To many carpers especially the new ones coming in think they can just chuck a rig out and catch,they don’t realise sometimes you need to think about your rigs and situations
Fascinating as always Matthew. I know I keep repeating myself but I so look forward to your videos. I always learn something new or get a better insight into the things we do. Old dogs CAN learn new tricks as I am one and you teach me something every video. Really appreciate all you do for us. 👍🎣
Hi Darren, thanks very much as always for your amazing support mate. You never stop learning in this game! That’s what keeps it interesting for me. I often go back and revisit things years later just to see whether I get the same kind of results as I did when I first tried. Sometimes I re-confirm what I learned the first time, other times I surprise myself and learn something new 😊 All the best with your season. Cheers, Matt.
Hi Matt , thanks for all the tips . By far the best channel . No nonsense, just top advice. One thing about carping I don't understand is why use braided hook links that are stronger than the main . I confidently catch carp to mid 30s using 15lb main and 12lb mono (guru) hook link, and have yet to loose one. If I snag in tree etc , I can guarantee I'll snap at the hook knot, or close . Just leaving a barbless hook. Using the same 3 weights for 2 years now .. lol I hate the waste and pollution that goes along with angling , so I like to keep it to a minimum. Even when I go piking, I use 15lb wire and a single barbless hook. Trebles are ridiculous. Maybe I'm missing something, but I often think some methods are dinosaurs clinging on .
Hi Lewis, thanks very much for the support! It’s a very good point and as the years go on I find myself turning to lighter mono more and more. This year I’ve made a point of exploring just how far the envelope can be pushed when it comes to mono hooklink and at the minute I’m testing the Nash zig-Flo in 12lbs (for a bottom bait rig) and have banked carp well over 40lbs. I think a lot of anglers use these heavy braided materials just because a high profile angler caught a large carp using it. The angler in question was probably using it because he knew that’s what he needed to extract a large carp from the environment he was fishing but it’s overkill for many situations. I know a couple of fishery managers that use 8lb mono hooklinks for massive carp and I’ve banked multiple mid 40s on 8lb zigs from super weedy waters. Mono is tough and strong, that’s why we use it for the mainline. You keep doing what you're doing mate and great to hear that you are a fan of running leads too ;) All the best, Matt.
@@matthewcollinsangler Thanks mate That's very reassuring to know you use it with such success . I'm the only angler on my syndicate who uses it , so I hope to encourage others to adopt mono rigs . . Every week I find rigs, weights and line in trees, god knows what's under the water . I'm a big fan of running leads. I won't use anything that has potential to snag a fish or bird etc . I hope this channel continues to grow , because your tips are golden , and you explain them simply and effectively. I've learnt tons . All the best mate .
Very interesting how a subtle lead change of shape and how the lead is fished (either fixed or running) can make a huge difference to the actual hooking capabilities in terms of overall rig length. Great video 🙌
Very informative Matthew, thinking outside the box regards rig lengths and it's not just the length of the material used but when the rig has been picked up and the lead comes into play, never considered this before. Thanks again 👍
Hi Matt, as usual, I have gained quite valuable information from your video! Quality content, as usual! What I have learned (again): Always keep thinking and consider *all* the details. Being lazy is what is somehow my problem, when I am finally at the bank but by watching your videos I am always reminded of the small details that really seem to make the difference. I am really grateful for your handy and foolproof explanations. BTW: I have done some few (knot) tests in the meantime with my spring scale and I have to say that with all type of line, the Palomar knot helped a lot keeping the breaking strain at least at the nominal level of the line manufacturer. It's certainly too early to call it "scientific" but I already have a picture which knots (almost generally) do not work at all. The bad thing is that I have been confident about them for decades. And now this... Cheers, Alex
Hi Alex, thanks as always for your support mate. Good to know you’ve been doing some knot testing work. I think it depends a lot on your own personal technique. I’ve watched some anglers really struggle to tie certain types of knots but other knots come easy. It’s really important to use knots you can personally tie well as you’ll probably get better results. I’ve also found it makes a difference as to what you are tying the knot to. I can get a stronger knot to a leadless leader than to a swivel for example! Always learning and experimenting and adding to the knowledge bank, that's what it's all about 😊Cheers, Matt.
