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Pop up or bottom bait? The best of both worlds
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Pop up or bottom bait? The best of both worlds Posted by

Nowadays, anglers mostly use pop ups to balance a presentation. The ever so famous snowman has become the fashionable set up. As there are lots of contradictions out there, I am going to try and give you a different point of view on what a more or less dense bait can bring to our fishing. 'Bruno Meduo'

A Snowman presentation means that your hookbait is much lighter
A Snowman presentation means that your hookbait is much lighter

I like to insert some cork into my hookbait so it will slowly sink to the bottom
I like to insert some cork into my hookbait so it will slowly sink to the bottom
On some waters my results have sometimes doubled, and particularly on high pressured ones
On some waters my results have sometimes doubled, and particularly on high pressured ones

Tip 1

In order To create balanced hookbaits from a bottom bait you will need the following tools: 1 drill, scissors and a cutter, a standard bottom bait and a cork or foam stick.

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This is the tackle needed
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2. Produce your cork stick or your foam in front of the hole you have drilled
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Slowly slide in your cork stick
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Slide it to the other end of the boilie
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Set it up
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Using your scissors cut and adjust the longest part of your cork
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Your balanced boilie looks just like any other boilie
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Slide your balanced boilie on a boilie needle; tie it on your hair or your D-rig. In this case, I am using a combi-link which is very efficient with balanced baits
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The rig is ready; one can easily figure out how efficient this set up can be

Tip 2

To achieve a balanced bait using a pop up boilie or a dumbell you will need the following tackle: Dumbells or pop ups, a shot, a drill, N-trap braid and Kaptor wide Gape hooks.

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Mainline Pineapple Dumbells catch thousands of carps every year
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a. Choose the colour of your braid according to the lake bed ( black, green or brown)
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Each colour is more or less unobstrusive and will have a major impact on your results
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Strip an inch or two off your N-trap braid so as to tie your hair
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Slide the N-Trap in the eye of your hook and turn 3 times just like a classical knotless knot
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Push the hair aside and tie another 3 or 4 turns
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Drill approximately a 0.5 cm deep hole in your floating dumbell
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Tie your dumbell on your hair
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Pinch a shot on your hair close to your dumbell
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Like so. This is how it should look
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Slide the shot in the hole of the dumbell you have drilled
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See the final result
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The dumbell is made heavy thanks to the lead shot and is consequently half floating half bottom bait. Deadly

Try these balanced bait tactics and you will love it. I am convinced and keep using them.
Bruno Meduo

A lovely carp caught on a balanced hookbait!
A lovely carp caught on a balanced hookbait!

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About Author

Photo of Bruno Medou
Bruno Medou Media Editor Korda France

I caught my first carp when I was 8 years old. I used to spend a couple of hours, with my dad on the river banks staring at my good old float so as to expect its slightest movement caused by a fish.

Then I moved from bamboo roads to little bells as indicator, to my fistrt carbon rod ,...

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