Lead size

[Blue]

When deciding on a lead to use, how do you decide on what weight to use. Do you go off lake size, ie, big lake = big lead, small lake = small lead etc, is it more to do with the how you want the mechanics of your rig to work, or is it simply based on how far you want to cast, for example, small leads for margins and big leads for big casts.

The reason I ask is because I've just read another post in a thread, and it was pointed out that people should match their lead weight choice to the size of the lake their fishing. Now, I'm not saying this is right or wrong, just got me wondering on what peoples thoughts are on this and how do you make your decision....

Blue

[Lee Clarke]

Rightly or wrongly I've always tried to use a 'ball lead' of at least 2 /2.5oz providing I don't have to cast a great distance!
The reasoning behind this is since I read Strategic Carp Fishing by Rob Hughes and Simon Crowe.
They conducted allot of scientific tests and found that no matter which direction the fish took the bait from, the maximum amount of 'lead weight' will be tranferred using a ball lead - closely followed by a square lead!
As I fish for that 'bolt effect' usually with shorter hook links this just made sense to me.
So rig mechanics dependant upon the needs of the situation!

[ChrisKnapper]

The size of the lead that i use goes on the style of fishing that i am doing. Say for example im fishing a silty water then i will use as small lead as i can, as i beleive that a 1oz lead (or less) used with an effectice rig will hook a carp as good as it would if i was using a 3oz lead.. But if i need to fish at distance then i will happily step up the size of lead, but always try to get away with as small a lead as possible. I think that there is a lot of answers as to why people use a certain lead in a certain situation and i think a lot of factors can determine the choice of lead that you use.

Chris

[Deano]

Well for the last couple of years I have gone down the train of thought that the heavier the lead the better the hooking potential of the rig and thus have usually used 3oz leads no matter where I am fishing.I have had no problems and have caught my fair share.However last year I was after one particular fish and I got it feeding regularly on a nice close in margin spot about 10ft out from the bank.As i couldnt always see if he was lurking over the marginal shelf I tried to semi spook him with bait before lowering in the rig.So i decided to use a light 1.5oz lead in this instance and i eventuallly caught the fish and it gave me probably the best hookhold I had all year!!! Right back in the mouth and the hook embedded upto the bend.
Recently I have done a few seshes with an old fella I know(sorry John...lol) and he swears by small leads of an ounce or so and he has used these to great effect over the winter catching himself a 30 from a not so easy water.He thinks that if a fish feels a hook then if it feels a heavy lead it doesnt bolt but tries to eject the hook against the weight of the lead which does make some sense.He thinks that as the light lead is far easier for them to lift then they feel the jolt more and bolt off.Well he catches quite a few so who knows.So on my last sesh I used a 1.5oz on one rod and a 3oz on the other....but no conclusive results really as both produced and both gave very good hookholds.So who knows what size is best IF your hooking arrangement is good and the hook is nice and sharp and maybe to increase the hooking potential fish tightish baitrunners and put the line in the clip....I dont think we can say for sure what lead is best, although Hughes and Crow did some research in 'Strategic Carp Fishing' and they reckon heavier leads are better but their test didnt take into consideration that carp can move around once the hook pric*s their lips....hhhhmmmm....its confusing really....lol...

i was thinking about this the other week then i found this piece by julian very intresting.
http://www.northwestcarp.co.uk/Carp-...ad_choice.html
deffo worth a read

[Blue]

What would you do in this scenario;

You've been fishing a a big lake recently and been having good hook holds and landing most fish on 3.5oz leads. However, this lake closes and you turn your attention to a small lake of say 2 acres. You know relatively little about the lake other than it's a good, firm bottom (just how I like 'em, aiii ) Do you stick to your 3.5oz leads that you've done well on, or do you instinctively think, small lake, smaller lead????

[jonny one beep]

when using a bolt rig i use 3oz plus, but i have been trying free running rigs with a 1/2 oz, with my bait runner on very loose, this method produced my 30 hope that helps much

[Blue]

Originally Posted by jonny one beep

but i have been trying free running rigs with a 1/2 oz, with my bait runner on very loose, this method produced my 30 hope that helps much

Sound matey, bet there isn't (wasn't ) many on there trying that Jonny, pays to try something a bit different sometimes don't it Big lake - lite lead..

