Tying my own hook lengths

[libertay]

Hi all. I am just about to start tying my own hook lengths getting away from the hooks to nylon thing, and this Friday I am off to a lake with some twenty pound plus carp in. What size line should I use, I don't think I will but if I hook one of those am I right in thinking I will need some quite substantial line or have I got it all wrong? There are bream, tench and obviously smaller Carp too so any advice would be helpful.
Paul

[BoldBear]

Originally Posted by libertay

Hi all. I am just about to start tying my own hook lengths getting away from the hooks to nylon thing, and this Friday I am off to a lake with some twenty pound plus carp in. What size line should I use, I don't think I will but if I hook one of those am I right in thinking I will need some quite substantial line or have I got it all wrong? There are bream, tench and obviously smaller Carp too so any advice would be helpful.
Paul

Hi Paul,

It is awkward giving advice about fishing a water that you have never fished before, but if I were to fish such a water then this is what I would probably do:

There are twenty pound Carp in most waters these days but for the angler who isn’t specifically targeting them they are not usually caught that often; so the chances of getting one to take your bait is not that great unless you know what you are doing.

Even if you do hook one then 10lb to 12lb line would still give you some chance of landing one as long as your tackle is well balanced.

But you might have better sport after the Bream, Tench and smaller Carp at this time of year although it is a bit cold to rely on the Tench feeding well yet.
I would find out what most of the other anglers are fishing for, and what tackle they are using. otherwise you may be sitting there fishless while everyone around you is filling their nets with Bream, Roach, Rudd, small Carp etc.

If I were fishing a water where I did not know what the target species were then I would probably take the following tackle so that all of my options are covered:

1. A match rod & reel filled with 2lb, 3lb or 4lb line to target the Roach, Rudd and Bream using 1.7lb to 3½lb hooklengths.

2. A quiver/specialist/feeder rod and reel loaded wth 4lb to 7lb line and 4lb to 6lb hooklengths, incase the target species are slightly bigger Bream or smaller Carp of around 5lb to 10lb

3. A light Carp rod (or a pair of them) loaded with 8lb to 12lb line just incase you decide to go after the larger Carp.

At least you should be able to cover most options then.

Tight lines & good luck.

Keith (BoldBear)

[stevee]

hi mate if i was going for the carp {thats all i fish for } i would grab a bag of CELL boilies and 12lb mainline and as for your own hooklinks just take off a length of your mainline and learn the knotless knot mate its real easy to tie,and cast to any structures,ie islands ect,anything else i can help with then please just ask,tight lines mate,,,stevee

[libertay]

Thanks lads tied some with 12lb didn't get out as I thought but going this weekend coming if the weather is up for it. Cheers again

[yatesie1990]

hi paul where abouts do you go which lake is it