The Secrets to Solid-Bag Fishing for Carp
My carp angling over recent years has been restricted in the main to short overnight sessions, so it’s critical I maximise every minute whilst out on the bank and tailor my approach to suit. As such, I have almost exclusively gravitated to solid bags over the past three or more years now, as they provide versatility and almost guarantee you are fishing 100% of the time.
So, why solid bags, especially when other lead and rig set-ups can also provide versatility and ensure you are fishing a high percentage of the time?
Well, whilst out on the bank, we have long periods of inactivity, so when bait, rigs, etc., are prepped, I spend hours watching the water and other anglers. Whilst we all know the benefits of having eyes on the water, I find that by working out where and how others are fishing helps me to be different, which I see as an edge. If we all fished the same spots, with the same rigs and bait, we would ultimately catch the same fish and, more often than not, by being different, you trip up the less-frequent visitors to the bank and/or the bigger fish.
One of many big ‘uns I’ve had on solids
Through watching others and despite more high-profile anglers incorporating solid bags into their armoury, I still see very few anglers committing to this approach. Yes, it can be fiddly and hard work, especially in wet and cold conditions, and certainly frustrating in the event you don’t hit the spot, because an ‘it’ll do’ mentality, even with solids, doesn’t cut it for me; I can’t rest until I have everything bang on.
Constructing my bags themselves is straightforward and my go-to approach is always the Crayfish Mini Mix pellets. Aside from the smell and colour variation, the size of the pellets ensures cavities are filled and the bags can be compressed down, which enable both casting, accuracy and distance.
Crayfish Mini Mix pellets always form the mainstay of my approach
But there is a lot consider when bag fishing, so here are a few of my thoughts:
- Rods – Generally speaking, a solid-bag rig will be considerably heavier than your conventional helicopter or lead clip set-ups, so do you have the right test curve to support this style of fishing? The rods I would recommend would have a test curve of 3.5lb and, if you are looking to cast the bags at distance, I would favour 13ft versions.
- Reels – I opt for big-pit reels, as in my fishing situation I might need to reach distances of 26 wraps. Reels with small spools would limit my range and be harder work on the retrieve.
- Line – Even fishing with an 18lb line straight through, you run the risk of crack-offs. So, use a tapered mono or have a shockleader, which would allow you to fish a lighter breaking strain line and not to limit your distance. Alternatively, use braid, which is generally a thinner diameter, but please ensure that if using braid that the eyes on your rods can handle this approach. If not, the braid could cut into them and you then enter a world of pain.
- Leaders – My go-to is the Fox lead-free leader, which is very easy to use and ensures the business end is pinned down and out the way.
- Lead – I opt for a 4oz inline lead. Yes, this might sound heavy, but it works; trust me.
- Bag size – I use ‘Small’ PVA bags 100% of the time, as they are ideal for both short and long-range work. They also provide just enough food to tempt those carp into feeding and ultimately slipping up.
- Rigs – This is an element I have refined over the past couple of years. I started at 3.5 inches and then increased to 5.5 inches, which might seem long for a solid bag, but I wondered if I was missing out on bites as all fish feed differently. From my experimenting, I have found the magic length for me in my fishing situation is 4.5 inches. In terms of the business end, I always use a ‘Slip-D’ set-up, line-aligned and have a sizeable blob of putty 2.5 inches up the rigs.
- Hookbaits – For the majority of the year, I use Bug wafters. I look to mix these up based on water clarity and the time of the year. I wouldn’t under-estimate carp’s eyesight, as the colours we see might not necessarily be what a carp sees, but that is for other people to expand on who are far more scientifically versed than me.
- Loading the bag – I first puncture the bag with a baiting needle to remove any excess air when filled. I then add 1cm of Crayfish Mini Mix pellets and I then introduce the lead down the left-hand seam of the bag. I then drop in the surplus hooklink, with the hook resting on the top of the bag, fill to just over halfway and then carefully position the hook and hookbait towards the right-hand seam of the bag. I then compact everything down, covering the hook and hookbait with more pellets, followed by another round of compressing everything down, and then lick and twist around the tail rubber, before folding the corners in to make it as aerodynamic as possible. If fishing in depths of more than 10ft, I would double bag, just to ensure everything remains in place until the solid bag reaches the lakebed. The last thing you want is the bag melting before it hits the lakebed, which would certainly impact its effectiveness.
- Liquids – I do love to finish the solid bag off with a liquid, as it just gives it that extra level of attraction and can certainly contribute to a quick bit. Bug Amino Smoke, Liver Extract and Sweet Cayenne Pepper are a few of my favourite liquid additions.
- Clutch – My preference is to have a tightish clutch, as I just think this helps with the whole process of the fish getting hooked. Obviously not too tight, as we don’t want rods being pulled in, but there are also some great butt grips on the market to support this approach and provide rod security.
Pumping solids with liquid is a massive edge
FINAL THOUGHTS
Finally, here are a few more thought-provoking considerations which may or may not help you bank more carp.
- I use leader and hooklink materials that consist of more than one colour, as I believe breaking up those straight lines helps you bank more carp. As Gaudi once said, “There are no straight lines in nature.”
- I use size 4 beaked-point hooks, as I believe these contribute to the best hook-to-land ratio, especially in weedy/snaggy waters. I’m tempting fate here, but in 2024, I landed 100% of the carp I hooked.
- If I was fishing for smaller carp (doubles to low twenties), I would consider reducing the length of the rig to 3.5 inches.
- I don’t just pub chuck the bags. Whilst they are great for casting at showing fish and certainly I do that in my angling sometimes, I do take my time to find spots, ultimately looking for clay or firm silty areas. I try to avoid blatant gravel spots.
- Checking a carp’s mouth will quite often let on to the type of bottom they prefer to feed over and help determine the areas you want to be fishing.
- Establish bite times and ensure you are maximising those windows. These vary by venue, light levels and seasons. Once established, you can shape your sessions and the times you introduce bait.
- Something I have also found effective is to rest the swim, as carp are very aware of their environment, so to pull the lines out, put out some bait and rest the swim for a couple of hours, which can quite often result in a quick bite or bites when the rods go back out.
- Baiting and birdlife – You should consider when to bait based on the number and type of birds on your chosen water versus the bait you are using. I’ve seen many kilos eaten by the gulls over the years and the coots and tufties push many anglers to the edge. If birds are a problem, I will apply bait at dusk to ensure I have bait around the rigs during the night/dawn. With my bag fishing, I like to fish over whole and chopped boilies and/or crumb, maybe tiger nuts or a bit of corn to add some colour to the mix.
- Keep in touch with your lake when not on the bank. Due to my limited time, social-media updates and pictures can help me determine if the lake is fishing and the zones in which the fish are getting caught.
So, give solid bags a try and I am sure by incorporating some of the above into your angling you will see many more carp on the bank.
Give solids a go on your next session
