Master the Lead Clip: The Ultimate System for Snags, Weed, and Carp Safety

The modern carp fishing landscape changed forever with the invention of the lead clip system, an innovation that completely revolutionized standard terminal tackle and semi-fixed rig design.

Korda were one of the first carp fishing companies to bring out a lead clip, and since then there have been several different versions, each of which offers something slightly different in terms of how it performs.

Prior to the invention of lead clips, most anglers fished with a lead directly on their line, either a swivel one fished running or semi-fixed with some sort of a backstop, or as a helicopter set-up; or they fished with an inline lead, either semi-fixed and pushed over your hook link swivel, or running.

These days though, the lead clip system is the most popular style of lead system that you will see anglers using on the bank, and there is good reason for that as it is so versatile.

Quick Selector: Which Lead Clip do I Need to Use?

How a Lead Clip System Works: Components and Rig Mechanics

A standard fishing lead clip system works by threading your mainline or leader through a central plastic chassis while the swivel lead sits externally on a dedicated retaining lug.

This means that your main line doesn’t actually go through your lead, making it very easy for the lead to be added or removed from the clip, and whilst that makes it easy to change the lead or take it off at the end of your session, without having to cut your line or re-tie anything, the most important benefit is that it allows your lead to come off, should it become snagged.

Obviously something is needed as well in order to hold the lead on the clip when you cast out, and that is where some sort of tail rubber, which pushes over the end of the clip and holds the lead retaining lug in place, comes into play. This rubber will stop the lead from flying off under the force of the cast, but should the lead become snagged on anything whilst you are playing a carp, the tail rubber will easily come off and allow the lead to be jettisoned, thus giving you a much better chance of landing the fish.

Why the Lead Clip is the Most Versatile Lead System for Carp

The core reason the lead clip is the most versatile lead system in carp fishing is its dual ability to offer unparalleled fish safety alongside rapid lead changes.

The lead clip is such a good system as it is so versatile, as well as being very easy to use, and also a safe set-up for the carp, in terms of risk of them becoming tethered to the lead, as long as it is used properly.

Within the Korda range there are several different types of lead clip, which each has its own uses and benefits, with certain fishing situations or other tackle items that it is designed to be used with – including being used straight on your main line versus clips that are suitable for use with some sort of fused or leadcore leader.

A lead clip is generally pretty versatile in terms of how it can be set and how easily the lead will come off. The way that the retaining lug is designed means that all of the force of the cast is taken at the front of it, where it is strong and attaches to the rest of the clip – the only reason you really need a tail rubber is to prevent the lead coming off of that lug when it hits the water and slows down rapidly.

During a fish fight though, and assuming the lead gets stuck in some sort of snag or weed, and as long as the carp is pulling in the other direction, the lead will very easily come off of the end of the clip. Just how easily, will depend on the type of tail rubber and how far onto the lead clip it is pushed – the further you push it on, the more force will be needed to dislodge it and allow the lead to come free.

Given that in weedy situations – and often in amongst snags as well – a lot of the time it is the lead that becomes snagged, rather than the fish itself, then being able to jettison the lead should it get stuck, gives you a much better chance of landing a carp. Once there is no longer a lead on your line, you will also often find that the carp rise up higher in the water – versus playing one with a lead on your line – and this also helps to keep them away from weed or snags that are nearer to the bottom.  

A lead clip is also very versatile as it allows you to very quickly and easily change the size or shape of your lead, should you need to, as well as being able to remove it at the end of each session, so it isn’t banging against your rod blank during transit. It also makes it very quick to put a lead on your rods when you arrive in your swim – our Compac Rod Holdalls even have lead pockets to make this even easier and make sure you always have a lead ready to go.

Disadvantages of Lead Clips: Rig Movement and Dropping Leads

Despite their massive popularity, the primary technical disadvantages of lead clips are the slight delay and movement before the lead registers a bolt effect and the cost of losing weights during a fish fight.

Like with any type of lead system, as well as having some clear advantages, they also will have areas as well where they may not be as good as other set-ups.

One of the disadvantages of a lead clip is that it allows quite a bit of free movement once a carp picks up your bait and tightens your hook link, before the full weight of the lead is felt. This is because the lead is attached to the clip via a swivel – if you were to remove the swivel and just use the wire loop protruding from the lead, it doesn’t sit properly or allow enough movement for the rig to end up in the right position and not sticking up off of the bottom.