[ChrisKnapper]

Originally Posted by Blue

What would you do in this scenario;

You've been fishing a a big lake recently and been having good hook holds and landing most fish on 3.5oz leads. However, this lake closes and you turn your attention to a small lake of say 2 acres. You know relatively little about the lake other than it's a good, firm bottom (just how I like 'em, aiii ) Do you stick to your 3.5oz leads that you've done well on, or do you instinctively think, small lake, smaller lead????

Hi Blue

If i was in this scenario then i would instictively switch down to the smallest lead possible like i mentioned before, as i have confidence in fishing this way.. but if you dont have confidence then i would suggest trying a small lead on one rod then use a lead size that you have confidence on the other rod.. If one rod is producing the good more than the other then have them both on the same.. But, you will never build confidence in something unless you give it a good go..maybe you might not see a big difference in catch rates just down to the size of the lead.. but there's no harm in giving it a go.

In my opinion, i would say that the hook/rig does more in the way of setting the hook home.. fair enough if you try it on the bank, a 1oz lead might not send the hook right into your finger, it will just pr!ck it, but a 4oz lead will send it straight in.. but if you think a 1oz lead on a tight line under water, its going to be a lot different than when you pick one up on your finger out of water..

Give them small leads a go, ive never had a problem with hook holds when fishing small leads.. at the moment on the lake im fishing, ive sufferd hook hold problems fishing big leads..

Good luck

Chris

[Matthew Duszynski]

Originally Posted by Blue

Now, I'm not saying this is right or wrong

I am...its wrong!

[silverbirch]

Big leads ..and thats 3oz + to me are used for the purpose of setting the hook in conjuntion with short hooklinks...fish lighter and you are depending on setting the hook against the reel ( possibley using the 'bolt' effect) or on the strike, which is my prefered choice...but then again I tend to float fish or even freeline baits to feeding fish in the margins...

I have never fished a 3oz or above lead, well unless fishing for Tope off Llandudno!!..how does it affect the transmission of the fishes movements during the fight, if at all? Is the possibility of bouncing the hook out not increased?
Just out of interest extrapolating this issue where will the lead weight/hook-up efficeincy/rig mechanics matter peak..whats the optimum before the lead becomes a tether....4/6/8/10oz+! At some point your going to be playing a weight with a fish attached to it.

My preference will always be to play a fish with no/or the minimum weight on the line to hinder the true show of the fishes strengths....a direct contact preferably through a lighter test curve rod (well less than 2.25lb) Is your/the enjoyment derived from the duration of the fight or the netting/capture of the target!

[kevw]

Am tending to go along the lines of what Deano posted, fishing slack lines with the baitrunner fairly tight so when the fish does pick up the hook *****s and the baitrunner helps drive it home. Weight size, generally 1.5 - 2.5 oz in-line or lead clips. If using running leads prefer bigger, as the principle here is for the line to run through the lead and the lead stay put, smaller leads will move and be felt by the fish. Do think that in-lines are better in principle for the reason Snag uses ball leads, the heaviest part of the lead is closest to the rig and felt first, but the bottom has to be fairly hard and clean if casting any distance.

Personally haven't found any method produces much better than any other, I think it depends on the feeding situation at the time and how confidently the fish are feeding.

[skilledhandz]

I tend to use nothing less than 3.25 ounces but some very good points in Deanos post.Im off to France tmrw fishing 4 rods so i might just keep one rod on a light lead and see what happens.

[Blue]

Big leads are the primary cause of damage to fish's mouths

What do you think of this statement?

[silverbirch]

It's a funny thing that mouth damage (external tears and misshaped mouths and lips rather than cheek) is something you witness that always seems to stem back to the earlier part of the fishes life, when they were smaller, less wise and more fragile and as such more frequently caught..in other words old wounds and signs of previous trauma...and I would say the major cause would be from them having lived through a few rough unhookings by inexperienced hands...

Hook slippage during playing can happen irrespective of weight size...I imagine most carp hooked against bigger weights would have the hook firmley implanted in the bottom or lower side lip and unlikely to slip. Holds that are initially on the internal softer tissue of the cheek are are prone to give and take hold again closer to the front of the mouth during a fight and it's worth having a look down the mouth to check and treating if necessary.