Stay one step ahead this spring
During the colder months of December, January and February carp fishing is only for the truly dedicated. It's for the anglers that feel that fortune favours the brave or that effort is followed by reward. During these extreme months, carp are generally pretty tough to trap and the rule that most of us follow when winter carp fishing is to fish only for our next bite.
Well, all you hard core anglers out there that like me have sat watching the ice form on the inside of your bivvy for the last 3 months can breath a big sigh of relief because spring is coming and with spring comes catchable big carp.
Over the next month you will start seeing the new buds sneaking through on the trees and the daffodils heads sprouting in the parks but on the banks of your pond, now is the time to reap the reward for all your winter dedication.
However, if you can spare time amongst all the hauling (we live in hope!!!), why not think a few more steps ahead because although you may think it's far to early, March can also be the time to start preparing for next summer. A little bit of early planning now can make all the difference...
TIP 1 - PLAN YOUR SUMMER CAMPAIGN EARLY
With the warm winds fast approaching, now is the time to start thinking about your next campaign. Most of us have already chosen the lake or specific fish we will be targeting but by also choosing your bait now, you can be one step ahead and start introducing small amounts to the carp during March and April. As most of us will still be stopped by a close season, by the time June comes round your target fish will already be used to accepting your bait as a food source.
TIP 2 - CHOOSING YOUR SUMMER BAIT
When planning a long term baiting campaign choose an easily digestible, nutritionally balanced frozen bait that the carp will recognize as a quality food source. A quality food bait such as our Garlic & Black Pepper or Aquatix Anchovy will not only fulfill the carps dietary requirements but it will in tern also help to keep the carp healthy and it's growth and weight gain constant.
TIP 3 - ALWAYS FISH WITH FRESH OR FROZEN BAIT
If you are looking to establish a successful long term bait, then a good quality frozen food bait will always out fish a low nutritional shelf life bait. That's not to say that shelf life baits will not catch carp in the short term because they most defiantly will, but if possible try to use freshly rolled or frozen bait every time. Your results will definitely improve.
TIP 4 - START PREPPING YOUR SPOTS NOW
Start thinking about introducing a small amount of hemp or chopped boilies to polish up your spring hotspots. As the carp awake from their winter slumber, they will be much more catchable if they are already used to picking at your areas.
TIP 5 - KEEP IT SIMPLE
Over the winter, an anglers confidence can take a real bashing but during spring you can rest assured that the bites will start to come again. Stick to an approach that you know works on your lake and follow the basic rules of carp fishing: Correct location, correct application, correct food source.
TIP 6 - AVOID TIGHT LINES
Location is a fundamental part of carp fishing and at this time of year the carp are on the move, so to make the most of the extra activity in your swim use slack lines and light bobbins. This will not only give you a much lower chance of spooking any passing fish but if they brush your lines, it will give you an indication of their presence.
TIP 7 - THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE CARP
To make the most of your time on the bank, set your alarm for just before dawn. Carp are known for giving themselves away at this time of day and generally bubblers are much easier to spot as the surface tends to be a lot calmer. Another great tip is to keep a close eye on the water birds. A diving coot that scurries away screeching from a baited patch is a sure sign that carp are present.
TIP 8 - GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
You cannot check the sharpness of your hooks enough as a razor sharp hook will definitely land you more carp. You will also generally find that if you check a brand new packet of 10 hooks, 1 or 2 will not be sharp enough.
To check the sharpness, lightly scratch the point across your nail, if it digs in it's sharp, if it doesn't bin it. I really cannot stress how important this is, so make sure after every cast that the point has not been affected and remember if in doubt, throw it out!
TIP 9 - TRAVEL LIGHT AND MOVE ON SITE
If you see signs of carp in another part of the lake, do not hesitate to up sticks and move to them as an hour in the right area is worth 10 in the wrong.
TIP 10 - DON'T NEGLECT THE NEGLECTED AREAS
During the day, spring sunshine can be quite warm so keep a close eye on the shallow margins. Shelves, snags and neglected bays are where you will undoubtedly find carp at this time of year. Make sure you keep these likely looking areas lightly baited and a rod set up and ready at all times, you never know when you may stumble across a group of feeding fish.
Cheers & Tight Lines
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