Hi Mat, just wanted to say great information on your videos. I have just started back fishing after 25 years, and I find it a minefield with different rigs :-). but this and the PVA BAG video have been a good refresher, easy watch and it is good as you go through things slowly, need that now I'm getting on in age now lol. have subscribed and will definitely watch more of your videos, keep up the good work mate, especially for us OAP'Slol
🙋♂Watch next: When to STOP baiting? 👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7f2yEYx0Cw0.html Everyone's got their own thoughts on rig length and it can all get rather confusing. In fact, there are no hard and fast rules. I’m just sharing my experiences on the bank on the subject. I’m sure there will be some differences of opinion and that’s okay! It would be boring if we all agreed!
I never considered, that different shape fish feed differently,, not that I target by shape,, I happy with any shape, I'm not fussy 😂😂 But totally get your piont matt., you always point out tips and techniques that have never entered my head . Massively helpful, good honest advice from a angler to anglers Thank you
Thanks for all the fantastic videos and all the effort you put in to it.And what a beautiful venue...!! Please keep up the good work I surly keep watching them. Greetings from the Netherlands. Chris.
Again a simple but very informative & easy to follow upload ( this was in my Google news feed again 👌) Thanks again Matthew, wishing you a fin-tastic 2022....🎣🎣🎣🎣 Lee 👍
Enjoyed the video, very informative and you get the point across in a simple but effective way, for a "sort of novice" at Carp fishing like me (even though I've got 40 years behind the belt as an angler) I could understand it perfectly. My new fishing club has waters that hold Carp up to 30lbs and maybe over but mostly around the 20lb mark so I'm looking forward to a new challenge. They don't allow any braided hooklengths though so I'll have to use mono or flouro but I'm assuming the principles are roughly the same. I'll be checking out some of your other videos in the near future, cheers.
Hi Mart, thanks for the support, it’s greatly appreciated. The principles for rig length choice are exactly the same as far as I’m concerned. Most modern carp anglers would steer you towards fluoro because of its “invisible” properties. What’s often overlooked is that 99.9% of the time the carp can’t see anything at all, let alone 8” of mono hook length. Fluoro is much stiffer than mono and it’s great if you need a very stiff material for fishing extreme range but as a general purpose hooklink, I’d choose mono every time. This winter I’m experimenting with Nash Zig-Flo in 12lbs (0.30) for bottom baits! Now this goes against every modern trend. A neutral buoyancy lightweight zig material for fishing on the bottom? Madness surely? Add the tiniest drop of rig putty or a little sinker and it sinks great! It’s much more supple than fluoro, very tough and strong and knots well. What’s not to like? I’ve had fish to well over 40 on it with zero issues. Hope that gives you food for thought and let me know how you get on. Cheers, Matt.
Hi Mark, thanks for the support mate 😊 I want to do a video on lead size so thanks for the reminder! My go to choice is a 3oz pear or, if I’m fishing solid PVA bags, then a 2.5 oz inline. 3oz gets a bit weighty with the bag contents. If I’m fishing down the shallows in the silt I’ll drop to a 2oz to prevent the lead disappearing. Hope that helps, cheers, Matt.
Cool show Matthew. Baffled me a bit knowing what length to use. I've moved recently and am fishing a really nice park lake. Gone back to method feeder tactics for this particular lake. Very enjoyable. Cheers mate. Really liking the shows 👍
No worries Colin. For the method you need to use really short hook links, 2-3” is standard. Can be mono or braid. It's been a long time since I fished the method, I prefer solid PVA bags. Best of luck, Matt.
