IDEAL CARP RIG PRESENTATION

The Pop Up Claw Carp Fishing Rig

I like to call this fishing rig the "claw carp rig" because the hook is positioned at an angle similar to a claw. I think this position helps the hooking potential when both the rig and bait are taken into the mouth. Danny Fairbrass uses this type of carp rig, and I used his idea to illustrate the fishing rig below.

This carp fishing rig is best to use with pop ups as they help give the hook that claw position. A bottom boilie bait will not allow the rig to work effectively.

As you can see this claw rig is presented on gravel bottom, but further below it is presented in silt.

Claw pop-up fishing rig on gravel bottom

I like to pin the coated section of the claw rig on the bottom using a shot weight. The shot can be critically weighted so it just drops gently to the bottom, or in windy conditions, it may be better to weight it down a little heavier so the rig doesn't float and bob around with the undercurrent. For this rig I used snakeskin hooklink material. As the skin is peeled back it exposes fine strands (about 1 inch in length) that make it hard to see in clear water. The skin is left on after the shot so the whole rig can push away from the lead when it lands on the bottom.

Claw Pop up carp fishing rig shown in water between weed beds

The claw fishing rig is probably ideal to present on the edge of weed beds, or in between small clumps of weed, or clear weed patches. On gravel it doesn't look natural, but like everything in carp fishing, it can still work on gravel.

Danny Fairbrass pop-up carp rig

A close up picture of the claw carp fishing rig in water. The rig ring should be positioned opposite the point of the hook. The hook is tied on using a knotless knot, then shrink tube is added leaving a small inward kink after the eye. this allows the hook to turn more effectively so the point can prick the flesh of the mouth.

Close up picture of pop up claw carp rig

Close up Pop up rigs using small rig ring & tied using bait floss

Danny Fairbrass uses this type of carp rig, but I don't think he strips any of the coated section back. This allows the hook bait to push away from the shot rather than going straight up like in mine. I think Danny's rig is probably best as it may not tangle at all. Mine hasn't tangled on me yet, but the loose strands after the shot could cause the hook to swing up and catch the stiff section of the hooklink material.

The Pop-Up Claw Carp Fishing Rig presented in Silt

Bright yellow Pop up shown on silt bed

The claw rig doesn't look too bad when presented on a silt bottom. However, I would change the link material and shrink tube to black so it suits the lake bottom. I believe this fishing rig is best when presented in clear patches of weed clumps rather than on silt. On a soft silt bed, a neutral buoyancy fishing rig would be best. The hook bait would sit nicely on top of the silt, yet still look more natural than the claw rig above.

close view of fishing rig in silt. Leab bead weighs down pop up boilie

Overview of yellow pop-up boilie on siltbed

An overview of the claw fishing rig presented on a silt bed. The material used to make this carp fishing rig doesn't match the bottom, we used this just to illustrate the rig in water. When actually fishing, I would change the materials to suit the lake bed I'm fishing on!