SPLASHFACTOR
Carp are inquisitive fish and one of the best ways to attract them to your hookbait is make a splash as Graham Dack explains…
Carp by nature are very inquisitive and they use their whole range of senses to not only work out if a morsel of food is worth eating or not, but also attract them to a source of food. They use smell to find food and then their eyesight takes over as they have a close look at your bait before deciding whether or not it’s safe to eat. However, smell isn’t the only way to attract carp to your hookbait. They can also hear and feel vibrations and associate these with food, and over the last few years us anglers have learnt to take full advantage of this!
Carp can be attracted to a splash, particularly in the warmer months when they are actively seeking food, and one of the best ways we’ve developed to exploit this is the pellet waggler. The method has really come to the fore recently and now there is a wide range of tackle that’s purposely designed for this style of fishing. Everything from the rod right down to the hook is custom made for pellet waggler fishing.
The pellet waggler has spawned a new breed of rods and instead of the three-piece 13ft models that we all used to use, we’re now using two- piece short versions that are designed for frequently casting short distances and can be easily be packed away at the end of the session without having to break the rig down. I’m using the new X-Flex Pellet Waggler rod today which has a superb through action that’s perfect for playing hard- fighting carp and for casting the float accurately.
It’s the splash of the float that attracts the fish to the hookbait and because of that it stands to reason that the pellet on the hook needs to be fished very close to the float. This depth can vary depending on how the fish are feeding but anywhere from 2 feet down to as little 8” is the catching zone as that’s where the carp will head for once they hear the splash. My favourite float for this is the Splash ‘Em boulb which for me is perfect as they’re short, they make a good carp- attracting splash on impact and most
6 Match Carp Catch Tactics
importantly of all they come back to the surface quickly after hitting the water so you’re fishing straight away. Floats that go too deep on impact can also spook fish which is the last thing you want. The only shot on the line are those locking your float. If you need to change the float to a heavier or lighter model next time you go fishing, these floats have a unique screw adaptor fitting.
Pellets are the other important component that makes this method work. Not any pellet will do the job though, they need to be hard pellets so they make that all important splash when they hit the water. Six or eight millimetre pellets are the best as they make just the right fish attracting splash when they hit the water. Regular feeding with a catapult is also important so you’ll need a robust design like this new X-Flex Pellet Caty because the only time you won’t be catapulting pellets in is when you’re playing a fish!
The idea is to keep feeding and making a splash and when you get it right everything will happen in the foot of water directly beneath your float. The carp come to the splash and instantly grab the pellets as they hit the water. If you don’t get a bite straight away, feed more pellets (four to six pellets at a time is enough) and turn the reel handle a couple of times so your hookbait rises and then falls through the water again.
The best hookbait is also a hard pellet and I prefer to use one that’s the next size up from those I’m feeding. If I’m feeding 6mm, I’ll use an 8mm on the hook just so it stands out from the pellets I’m feeding. There are several ways you can hair rig hard pellets but the best way I’ve found is to use the Las-Soo system. These lasso the pellets onto the hair and once they’re on they stay on. You can even catch several fish on the same hookbait.
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