Hi Geoff, thanks for commenting and I’m glad that you like the channel. For me it all depends on how far out you are fishing and the nature of the lakebed, so it is difficult to give you an answer right now. Watch my video on slack vs tight lines and hopefully it’ll help you out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VdeLpRcrhwo.html. If you still have questions, just comment again 😊 Cheers, Matt.
Hi John, thanks very much for the feedback, it's much appreciated. I know (only too well) how hard this sport is to learn! Hope that you continue to enjoy the videos and put a few more carp on the bank 😉Cheers, Matt.
I only catch roughly 6 fish a year from canals and a public lake from September onwards but it’s the challenges that they give me that makes it rewarding,on the right front I’m looking at a long right now to try out on the canal just to see if something different can trip one or 2 up
Hmm, I’m confused… I’m not sure what gave you that impression because I don’t. My river rigs are basically the same length as my standard lake rigs (6”), so not sure where you got that from but then again I’ve made quite a few videos so maybe I’ve misled you. If so, my apologies.
Hi Phillip, if you watch my lake bed video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0XJoVYv_rIk.html, you’ll see that some of the areas of silt here could easily swallow 12” of hooklink lol. I never fish in those but I do allow 3”- 4” for any silty spots . Hope that helps, cheers, Matt.
Hi Matthew hope all is well, excellent video just a quick question fishing a cat and Carp lake like yourself what hook link material would you recommend? as you know fishing for carp pick up a cat, im a big fan of your mono rig and is working a treat. Many thanks Jack.
Hi Jack, glad you liked the video. Great question actually. We are launching a new catfish video soon so watch out for that 😉 OK so while you can absolutely land a big catfish on a 0.40 mono hooklink I must admit I have been snapped up on a few (we do have massive catfish mind!). One option is to use heavier mono. Think in terms of 0.45 to 0.50, serious stuff but you’ll stand an excellent chance even with a big catfish. I’ve seen guests land 100lbs + cats on 0.45. Nowadays for guests I get them to use 35lbs Armourlink. OK it’s not mono it’s a heavy braid but you can tie this exact rig with it and it works a treat. The hook bead really helps to hold the exit point of the braid opposite of the point so it can’t twist. The only downside with Armourlink is that being a supple braid it’s useless at range unless you use an inline lead and a solid PVA bag. Even at short range you’ll need to hit the clip and land the rig to guarantee presentation (a small PVA mesh bags helps too). The Nash Twisters are plenty strong enough for the job BTW (I never use catfish hooks as they aren't very sharp). Even in a size 6 you won’t have any issues. I’ve never opened one out even of a three figure catfish. Do let me know how it goes. Cheers, Matt.
@@matthewcollinsangler thanks for the fast reply Matthew, I will certainly been keeping up eyes open for that next video 👍🏻, I had same problem been snapped off a few times with mono hook link too but I’ll defiantly try a heavier mono already got a few 0.40 mono rigs ( the Collins special ) ready to give a try too. I’ve never used catfish hooks either as going for carp but as you do every so often pick up a cat, just wanted to cover all bases, thanks for brilliant content and can’t wait for the next video 👍🏻 Many thanks Jack.
This was an interesting one. I never thought about including the shape of the carp in the thought process when choosing a rig. But what i always find when talking about rig lengths, isn't it all mostly theoretical? After all, the actual rig length in the water is dictated by the direction from which the carp approaches the bait. A straight laying rig of 30 cm is in reality 0 cm if the carp is trying to suck it in from the opposite direction. That same rig is 60 cm if the fish comes from the other side. Of course these are extreme examples, but how can we seriously talk about rig lengths based on this?
