foolproof rig tips needed for very weedy venue

[Fat Les]

has anybody got a simple rig for a realy weed choked swim that can guarantee me a good bait presentation that they have tried themselves and its worked ok?
ive had a go at making a rig that deals with the weed but as far as i can see so far its a no go .

[MarkeR]

hi mate, pop ups are the way to go because you can critically balance them so they sink very very slowly, this presentation coupled with a foam nugget to protect the hook is the perfect presentation for weed.
bait choice is important too and particles are the very best bait for weed, because you soak and boil them, particles are already as waterlogged as they can get so when you present a pop up particle bait, it stays perfectly balanced the whole time the bait is out.
i've had problems critically balancing boilies because they take on water over time and end up in the weed rather than on it.
try critically balanced pop up particles mate, maize, tiger nuts, chick peas etc, they are about the best presentation there is for weedy waters.

[Fat Les]

cheers mate, the popup and foam nugget rig i have used recently on this weedy site and had blinding results already, i must admit the particle bait side had'nt crossed my mind mainly because l've never caught on particle bait apart from sweetcorn, mind you saying that my mate swears by hazelnuts soaked in pure hazelnut oil ( tesco food aisle) which has accounted for some large doubles on the bank he's landed here and in france me so far naf all on em. l'me currently testing out a new rig for weed l've never seen before, it consists of a 3" spoked plastic weed coloured wheel that sits on top of the weed on a helicopter style setup it sort of sandwiches the weed between the wheel and your lead and as the bait is presented above the wheel it sits on top of the weed nicely.many thanks for the tips mate and taking the time to send them to me and l'll definatly give the particle approch a go, hopefully with the oncoming cold weather the weed will clear soon., all the best mate and thanks again.

[MarkeR]

no worries mate, just one other thing i've picked up on and that the use of a helicopter rig, they aren't very good for fishing in heavy weed. because the hooklength is threaded onto the mainline instead of being tied, you excert pressure on your line from a very different angle when your fish gets bogged down and quite often this can result in a break.
the rig i use is a safety clip setup but i leave the tail rubber off altogether and just tie pva round the back of the clip. the lead stays in place and you usually get it back when you wind in but once you get the run the lead drops off. your lead is the biggest hindrance when it comes to extracting a carp from heavy weed so its best lost on the take, its expensive if you get a lot of runs but it will cut your losses dramatically.
when playing your fish try and bully them up in the water too, if your over the top of a fish they seem to come out of the weed a lot easier, this is why people use a boat but from the bank, getting your rod tip as high as possible asap and keeping the fight in the upper layers of the water can be a big help.
good luck mate.

[Fat Les]

thanks mate the pva/safety clip tip makes sense and i will give it a go, little tips like that are always welcome.
cheers fatles.