longer hooklink (8-10ins) is advantageous, as it allows the hooking arrangement to work effectively as the carp moves off quickly in search of the next boilie. In contrast, if I am fishing over an area baited with particle – hemp, pellet, chops, maggots, etc., then I will use a short hooklink (2-6ins) as the carp will be feeding tighter to the lakebed and moving much slower, scouring the bottom for each tiny particle of food. In this scenario a short hooklink will get you more bites because the hooking arrangement will prick the fish without it moving more than a few inches.

The long and the short of it – 8-10ins for a spread of boilies, and 2-6ins for tight beds of particle. That is a good rule of thumb to work with that will serve you well.

The make-up of the lakebed will also have an impact on the length of my rig, I want the hookbait to be well presented over any debris, and I also want the specifics of my chosen rig to be able to work as intended, i.e. any loops, ring swivels. or hinges need to be free to rotate or spin properly. Silt, silkweed or leaf litter will often dictate that I use a slightly longer hooklink to compensate, whereas hard clean gravel or sand might see me shorten the link. This however, is often linked directly to the choice of lead arrangement, and a short hooklink presented on a Helicopter over silt can be very effective if everyone is using long links. As I said, nothing is set in stone.

The last point I would make is to check your hookholds. If you are hooking carp in the extremities of their lips, or losing occasional fish, then I would suggest lengthening your links a little to allow the bait to enter further into the mouth; you want to be getting hookholds an inch or so back in the bottom or the scissors. If you are not getting bites when you feel like you should be, then they might be getting away with it. Try shortening your links until you get a bite. Be flexible, but consider carefully what, and why, you are changing.

A big common from this winter taken on 4ins of Korda’s new Hybrid Soft.

Be lucky,

Gaz