I often fish for carp using single hook bait tactics. It can be very effective when fishing time is limited or when the majority of carp anglers on the lake are baiting heavily. Single baiting can also be a good strategy in the warmer weather. When the carp are frequently on the move, you can cast to showing fish more often, or move swims to follow their patrolling movements.
Here are some instructions on how I make my universal single bait rig.
I slide on a 3 inch anti-tangle tubing at the first part of the hook link where it attaches to the lead clip. This tubing allows me to cast this fishing rig as hard as possible and it never seems to tangle. A tangle-free fishing rig is very hard to create, but this gets very close to it!
I use a tapered rubber end off a lead clip and push the tubing into it, then I push the end rubber over the quick release links so it holds it securely in place, as the photo above shows. The hook link is made from snake skin material, but you can use any type of the coated materials presently on the market.
I often use a snowman type of presentation for my universal single hook bait rig. I find it presents well on any type of lake bed, whether on silt, gravel or next to a weed bed. Although, I will change the colour of the rig tackle to suit the colour of the bottom.
Shrink tube is curved enough in order to create a much better hooking efficiency.
The hook link is made from snake skin, and the bit by the hook is stripped back about an inch. Starting off with only a little section stripped back is better because you can always strip back more if it's necessary for the fishing situation. I also do the same process with the whole length of the hook link, I start off making it longer than normal, then I can easily shorten it during the fishing session without having to make up a complete new single bait rig.
This is the anti-tangle section at the start of the hook link. I match the colour of the tubing to the bottom I'm fishing on. This tubing keeps the rig tangle-free because it pushes away the hook link so it doesn't come into contact with the tubing on the main fishing line.
The picture above shows how I pin down the anti-tangle tubing on the main line behind the lead. I whip leadcore lead (lead only) around the tubing, then push over some shrink tube and shrink it down in place. This securely holds the lead in place.
Testing the hooking efficiency of the single bait carp rigs. The palm test is great for seeing how effective the carp rigs are at potentially hooking the fish.
This single bait fishing rig has caught me many carp in the past, I'm sure it will help you catch many carp on your water - work hard & good luck!