Rig length is a very odd topic for me. When fishing a solid bag I’ll use a 4 inch section of braid, this catches me a good amount of carp and I lose very little. My normal multi combi rig for bottom baits and wafter I will use a rig of 7 to 10 inches depending on what I’m fishing over. For my multi hinge pop up rig I’ll use a length of 8 - 14 inches in some cases depending if I’m on a clean spot or if I’m fishing in weed. I did a test to see if my normal rigs were more effective at a shorter length just as my solid bag rigs. I fished for 5 days on a lake I knew very well. Within the first 2 days fishing my multi combi at 4-5 inches I landed 2 fish out of 10 takes. I lengthened my rig out to 8 inches which is about what I normally have and over the last 3 days I landed 25 fish out of 26 takes. My mate just down the bank was using 3 inch rigs in solid bags all week and had a similar hook to land ratio as my multi combi at 8 inches. I still do not understand why I lost so many when using my normal rigs but shorter than normal
Hi mate, very interesting to compare experiences. Yes it’s a funny thing “rig length”. All you can do is add it to the knowledge bank and apply what you’ve learned to other waters and see if you were right or wrong. All the best with your season. Cheers, Matt.
Hi mate, well I always had this dream at the back of my mind to buy my own lake and 11 years ago, we were able to achieve that dream. It's been an amazing journey, full of highs and lows of course but I don't regret it one bit. I first experienced French carp fishing at Abbey lakes but I’ve not fished any of the massive lakes over here. I concentrate on the lakes and rivers close to my home and they're plenty exciting enough! Cheers, Matt.
Hi Matt, thanks a lot for this amazing content. I've two questions about the lenght of rigs. I always fish with a classic in-line lead and a quite long rig (30 to 34 cm from the lead to the eye of the pattern). I fish exclusively the river, it explains why i tend to use this kind of long rig. So, first, if I want to keep the efficency of my rig to target big water, big res, should I need to shorten my rigs or is it possible to continue with this lenght ? Secondly, if I want to fish with a pop-up balanced with a split shot at 3 cm from the deck, shoul I consider the lenght of my hooklink from the lead to the eye of my hook or to the position of my split shot ? I don't know if I'm clear enough. ^^ *excuse my english, I'm french ! Etienne
Bonjour Etienne! Glad you enjoy the channel 😊 I’m surprised that you are using inline leads on the river because the lead can be trapped between rocks. On the river, I fish swivel leads connected with a rotten bottom (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pSjT2wPKtTw.html) I can see why your rig length of 30-34cms is working with inline leads. I fish shorter rigs on the river, at 20cms, and longer rigs when fishing larger reservoirs, but with a swivel lead. I don’t fish with popups on the river or public lakes because of the bream, poisson chat, chub, crayfish. I use 24mm bottom baits, extra hard, and that’s all I need to catch them. Here’s my current setup on the river, it’s only a short video but it’ll give you an idea: ru-vid.comCh032Nsihcc?feature=share I’ve never considered the distance between the split shot and the hook when I used popups. I wouldn’t worry about it. I hope this helps, bonne chance et bonne pêche! Matt
I feel your pain! I started nearly 40 years ago. Life and carp fishing were so much simpler then! If I want to create a short rig then an inline lead is the best choice because the weight of the lead comes into effect sooner than with a swivel lead. With a swivel lead the hooklink is attached to the lightest end, with an inline it’s attached to the heaviest end. When you use an inline lead, a supple braid is the best choice because a stiff material will loop up off the bottom unless the lead lands on something very hard and flat. Supple braids are not easy to cast so if you are just getting back into the sport then I’d stick the whole lot into a solid PVA bag. If that’s all sounding a bit too complicated, have a watch of this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LzFina92brM.html It’s basically a tweaked version of how I started catching carp all those years ago. No fancy materials or PVA or anything. Just good old mono and a little hook bead. The lead system is very simple too (remember the good old running leger?) Well it still works! If you are faced with weed or rocks then you can tweak it like this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pSjT2wPKtTw.html Best of luck, Matt.
