For all my stalking and for any close range work I prefer to use a braid over any other hooklink material. My favoured braid for tigers is Rod Hutchinson’s Edge 2000 HPPE braid in green. It has all the suppleness required yet retains enough rigidity on the cast to avoid tangles.

Using a knotless knot, I fish the tiger just off the back of the shank and find in most cases this approach brings the greatest rewards. In addition, I usually favour a critically balanced presentation. This may sound very complicated, but in essence, all you are trying to do is make the hook bait react in the same way as the freebaits around it.

Use a bait punch and foam to create a critically balanced hook bait.

When a carp moves over a bait to investigate, it will often suck and blow out really hard or wave its pectoral fins to disturb the baits on the bottom. Those that lift up off the lake bed in a natural motion will often look less conspicuous than those attached to a heavy hooklink which remain anchored on the bottom – no prizes for guessing which one the carp tend to avoid!

The way around this is to make sure your hookbaits waft up off the bottom in the same way as the freebaits. The easiest way to do this is to use a bait punch. Carefully work the punch through the core of the tiger nut and remove the plug. You will then be left with a neat hole through the nut. Simply place a piece of foam into the hole and trim off any bits sticking out. That’s it; you can now attach the bait to the hair in the normal manner. Ideally you want enough buoyancy so that the whole rig and nut just sinks when placed into the water, ensuring it will react in exactly the same way as the free offerings.