Pop up presentation

[johnny dry net]

I dont think i have ever caught a fish on a popped up boillie, its just one of them things i just cant seem to get the feel for, i just dont feel that the presentation of my bait is attractive enough under the water thats why i dont seem to get a bite. Never had any problems with bottom baits, so how can you tell if your pop up is going to work rather than just look too spooky under the water . I mean how weird must a bait an inch or whatever suspended above the lake bed look to a fish , Please give me some advice on the best chance of catching on a pop up so i can compare it to my poor efforts

[gazza]

Never actually fish pop-ups popped up meself johnny, use them with a bottom bait critically balanced, snowman style. Caught many a good fish on this presentation mate

[johnny dry net]

Maybe thats the way to do it mate, it deffinately would look alot more convincing, nice one

[Blue]

Hi Johnny. Ive found pop up's are only effective on certain types of waters. That type of water Im not a 100% sure of. Ive found the carp in 'softer' bottomed lakes dont really respond to pop up's that well as opposed to 'harder' bottomed type lakes. Why, maybe the carp in softer bottomed lakes are more used to foraging around in silt and looking for food, so a bait an inch or so above the lake bed look's slighty out of place to them. The carp in harder bottomed lakes probably dont forage as much beneath the lake bed as their food is more visual, so a blatant, in your face bait may not spook them as much.

When you say that you dont feel that your pop up bait is 'attractive' enough under the water, I dont really think that from a carp's perspective, it actually finds a pop up presentation 'attractive' and therefore takes it, as opposed to your pop up being 'un attractive' and not taking it. The carp will either take it because it feels no danger, or spook off it because it senses danger, simple as that.

As with all things in carp fishing, confidence is the main thing. You say you haven't caught on pop ups, so the chances are when you do, if ever fish pop up's, from the moment you cast out your not that confident. Not that confident in A - pop up's in general and B - your rigs. So find a rig that you feel confident with. I prefer a subtle approach when I fish pop up's. Small hooks, mono or flouro, and only half inch or so popped up. I only ever use small baits as well, 10mm max, I dont like the idea of using a 15 or 18mm boilie when fishing pop up's. But thats just me, because I feel confident fishing them that way. Others may prefer braid, big hooks, bits here and there etc, it's all a confidence thing.

As you say, it must look wierd to some carp having your bait hovering in the air (or water!?!) and that's why on some waters thier not that effective, but they DO work.

[IanB]

I havent fished a water yet where a pop up wont catch regardless of the bottoms make up. At certain times different presentations will out catch each other when a carp is near the bait. For example if a carp is feeding hard nose down in the silt a pop up is likely to be ignored, however a fish on a patrol route may spot a pop up far easier than a bottom bait buried or partially buried in the silt and so a pick up is much more likely.

[Blue]

Originally Posted by IanB

For example if a carp is feeding hard nose down in the silt a pop up is likely to be ignored, however a fish on a patrol route may spot a pop up far easier than a bottom bait buried or partially buried in the silt and so a pick up is much more likely.

Good point that Ian. That, in a way determines where, when and how you fish a pop up, and kind of backs up my thoughts on pop ups. I rarely fish a pop up in a baited swim. It's 9 times out of 10 fished on it's own either at range to a showing fishing or down a margin. Either way, my mind set is, it's only going to attract and catch 1 fish from that area, as you say Ian, more than likely a fish on a patrol route etc.

[TheDoctor46]

Originally Posted by gazza

Never actually fish pop-ups popped up meself johnny, use them with a bottom bait critically balanced, snowman style. Caught many a good fish on this presentation mate

Same here Gazza i rarely pop a bait up on its own.

[James Furness]

Johnny,
why dont you try using the shot on hook or on the hair rig as this presents the pop-up only just off the bottom.

I didn't catch anything on pop-ups for a while but i stuck with them as i've seen the fish other people have caught on them so they obviously do work in certain situations. I've had several fish on them now!! Worth sticking with as there's always a chance a fish will pick it up simply out of curiosity!!

[johnny dry net]

Originally Posted by James Furness

Johnny,
why dont you try using the shot on hook or on the hair rig as this presents the pop-up only just off the bottom.

I didn't catch anything on pop-ups for a while but i stuck with them as i've seen the fish other people have caught on them so they obviously do work in certain situations. I've had several fish on them now!! Worth sticking with as there's always a chance a fish will pick it up simply out of curiosity!!

Got to admit mate i do like the look of that shot rig and would give it a try but most of the waters i fish on are barbless hooks only, do you think the shot would stay on a barbless hook , i suppose if the shot was on tight with the floss to the hook it might stay on, what do you think?

[PJW]

Originally Posted by johnny dry net

do you think the shot would stay on a barbless hook , i suppose if the shot was on tight with the floss to the hook it might stay on, what do you think?

You could always set this rig up as is was originally in the late 80's by using tungston putty on the bend of the hook in place of the shot, this would in effect stick to the hook, also put rg foam or pva on the hook to mask the point and to hold the putty onto the barbless hook. Remember that the weight has to be able to move once you strike the hook home.

[braidman]

Originally Posted by johnny dry net

Got to admit mate i do like the look of that shot rig and would give it a try but most of the waters i fish on are barbless hooks only, do you think the shot would stay on a barbless hook , i suppose if the shot was on tight with the floss to the hook it might stay on, what do you think?

alternativley u could thread a piece of floss through a couple of mm of silicone tubing thread this onto the hook and then shot the floss up. iv'e never tried it but the principal is sound.

[James Furness]

Braidmans idea sounds worth a try with barbless hooks! I tie a small bit if PVA tape on or use a dynamite sitck when using a barbless hook to hold the shot in place. However, when i've wound in the shot has sometimes come off, which i cant be sure if it came of while winding in or whether it came off under the water, which could easily happen if it got wafted about by a fish! I tend to always use barbed hooks so i've only had this problem on a couple of occasion when fishing barbless only waters!!

it was when using barbless with this shot rig that i finally gave up,,,,,,,got round it by fitting the shot behind the boilie on the hair instead...................