Using 2-3g sinkers an inch from the hook, I’m using a longer hook length based on the fact the sinker will pull the hook downwards and increase the chance of a nick, once nicked the fish bolts and the longer the hook length the higher the speed it’ll be at when hitting the lead, thus setting the hook deeper. I spose using that theory ur hook length COULD be 6 feet long 🤣🤣 Ahhh the ambiguity of carp fishing 🙄
Hello Matt. Would you reckon a 7.5cm rig length for a braid rig inside a PVA Bag is too short? I've always fished 7.5cm as a feeder angler and wondering if I can carry on with that using a 7.5cm Slip D-Rig inside PVA Bags.
Hi mate, that’s a great question and a good reminder that we need to make a video on the subject. To get an understanding of what hair length I use for certain rigs you’ll need to watch those videos. Here are a few links: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LzFina92brM.html, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hoHB1gi_sQs.html I’ve sent you those two rigs as one uses a longer hair, the other uses a D-rig mounting so that the bait sits closer to the hook. It’s basically a matter of trial and error to see if one rig works better or worse than the other in any given situation. Don’t get too hung about it though, just pick one you like and fish with it for a while. Don’t forget that hook sharpness is more important than hair length! Cheers, Matt.
@@matthewcollinsangler update since you recommended the mono rig to me. I have caught a ton of fish on this rig with zero hook pulls due to changing the rig if the hook is even the slightest of dulled. I even caught a very nice size cat fish on the mono rig today. I usually pva mesh with the rig, but I ran out the other day and will say solid pva bags worked just fine with some fussing the stiff rig in the bag.
@@HotdogWeeniesRichard Great to hear that the rig is working so well for you! Good to know you can stuff a mono rig into a solid PVA bag if you’re desperate. The other way to do is to just solid PVA bag the rig and leave the lead outside (aka parachute bag). Keep hauling! Matt.
Hi mate, rig length doesn’t affect the choice of material I use for hooklink, the two variables are independent of one another. Just because I was talking about mono and a clip we used showed some braid is just a coincidence. Sorry if we’ve confused you! Cheers, Matt.
Hey Matt, my coated hooklink keeps being stripped near the loop/figure 8 knot when tightening down, is my hooklink of bad quality, will it really dimminish the rigs anti tangle properties? I was trying to use really short anti tangle sleeves, so the rig has the least resistance up until the lead as much as possible. Can't really get the setup to work with a quick change swivel, I even thought about tying a rig to a rig link, but they won't fit in a quick change swivel. Any ideas, boss?
Hi mate, coated hooklinks vary a lot in quality. I’ve tested loads over the years. What you’re describing indicates a poor quality coating. The only product I use nowadays is the Nash skinlink in either stiff or semi stiff depending on the situation. With a quality material like this one, you only need to use an overhand knot rather than the more complicated figure of 8 as it’s plenty strong enough. The only time I use a coated hooklink is for the multi rig when I want anti tangle and quick hook change. Link to Skinlink: Skinlink: amzn.to/3QSUAFk (if you use this link to Amazon, same price to you but a small commission for me to help support the channel ☺️) Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt
Yes mate,, I'm thinking exactly that, food for thought,, on my own I couldn't afford it, but if 2 or 3 of us pool together, we could afford it, ? I'm open to ti's idea,, any takers?
I used to love tench fishing, I haven't caught one for many years. They just don’t have them in the waters I fish. Tench are very delicate feeders. I used to fish the lift float method for them with two grains of sweetcorn. They can also be caught on a simple swim feeder. I used to use lightweight mono rigs of 18” to 24” long. The bites can be very twitchy. Good fun though!
Bonjour, j’ai mis des sous-titres en anglais mais je ne peux pas rajouter une version française. Par contre, vous pouvez visionner une traduction automatique des sous-titres en français: d’abord, mettez les sous titres en anglais, ensuite allez sous “paramètres” et choisissez la langue de traduction sous le menu “auto translate”. La traduction n’est pas trop mauvaise. J'espère que ça vous aidera! Amicalement.
