Holmesy’s Top Tips…The Shrimp Aligner
After talking to the guys at PB, we have decided to start a series called Holmesy’s Top Tips…no pressure there then LOL. Seriously I get labelled as a guy who gives a lot of edges away. Some of my mates say I daft but to me helping grass roots anglers to catch more carp is what all of us linked to the trade should be doing. It’s not a fear factor to me as each season I keep trying to come up with the next edge. That way it keeps my own fishing fresh and also keeps me trying. Some think I’m this great angler when all I do is try very hard! I see so many anglers doing the same things year on year and expecting different results. This approach just relies on luck and time. So hopefully these little tips will start you thinking about your own fishing which has always been my drive. I don’t always give you the answer but I like to think I can help you to start thinking outside the box on a regular basis.
The pop up rig that has the shrimp aligner sat directly on top of the boilie acting as a bait stop.
Now I did an Open Day at a tackle with Jack Meehan and Mikey Bee quite a while ago. During the conversation Jack told me of all the new innovative ideas coming through PB. I smiled when he told me and stopped him in mid conversation and said they have already done it. He asked me which products were getting me a little excited. I told him that the new shrimp aligners were simply awesome. What I failed to tell Jack is I believe at the right time of the year, the hookbait is being picked up because of the shrimp aligner. In other words the carp are focussed on any natural freebie and pick up accordingly. Now what I didn’t tell Jack at the time was I had adapted the shrimp aligner as a boilie stop place on top of a pop up. In effect you were lifting the shrimp aligner off the bottom. The time to use this tactic is cold water conditions when most of the Gammurus, Freshwater shrimp, have died back. So Early Spring and Winter are a great time to try this little edge. You can use the Shrimp Aligner as a simple aligner for flipping and turning the hook or on top of your bait as a boilie stop.
The shrimp aligners are brilliant as a bottom bait that replicate the turn-and-flip action of an aligner
The results I have had on it have been great and one thing I will tell you about these little tips is they are based on fish caught. Not bivy boredom when carpers start pratting about with all kinds of untried rigs!
Mark believes that the cold water conditions are when naturals are not as plentiful is the best time to use this rig.
So there’s Holmesy’s first Top Tip. Give it a try and let me know how you get on.
See you on the bank
