PELLET WAGGLER RIG FOR CARP

1 MAINLINE

You need something robust – you’re going to be casting and retrieving the rig regularly (hopefully with a fish attached) and so most anglers will opt for a 6lb mainline. This gives you the strength to land big fish and the low diameter needed to hit maximum casting distance.

2 FLOAT

There are loads of types of pellet waggler on the market these days, and most anglers use either a loaded float or one which has a purpose-built, weighted adaptor to attach it.

That way you don’t have to put large shot on your mainline, which have the potential to damage it.

Floats come in lots of sizes and it can pay to take a variety with you to suit conditions and how far out you need to cast to the fish.

3 FLOAT STOPS

When setting up your rig, start by threading a float/rig stop on to your mainline then add your pellet waggler float, followed by two more of the float/rig stops.

The stops allow you to vary the depth your rig is fishing at, and having two below the float prevents it from slipping down the line when casting.

Some anglers use a small snaplink swivel on the mainline between the stops to attach their float to, as this allows you to change to a different float easily during your session. A bigger float can obviously be cast further but remember, you need to be fishing and feeding the same spot. For that reason, don’t pick a float which you can cast miles but can’t reach with your feed pellets.

4 DEPTH TO FISH

Anyone who sets their rig at 12ins deep and sticks to it all day will definitely miss out on lots of fish. It’s best to start deep – sometimes as much as 5ft – to begin with. Then you can shallow up the rig as the fish respond to the feed and come higher in the water.

These fish can move back down as you catch them and disturb the swim, so play around with the depth at which your rig is set in order to keep in touch with the fish.

5 CREATE A ‘PLOP’

While you definitely want to create a fish-attracting noise as the float hits the water, crashing the rig in isn’t the way to go about it.

You’re looking to create a ‘double plop’ with the float and pellet to match the sound of the loosefeed going in.

This effect can be achieved by feathering the line on the spool with your finger after casting and just before the rig hits the water.

This has the added benefit of giving the float and the pellet hookbait a bit of separation to prevent tangles.

6 HOOKLENGTH

Many anglers think you need big hooks for pellet waggler fishing, but smaller ones are definitely better. Tie 12ins hooklengths of 0.17mm line to a size 16 or 18 eyed hook for carp in the 4lb-10lb bracket.

Tie them using a knotless knot and incorporate a small pellet band into the hair rig loop to attach your hookbait.

Some anglers incorporate a small quick change swivel instead of the usual loop-to-loop knot, as this allows a quick change of hooklengths if required.

7 HOW TO FEED

Feeding is all about little and often. Start by feeding 4-6 pellets every 15-20 seconds to draw fish into the swim and bring them up in the water.

If you start to get a lot of bites, up the feed to take this into account.

8 HOOKBAITS

Start on a hookbait that matches your feed, but be prepared to switch. Often you’ll find that the carp have a preference for either lighter or darker baits, depending on the colour of the water. In dark water, a dark bait is often more visible to the fish.

If the carp come really high in the water, try fishing a pellet wafter on the hair. These baits sink that little bit slower than a hard pellet and therefore spend more time in the ‘bite zone’.