Pop-up hookbaits have been around for decades and whether you are new to the sport or a veteran, we are sure you always have a pot or six in your bag for every session. From seductive fruity numbers, to definitely don’t open in your living room to avoid a divorce, tastes of the sea, there’s a myriad of different flavours to choose from.

What really makes a pop-up stand out from the crowd is the flavour package. By combining both liquid and powdered ingredients together, the finished pop-ups will pulse out attraction over a hugely extended period of time. Baits such as Signatures, Signature Squids and Mulbz are packed with perfectly balanced ingredients that radiate amino acid signals drawing carp in to investigate.

Colour is more of a personal preference. Some lakes respond better to certain shades than others and it really is a bit of trial and error to work out the absolute best combination of both colour and flavour. If your lake sees a lot of fluoro pop-ups it might be worth going with a washed-out colour or even a match the hatch, over your freebies. It’s all about finding what works best on your chosen venue, as let’s face it if one flavour and colour worked on every lake, what would be the point in having a variety to choose from!

Deep silt, choddy debris and light weed are all very common scenes on lakes in the UK and abroad. These types of substrate are perfect for presenting a pop-up on, whether that be on a Hinge Stiff, Ronnie or Chod rig. A normal bottom bait would simply be lost in the lakebed whereas a perfectly balanced rig, baited with a pop-up would sit proud of the light structure, in the perfect position for the carp to see it.

The humble Chod rig has been a little bit neglected in recent years, but it is still an excellent presentation. As the name suggests, the Chod is perfect for fishing on horrible, mucky lake beds and even quite thick weed; it guarantees you a presentation almost anywhere.

The original big-fish rig, the Hinge is best suited to light weed and silty lakebeds. When used over a spread of boilies, it can be a fantastic fish catcher, often singling out the larger ones too!

The Ronnie rig is probably the most used pop-up presentation in modern day carp angling. It works best with small hookbaits and is the most versatile when it comes to when and where to use it. The rig comes into its own when fished over light detritus over a tight bed of small freebies.

If you are fishing a cleaner area, snowman hookbaits over your baited area are a great way to utilise the buoyancy of a pop-up. A 12mm pop-up on top of a 16mm bottom bait will make a classic snowman. However, if you top the snowman with a slightly bigger pop-up, say 14 or 16mm, you can create a critically balanced bait. This is a great edge, especially if you are fishing over a spread of boilies.

As more and more fisheries are banning zig foam, pop-ups are really the only option if you want to fish the middle water layers. Small baits tend to work best in these situations, 12mm is ideal for long links, and even trimmed down 12mm hookbaits can work on shorter zigs. The same rules apply as with foam; darker browns will mimic more natural suspended food items, whereas the brighter colours almost act as a lure, grabbing the fish’s attention. If zigs are still allowed on your chosen venue, but foam is banned, then using a pop-up can be a real edge and nick you a few extra bites.

Whether you fish them on their own on a cold winter’s day or in amongst a big bed of bait in the summer, pop-ups should always play a part in your fishing. As long as you use them correctly, they are guaranteed to put extra fish in your landing net.