I have caught several good carp of over twenty pounds using this small Betaine pellet rig. Many carp will feed confidently on small pellets because so many small items fall out of the spod and land away from the area where the rigs reside, this means many carp associate small pellets as safe to feed on. This is the reason why I prefer fishing for big carp using smaller hook baits.
Check out our Pellet Carp Rigs for PVA Bags OR Critically Balanced Maggot Rig & Balanced Fake Hempseed Rig
I like to use small hook to match the size of the bait on the hair. This hook size is a Fox series 4 long shank, it's also thin wired which is more effective for this carp rig. this thin wire makes the hook sharper so it penetrates the flesh easier. This is better because I can use lighter leads with these rigs. There is less weight needed to set the hook.
Here is an alternative small pellet carp rig using mono fishing line. This is best when fishing in gin-clear waters and on gravel.
Where's the lead go?
I don't show the leads in these carp rigs because I mostly don't place them in the PVA bags. I attach the bag to the clip where the stiff boom starts. Look at my Combi-rig interchangeable set ups here! If I wish to cast at distance I will then insert the lead but I will change to a longer PVA bag.
For the small pellet carp rig I use all the same size pellets in the bag. They are all 6mm. I do this so carp can take a suck at the whole bunch and take the rig into its mouth in one go. Also, if I use big pellets they may land on top of the rig and hinder it from shooting into a carps mouth. With such light bait and hook I don't want anything to potentially stop its movement.
See how the small pellet carp rig lies neatly on the top of the bunch of surrounding pellets. How could any carp not be tempted by this presentation!
