Rig shyness: When fish become difficult to catch in certain waters. This can have various causes. In this article, I’ll explain why this happens and how you can overcome rig shyness.
Angling Pressure
A major cause is angling pressure. This isn’t just about heavily fished waters, but also fishing with tight lines in the water, without a back lead. There’s a high chance that fish will swim into the line, recognize it from previous encounters, and get spooked, resulting in them not feeding for a while.
When angling pressure is low, with fewer lines in the water, the chance of getting a bite is much higher.
Bait and Spot Wariness
Bait wariness means that fish no longer trust the bait because it’s been used too frequently. Spot wariness means that when anglers repeatedly fish the same spots, carp eventually consider these areas unsafe. So they’ll avoid these spots completely.
At a paid fishing venue, you’re often assigned to a specific spot. Then it’s important to search and experiment with bait: What will they take and what do they trust
Breaking through Rig Shyness
What can we do to overcome rig shyness on a water? We can tackle this in several ways.
Adjusting the bait: Change the boilie shape, fish with smaller boilies (10mm for example). But you can also choose to fish with different bait, such as particles, pigeon feed, tiger nuts, chickpeas, corn, or a combination with hemp.
If you prepare the particles yourself, make sure to check the preparation time for soaking and boiling. Another approach is to pre-bait the spot for a few days to build the fish’s confidence in the bait. This method can help overcome rig shyness.
Additional Tips for Overcoming Rig Shyness
There are (many) more possibilities that can help overcome rig shyness. Here are some examples: Make yourself “invisible” on the bank and keep your rod tips on the ground, not above the water. Don’t be mistaken, carp can see several meters above the surface and feel vibrations perfectly. So approach the water and your spot quietly and be mindful of this.
Don’t use tight lines but fish with a back lead, so the line lies flat on the bottom. Casting with heavy leads can shut down a spot for hours. Use your inflatable boat or bait boat as little as possible.
The Last Meter
You can also adjust your end tackle. Use freefall rigs and camouflaged rigs to make everything as inconspicuous as possible so the fish don’t become suspicious. All these factors and combinations can lead to catching more fish!
And when everything aligns…
Good luck, Marcel
I have been fishing all my life, but the carp bug started around when I was sixteen, in the western part of the country where I was born. I was less active in fishing for a few years, but the passion runs where it cannot be suppressed. Fishing truly brings me peace, being out in nature, and feeling the adrenaline rush when the bite alarm goes off. Besides carp fishing, I enjoy experimenting with everything related to carp fishing.
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