HOW TO CATCH CARP ON A CHOD RIG!
What is ‘chod’, and what is ‘chod fishing’? Chod is weed and general detritus, such as leaves, twigs and silt, present on the lakebed. Presenting a good rig properly on a choddy venue can be a nightmare, as without the correct set-up, the rig and, more importantly, the hook, will often become masked. This is where the chod rig comes into play!
A super-buoyant pop-up is attached to a stiff hooklink material and allowed to run freely up a leader, sitting enticingly over any weed or detritus when cast into the lake.
A good presentation is practically guaranteed with a chod rig
HOW TO SET UP A CHOD RIG
To ensure I drop the lead on the take, which makes landing a fish so much easier, I prefer to use a Heli Safe system when chod fishing, attached to the end of a lead-free leader.
The beads, which determine how far the rig can move up and down the leader, will generally be set anything from 75cm to a metre apart, depending on the area I’m fishing over. The greater the amount of weed or detritus, the longer the distance between the two beads.
For the top bead, I like to use a No-Trace bead, which I always wet with saliva before putting on the sleeve, allowing it to come off easily in the event of a breakage.
My tried-and-trusted chod set-up
I weigh down the chod rig itself with a bit of putty, which I attach to the top of the swivel. The amount of putty depends on the size and buoyancy of the pop-up, but I will always test it in the margins first to ensure it sinks as slowly as possible.
The 12mm or 15mm DNA fluoro pop-ups are exceptional for chod rig, as they are ultra-buoyant and will stay popped up until that bite comes along.
I find that when I get a take on this rig, it’s generally a screamer and normally nails the carp in the bottom lip every time.
At this time of year, with the trees having shed their leaves, creating extra detritus on the lakebed, the chod rig really does come into its own, so give it a try!
Give the chod rig a try on your next session!
