How to tie a carp rig [Easy Guide]

There are so many different presentations and rigs available for carp anglers; sometimes it can be quite confusing. So in this article, I’m going to show you how to tie a very simple, very easy-to-tie, cost-effective carp rig that you can use in pretty much any angling scenario except for very silty or very weedy conditions.

Things needed to tie a carp rig

Let’s start with the kit that you’ll need. Some coated braid, size 8 or 6 wide gape hooks, a baiting needle, a stripper tool, some scissors, bait stops, and finally your chosen hook bait, this is up to you.

Tie the carp rig

Take around 12 inches of braid off the spool. Next strip around three to four inches of the plastic coating back. The supple section will allow the bait and hook to move naturally.

Tie a small overhand loop. This loop will hold your bait. Thread your bait onto the baiting needle and then pull this down onto the loop.

Now secure your bait in place with a boilie stop. Take your hook and thread the braid through the back of the hook. Wrap the braid around the shank of the hook, trapping the hair in place. This is called a knotless knot.

Once you’ve gone around the shank seven to ten times you can then thread the braid back through the eye towards the point. At the other end of the braid tie an overhand loop knot. This knot will be used to loop your rig onto your lead arrangement.

Setup the lead and tubing

With the rig ready to go we’ll take a lead clip action pack. These packs have everything you need to set up a neat and tangle-free setup. Firstly cut off a length of tubing.

Cut the end of your main line with some scissors so it’s pointed and then carefully thread the line down through the tubing.

Once at the end take a tail rubber and thread it onto the line followed by a lead clip. Lastly, tie the main line to one of the swivels provided in the pack.

For this knot, we like to use a half-blood knot but a grinner or Palomar will also work. Be sure to wet knots when using monofilament or fluorocarbon lines before you tighten them down as the line can be damaged by the friction otherwise.

Now you can pull the swivel into the lead clip until it clicks into place. Attach a lead of your choice. A small lead of one to two ounces is great for shorter casts.

Then wet the lead clip slightly and slide the tail rubber down pushing it gently over the lead clip. This clip allows the lead to come off if you were to get snagged up or snap your line on a fish.

Now the tubing can slide down and into the end of the tail rubber.

Next, take an anti-tangle sleeve and use a baiting needle to thread it down onto the rig. Then take your rig’s loop and pop it over the crook on the quick chain swivel.

Now catch some carp using the rig

Now, this is the finished setup. It’s really easy to use. Just nick on a PVA bag of pellets or throw some corn in around the rig and you’re ready to go and catch carp.

One thing you might want to do especially if the lake is quite silty or if there are a few weeds on the bottom is to use a pop-up instead of a sinking bait on the hair rig.

If you replace your hook bait with a buoyant pop-up you’ll need to pinch on a split shot onto the hook link, just where the coating ends is perfect.

Use the right size split shot to balance the rig so that the pop-up sits up but not all the way up off of the lead.

So this carp fishing setup will pretty much do you for most angling situations except those extreme circumstances where you’re fishing for massive carp 50-pound plus creatures in heavily weedy lakes or fishing near snags and stuff like that. Then you might want to spend a bit more money on your gear and go for stuff that you know will not let you down.

But as a starting point, as an easy way to get into your cart fishing and start catching fish, you can’t really go wrong with the stuff we’ve shown you in this article. Thanks for reading. Happy fishing!

FAQs on how to tie a carp rig

What line do you use for carp rigs?

12 inches of 20-pound braided test line are required to build a carp rig.

How long should a carp hair rig be?

A normal hair rig should be 7 to 10 inches long, which is the recommended length.

What is a bolt rig for carp?

The bolt rig is utilized to have the fish hook itself before running hysterically away.

What is a fixed carp rig?

A helicopter rig is fixed when used to catch carp since the lead is anchored to the main line.

What attracts carp the most?

Carp can be easily baited because they are omnivorous creatures that consume plankton, insects, larvae, as well as fragile plant stems, and river weeds. The preferred bait for most carp fishermen is boolies. Carp go crazy from the smell of the fishmeal in the boilies.

Should I use a bobber for carp?

Bobbers are generally not a good idea. The greatest option for using them is a pencil bobber. Because carp tend to drop bait at the slightest resistance, avoid using huge round bobbers.

What smells are carp attracted to?

Vanilla smells delicious to carp. Ground baits or liquid carp attractants with a vanilla flavor are frequently available in stores.