What is zig rig?

What is zig rig?

What is a zig rig? Well, essentially it’s a very simple long hooklink with a buoyant bait on the end. As anglers realised that carp don’t actually spend that much time on the bottom or on the surface, it was designed to catch those fish in the mid layers of the water.

Are zig rigs good at night?

Tom said: “I wouldn’t hesitate to use zigs at night. This is particularly the case if it’s been hot during the day, as it means the upper layers of the water will be far warmer than the depths.

Why is it called a zig rig?

Zig rig is the nickname given to an anchored floating bait, that is fished well up off the bottom. We had approximately 15ft of water where we were fishing and most importantly topping fish over our baits. Conditions which screamed time for a bit of zig fishing, so in came one rod each and out went a zig.

What depth should a zig rig be?

As a starting point plumb the depth, set your zig about three quarters of that e.g.6 ft in 8ft of water, 9 in 12, etc and then get spodding over the top. You’ll need a very cloudy smelly sloppy mix that should sink slowly through the water leaving a big cloud of scent and as well as the odd floating particle.

What hooks to use for zig rigs?

Size 8 hooks or smaller are perfect for Zig Rigs, as they will match a small hookbait well and be less likely to be seen and spook fish or neutralise the hookbaits buoyancy. Don’t be put off by size 10 or 12 hooks when bites are slow as small hooks are often the sharpest.

Do zig rigs work in winter?

Zig Aligna’s Often in winter the carp will spend a lot of their time up in the water, which means Zig Rigs are the best tactic for catching them. It doesn’t matter how good my maggots or bright pop-ups are if the carp don’t want to be on the lakebed we cannot make them.

Do zigs work in the rain?

When it comes to the weather, I have caught carp on Zigs in all different types of conditions. From hot sunny days to freezing cold winter nights, in rain, strong winds, fog and even snow.

What size hook should I use for Zig fishing?

What is a zig rig and how is it used?

What is a Zig Rig? You may know that most carp rigs are fished either on the bottom, or an inch or two off it whereas zig rigs can be used throughout the entire water column.

What is the best kit for Zig fishing?

As long as it’s buoyant you’re good to go. Plenty of anglers like using colourful foam or pop-ups when zig fishing, and these are all great choices. Another piece of kit designed solely for zig rigs is a zig aligna kit which keeps your bait nice and straight along the hook.

How do you fish with a zig rig on a carp?

You could fish using a carp controller or a lead clip arrangement. A controller (or inline pencil type float) allows you to easily adjust the hooklink length as required. This setup is known as an adjustable zig rig.

How do I choose the right hooklink for a zig rig?

When you cast in a zig rig, the hooklink will rise (as you’ve a buoyant bait attached). Choose a monofilament (not fluorocarbon as this will sink!) that has low-stretch properties, has a small diameter and we suggest a breaking strain of around 10lb-12lb. This will float naturally up to the depth you intend to fish – without spooking nearby carp.