This allows the lead clip to pivot around a fair bit before the lead itself moves, but it is still very effective when compared to most other types of lead system – with the exception of an inline lead. Although you can achieve similar to an inline lead, in terms of bolt effect and how quickly that is felt by the fish, by using the Korda COG system, which actually incorporates a lead clip anyway.

Another disadvantage is that you will lose leads when you catch fish – how many you lose will depend on exactly how you’ve set up your lead clip and how easily the tail rubber comes off, plus how weedy the lake is.

By fishing the tail rubber pushed a fair way onto the end of the lead clip, you can cut down on the number of leads that you use, and ensure that your lead only comes off when you really need it to, and it is actually stuck in weed.

At the other end of the spectrum, just pushing the tail rubber on will mean that it will often come off as soon as the carp picks up your rig and hooks itself, which may well be an advantage in very weedy lakes where you want the fish to come to the surface, but will mean that you do lose leads on a regular basis. There is of course no point in dropping the lead unless you actually need to and it is beneficial in terms of landing the fish.

Anything that causes the lead to put pressure on the back of the clip and therefore on the tail rubber, can cause the lead to come off.

It isn’t just playing a fish that can do that, but also anything that causes your hook link to rapidly slow down on contact with the water surface, whilst the lead continues on at high speed.

Any sort of sizeable mesh PVA bag hooked onto your rig, or even a PVA stringer of baits, can cause that rapid deceleration, and the result will be that your lead comes off as it hits the surface. As long as your lead clip isn’t set too lightly though, you can still get away with a very small mesh bag or a couple of bait stringer.

Carp Rig Safety: Are Lead Clips and Tail Rubbers Safe for Fish?

When configured correctly, lead clips and tail rubbers are exceptionally safe for carp because they prevent fish from becoming tethered to heavy weights in the event of a mainline breakage.

The most important aspect of any lead system you use is that it must be safe for the fish, and the lead or hook link must be able to come free in the event that your main line breaks.

With a lead clip, if it is set up properly, then the lead will come free, and as we know, most carp eventually manage to get rid of the hook anyway – as evidenced by how few get caught with another rig in them.

If you are fishing with a standard lead clip straight onto your main line, then as well as the lead coming off, there is also a chance that the clip can become detached from your hook link swivel and the whole thing will slide off of your line.

When using a leader though, that is something you definitely don’t want happening and it is essential that the clip stays attached to the swivel – some lead clips have either a built in hook link swivel or a retaining pin to ensure this.

Otherwise, if the lead clip pulls free then it will slide along the length of the leader until it reaches your leader knot, and then the tail rubber will buffer up against that. Most leader knots are too big to pass through the lead clip, so it will get stuck there and the tail rubber won’t be able to come off and discharge the lead properly.

Like with any piece of angling equipment, it is only as safe as the person using it makes it, and there are definitely ways not to use a lead clip. The most obvious and common being jamming the tail rubber so far on that it is never going to come off, or in some extreme cases, even gluing it on! If you really want to avoid losing a lead that much, then it is best to look at an alternative lead system where it stays on your line but is safe – a running swivel lead or an inline set up for instance.

Generally though, and when used correctly, the lead clip system is a very safe set up for the carp, as well as giving the angler a good chance of landing them even in conditions such as thick weed.

How to Set Up a Free-Running Lead Clip Rig for Wary Carp

Configuring a lead clip as a free-running rig creates an incredibly deceptive terminal setup that makes it virtually impossible for cautious carp to use the weight of the lead to shake out the hook.

Whilst the lead clip was originally designed to be fished as a semi-fixed set-up that provides a bolt effect, some anglers – including the likes of Danny Fairbrass and Tom Dove – like to use it so it is running.

The idea behind that is that it surprises the carp and makes it very difficult for it to get rid of your hook once it has pricked itself.

Initially the fish will feel the weight of your lead once the hook link tightens and that will prick it, but when it then tries to shake its head to use the weight of the lead to get rid of the hook, instead the line is free running through the clip.

It can be a very effective way of fishing, especially for wary fish, and because you are suing a running lead clip, if the lead does get stuck in weed, and as long as you’ve set the tail rubber lightly, it should still pull free of the clip and leave you in direct contact with the carp.

