ASK THE EXPERTS
Dear Panel
I have been using short rigs and have been able to watch the carps reaction when they are feeding over my bait. They are picking up the rigs and getting away with being hooked and then coming back to clear all the freebies up. I am told a long hair will nail them so would like to know how long I should make the hair and rig. I have got the carp feeding on hard gravel in 3' of water. If you think the long hair will not work, what do you think would?
Many thanks
Craig
Damn good question that fella. Now, before I get onto the rig side of life, I would just like to mention the situation that you have found yourself in. There are probably only a very small percentage of carp anglers that have actually witnessed what you have seen. It is an experience that is priceless in terms of knowledge. What you have witnessed is exactly the same as what is going on further out in the lake. The fact is most anglers don’t realise it!! When sitting behind a battery of rods, one of them may eventually go off, but how many times have the fish visited and fed?
All I Need For My Stalking Rigs
The problem here is that the rig is left in situ for so long that they can eventually suss out where the danger is. Situations in the edge, however, allow the angler to move the goal posts somewhat in his favour. Very often the first thing to get the blame is the rig, but that can be a big mistake. Before you get into modifying your rig, first of all think about repositioning it first. Whilst I would never claim that any carp has even a modicum of intelligence, as we understand it, it will have a centuries old, instinctive need for survival. Leaving the rig in position is making it easier for the fish to get away with a free meal. If you are watching the fish and they are moving off for a while after an aborted pick up, then as quickly and as stealthily as possible, reposition it. This is very often enough to illicit a bite.
And They Work Too!!
You don’t mention the specifics of the rig you are using, but here what I use. A 3 – 4 inch Cortex hooklink no-knotted to as small size 8 – 10 Arma Point SSC hook. The hookbait will be about half an inch from the bend of the hook. The mechanics are sound, and I have found no reason to change. One thing to think about though is the size of the lead you are using. In my experience these situations are made infinitely better by using as big a lead as is safe and possible. They simply aren’t used to dealing with big leads because very often they cannot be cast out into the lake. Hope that helps fella.
The Proof Of The Pudding.
Chilly 
