Total Carp Staff

LEE JACKSON SAYS: When I first saw this product at the Korda trade show I must admit to thinking that it was the simplest, most innovative and best new product on show. Apart from when I’ve used an adjustable zig, it’s always been a bit of a bugbear of mine avoiding getting the hook/hook bait snagged up in the undergrowth, on the ground or ending up casting out with a leaf or twig impaled on my hook. The clue’s in the name I suppose – a hook hooks into things! Prior to the Zig Magnet coming out I’d always placed my hook bait in a cup or suchlike prior to casting, which is sometimes a bit hit and miss. There’s no need now, though, because this clever yet simple invention can be screwed onto a bankstick, adjusted to the required height and has a swivelling magnetic disc on the top for holding the hook off the ground prior to casting.

5 REASONS WHY… MARC COULSON reckons it’s one of the best baits out there… it’s certainly one of the oldest baits in carp fishing and remains hugely effective. One: It’s Cheap This one is pretty self-explanatory, but yeah, bread is as cheap as it gets when it comes to carp baits. Depending on how you’re using it, you really don’t need to buy anything more than your local supermarket’s own-brand stuff. Just plain old white is all you need too, none of that fancy-Dan seeded brown nonsense! Two: Versatility There are so many ways to use bread that it must rank as, maybe even more so than boilies, the most versatile of carp baits.

LEADING carp angler and tackle manufacturer Kevin Nash is asking anglers to support vital research that could end the catastrophic impact of the deadly carp disease Koi Herpes Virus in Europe and developing countries. The virus is rife among European sport fishing complexes and also aquaculture industries in developing countries. Spearheading a fundraising campaign, Kevin is supporting research by the University of East Anglia (UEA) to identify carp that have genes resistant to Koi Herpes Virus (KHV), bringing longer-term hopes of being able to breed KHV resistant carp both for sport and the table. “As a fishery owner KHV scares me and the problem is not going to go away.

The British Young Carpers’ Angling Championship (BYCAC) was approaching and I wanted to get my confidence up so we decided to go down to Linear Oxlease to get some practice in. Following a long trip down after work, we had a quick look around the lake but it was really busy since it was the start of summer holidays. After seeing a few fish, I settled on a peg a little way down from the island. I was buzzing to get out there.