To achieve a running lead clip set up, simply take one of the standard lead clips and then use a pair of pliers or our Krimp Tool to gently squeeze the eye of your size 8 hook link swivel. You don’t need to squeeze it hard, just enough to make the eye an oval shape, which will fit into the nose of the lead clip, but won’t lock into place like the swivel normally does, and so the swivel will easily come free.

Or you can use the Multi Lead Clip which has been released more recently and has been designed so that it can be fished running style straight out of the pack and with no need to adapt anything – this product came about because of how successful some anglers were with making the original lead clips into a running rig.

Another handy tip that anglers like Danny use is to make sure that they tuck the tag end of the knot from your main line to swivel back inside the nose of the lead clip. This means that if a fish does pick it up and move the line through the lead clip at all, when you wind in that tag end will be outside, rather than tucked into the clip, so you can see if you’ve had a chance but the fish hasn’t hooked itself, and then think about tweaking your rig – especially if it happens more than once.  

Korda Original Lead Clip: Mechanics and Action Pack Options

The Korda Original Lead Clip is engineered to create a highly secure, ultra-reliable semi-fixed setup designed to be fished directly onto your primary monofilament or braided mainline.

The original version of the Korda Lead Clip was designed to create a very safe semi-fixed set-up that is fished directly on your main line, and where the fish can get rid of everything even if your line breaks.

The plastic lead retaining lug is strong enough to withstand even the hardest cast with a heavy lead, and it is kept in place via a tail rubber which fits over special grooves around the back of the clip that hold it in place until the lead needs to be ejected – how far you push the tail rubber on determines how much pressure is required to release it. These clips come in a choice of colours that you can match to the lake bed, tail rubbers and other items of terminal tackle that you are using.

There is also a Basix Lead Clip Action Pack version of this, which works in exactly the same way, but comes in a pack with everything you need for five lead set-ups, including rig tubing. Plus a Lead Clip Action Pack featuring our original lead clips, plus tubing; and a Dark Matter Action Pack that comes with tubing and the Multi lead clips.

Korda Quick Release Lead Clips for Heavy Weed and Snags

The Korda Quick Release Lead Clip features longitudinal release grooves specifically engineered to drop fishing leads instantly upon a carp being hooked in dense weed or snaggy environments, to improve your chances of landing it.

The original version of the lead clip works very well in most situations, but there are some instances where you want to drop the lead almost immediately that the fish is hooked.

So, the Korda Quick Release Lead Clip was introduced and is great when you’re fishing in thick weed, or where there are snags on the lake bed, and you ideally want the fish to come up to the surface once hooked, which dropping the lead encourages it to do.

Instead of having grooves around the circumference of the clip at the rear, to help hold a tail rubber on, the Quick Release version has grooves that run lengthways and encourage the tail rubber to pull off very easily and under minimal pressure.

Korda Hybrid Lead Clips: The Best Safe System for Leaders

The Korda Hybrid Lead Clip solves the historical issue of bulky leader knots by featuring an integrally moulded swivel that guarantees your fishing lead will eject safely under pressure.

One of the big issues with a traditional lead clip has always been that in order for it to work effectively, as a semi-fixed set-up where the lead can easily eject, the clip needs to stay attached to the hook link swivel.

When using standard mono or braided main lines, tied directly to the hook link swivel, there is no issue as the eye of that swivel will fit into the nose of the lead clip and lock into place.

That doesn’t work though if you are using leadcore or a heavy mono leader, or similar, where the knot is much more bulky and means that the swivel won’t lock into place.

An easy way around that is to use a Korda Hybrid Lead Clip, which was designed specifically for this sort of situation, and has the swivel moulded into the lead clip, with a metal loop at the back of it where your leader is tied onto, and then the special Hybrid Tail Rubbers will easily fit over that, and can pull free when they need to.

There are two different version of the Hybrid Lead Clip, with either a ring or a QC swivel to attach your hook link to.

It is very safe, as the tail rubber will easily come free and allow the lead to eject, in the event of a line breakage and should the lead get stuck on anything.

Korda Multi Lead Clip: Switching Between Running and Semi-Fixed Rigs

The Korda Multi Lead Clip allows anglers to seamlessly switch between free-running and pinned semi-fixed presentation styles.

The most recent addition to the Korda range of lead clips has been the Multi Lead Clip, which is extremely versatile.

This lead clip came about as a result of anglers adapting our standard clips to make them running, and the amount of success that they had with that sort of set-up on certain waters for big and wary carp, including at Gigantica.

