The Surface Rig

Surface Rigs

Nothing is more exhilarating than watching a big carp take your bait off the surface of the water. Surface fishing for carp is by far the most exciting way to catch. You can also be selective with the fish that you target, this is known as ’stalking’.

A number of different methods can be used to outwit the fish. The most common by far is the use of a controller float. These little self-contained floats give you the weight you need to make a decent cast out into the lake without causing too much disturbance.

All manner of controller floats are available, my weapon of choice is the new Exocet from Fox Carp Tackle. Start by threading your mainline through the quick-change clip and tie it to one end of the supplied swivel. To the other end of the swivel, attach your hooklength of choice.

Some form of floating monofilament is usually best. Some carp anglers choose to use low diameter fly leaders due to its excellent buoyancy. Try to also go for the lightest line you can get away with to make your hooklength as invisible as possible to the wary carp. It is also a good idea to use the smallest hooks you dare so that they can stay hidden by the bait yet remain effective when hooking.

Baits

All manner of floating baits can be used to tempt carp off the top.

These include:

• Popup Boilies
• Floating Dog Biscuits or ‘Chum’
• Bread Crust
• Fake Baits such as Plastic Corn or Fake ‘Chum’

These baits can also be attached in numerous ways. Baits can be side hooked, attached to a short hair rig, tied or you can make use of some of the bait band products to hold the bait in place.

One of the current favourites is to use fake dog biscuits.

These ingenious little baits are incredibly buoyant, easily hooked and also come supplied with a counterweight that sits in the bottom of the bait allowing the hook to sit clear out of the water (as long as you hook the bait through the correct side).

If you want to fish for carp using the old favourite of real ‘Chum’ then a bait band may be your best bet.