The Multi Lead Clip allows you to fish running style without having to do anything to adapt the clip or your hook link swivel.

But it also comes supplied with plastic pins which can be used through the holes in the nose of the clip, to fix it in place so it can’t separate from the swivel. There are two different holes, meaning you can use a size 8 swivel, or even just a Kwik Link, and fix either to the clip.

The Korda COG System: Combining Inline Bolt Effect with Lead Ejection

The Korda Centre of Gravity (COG) Lead System bridges the gap between different rig styles by ensuring the full weight of the lead is felt instantly upon hooklink tightening while still retaining safe ejection mechanics.

One of the disadvantages of a lead clip is the amount of movement it allows around the lead before the fish feels the full weight of that, versus an inline set-up.

But inline leads have their own issues and especially so when fishing in very weedy or snaggy lakes where the lead can’t eject if it becomes stuck during the fight.

The Centre of Gravity (COG) Lead System offers the best of both, as the special boom that is designed to go with it means that your hook link exits the lead right at its centre of gravity, ensuring the maximum weight of the lead is felt once the hook link tightens when a carp picks up your hook bait.

That is coupled with the ability for the lead to discharge if necessary, as your hook link swivel pulls out of the retaining hole in the lead, and leaves the COG lead behaving like a normal swivel lead on a lead clip, and able to detach if it needs to, and depending on how you have the tail rubber set. This set-up has become a firm favourite of anglers such as Tom Stokes in situations where they don’t need to cast a long way – this set-up isn’t designed for that.

Using Ready-Tied Lead Clip Leaders and Anti-Tangle Tubing

Utilising pre-constructed lead clip leaders or anti-tangle rig tubing is the easiest way to ensure optimal underwater concealment and make your set-up tangle-proof without compromising clip ejection performance.

Tubing can easily be used with any of these lead clips – although obviously you wouldn’t do so if using a leader – and simply pushes into the back of the tail rubber, and won’t effect the ability of the lead to be released.

The Hybrid Lead Clips are also available on a ready-tied leader, to save you having to do it yourself if you aren’t confident in splicing Kable leadcore, or if you prefer to use one of the Dark Matter fused leaders that are impregnated with Tungsten.

Lead Clips: Quick Questions

Why use a lead clip system for carp fishing?

The core reason the lead clip is the most versatile lead system in carp fishing is its dual ability to offer unparalleled fish safety alongside rapid lead changes. It allows the lead to instantly drop off if it becomes stuck in weed or snags, which prevents the fish from becoming tethered and significantly increases your chances of landing it.

How does a carp fishing lead clip work?

A standard fishing lead clip system works by threading your mainline or leader through a central plastic chassis while the swivel lead sits externally on a dedicated retaining lug. A rubber tail sleeve pushes over the end of the clip to hold the lead securely during the cast, but allows the weight to slide off if it meets resistance while playing a fish.

Are lead clips and tail rubbers safe for carp?

When configured correctly, lead clips and tail rubbers are exceptionally safe for carp because they prevent fish from becoming tethered to heavy weights in the event of a main line breakage. For the lead to eject easily, the clip must remain fixed to your hooklink swivel - although it is still safe to use it as a running set-up, the lead just won't eject as efficiently.

How do you set up a free-running lead clip rig?

Configuring a lead clip as a free-running rig creates an incredibly deceptive terminal setup that makes it virtually impossible for cautious carp to use the weight of the lead to shake out the hook. To build it, you can lightly compress the eye of a size 8 swivel so it sits loosely inside a standard lead clip nose without locking, or simply use a purpose-designed Korda Multi Lead Clip straight out of the packet.

What is the benefit of the Korda Hybrid Lead Clip?

The Korda Hybrid Lead Clip solves the historical issue of bulky leader knots by featuring an integrally moulded swivel that guarantees your fishing lead will eject safely under pressure. Because the swivel cannot pull loose from the plastic body, it is the safest and most reliable lead clip system choice for leadcore, fused, or heavy monofilament leaders.

What are the disadvantages of using a lead clip?

Despite their massive popularity, the primary technical disadvantages of lead clips are the slight mechanical delay before the lead registers a bolt effect and the financial cost of losing weights during a fish fight. They can also cause premature lead ejection on impact with the water surface if you use large, heavy mesh PVA bags or stringers.