Preparing for a new venue
By Martin French
For me and many other anglers around the country who still fish waters that operate a close season, 1st June symbolizes the start of a new campaign. Some of you may be returning to lakes that you have fished previously but for many, and this year that includes me, this new season brings an exciting new venue, new fish to target and a whole new set of circumstances to tackle.
Over the years, I have been lucky enough to fish for carp on a range of venues around Europe, from the small but tricky gravel pits of the Darent Valley, through to France's massive Lac de Biscarrosse and Spain's vast River Ebro.
Each venue, weather it be large or small offers a totally different set of circumstances and therefore requires a different approach to catch the residents. So when it comes to tackling a new venue, I will make sure I have done as much research as possible, as on any new venue - PREPARATION IS KEY!
This season, I will be starting my new campaign on a 38 acre pit in Kent, so here are a few tips that I will be doing over the next few weeks to make sure as little time as possible is wasted before I start to get to grips with how to bank the carp.
TIP 1 - INTERNET RESEARCH
By far the best way to start your preparations on a lake that you know nothing about is to research it on the internet. Generally, unless your lucky enough to be fishing a lake on the secret list, you will be able to find info on your new lake and all its residents. Club waters or syndicates will have websites and/or Facebook pages which can be really handy for finding out the stock and basic techniques. Also, if you are lucky, you may even find detailed articles about the water.
TIP 2 - ARIAL VIEWS & GOOGLE MAPS
My next step would be always be to look up my new lake on Google Maps. This will provide me with essential aerial views that I can then go on to mark-up when creating my depth map. The aerial views will also provide me with a basic swim knowledge, car park locations and tracks around the lake for my first trip.
TIP 3 - WALK THE LAKE WITH A MARKER ROD
There is no better way to learn a lake than to be on the banks. I always try to walk the lake as often as possible because talking to the local anglers is by far the best way to obtain valuable knowledge about what areas are generally hot.
I find it best to visit at dawn or dusk as this is the time of day that the carp will be most likely to give away the areas that they like to feed. Look out for the tell tale signs of carp such as bubblers and topping fish. Also, keep a good eye on the bird life as diving ducks will screech when carp are present and pick-up left over baits when they are not.
In the early days on a venue, I will always take a marker rod with me even when just walking round. I do this because it's not always possible to plumb the areas you want when other anglers are fishing, so by having a rod with me I can sneak a few casts in if nobody is there. I then mark these depths and types of bottom on my aerial map for later.
TIP 4 - CREATE A DETAILED MAP
When I have marked out and logged the areas that I favor, from all my sketches and aerial views, I will then create myself a detailed map (see above example) that indicates all the important info required for my fishing. By logging vital information such as the gravel bars, plateaux, weed beds and silt areas, along with prevailing wind directions, gullies and deep holes, it soon becomes clear what areas are likely to hold carp.
TIP 5 - LOCATING THE FEEDING AREAS
Now you have your map and a rough idea of where you expect the carp to be, you can start to pin point selected areas to find the feeding spots. These areas will obviously change with the conditions but by using your basic water craft you can generally find the carp. Here are just a few suggestions to start you off:
• Follow the wind: Fish may move with a new wind in summer as this carries all the natural food to one end of the lake. But how long they will stay there will depend on your water, it can be anything from just a few hours to weeks.
• Gravel areas: These areas will provide naturally clean areas to position your baits and will in turn produce carp, but it is not always necessary to position your baits on top of the gravel. Also, look to the silt gullies either side of the raised gravel areas, as depending on the wind direction, this is where the natural food will collect. Front or back of the bar is trial and error, but think about where the current will deposit the food.
• Weed: Carp love weed as it provides safety but it can be tricky to present a bait if it's dense. The general rule I will follow is that if I cast into the weed, feel the lead down and get a firm 'DONK', then I am fishing!
• Snags: Carp also love snags for the same reason and carp can often be observed feeding confidently. Make sure when fishing snags you fish safely, ie. locked-up with sensible rigs. A lost carp tethered in a snag will not live very long!
• Margins: Never neglect the margins, you will be amazed just how close carp come to the bank. Look to position your bait close to the edge at the top of the marginal shelf, under over hanging trees or maybe at the bottom of the marginal shelf. I always like to bait a few marginal spots, as these can also be great for stalking.
The whole 'carp location' debate could go on forever and these point are definitely a 'generalization' because there is never one set of rules. Carp behave different from day to day and from lake to lake, so you will need to judge it on the day.
TIP 6 - PLANNING A SUMMER BAITING CAMPAIGN
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 the Scattered Baits Garlic & Black Pepper or Aquatix Anchovy ranges 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.
Once I have decided on a bait for my campaign, I always look to introduce as much as possible during April and May as getting the fish used to picking up my baits during the spring is essential to catching later in the year when the fish may be more wary. What I class as a the correct amount will depend on the size of the lake and the stock of carp and bream, but generally I am looking to get my bait picked up by as many carp as possible.
When pre-baiting, always look to introduce your new bait to areas where the carp will definitely be feeding. This will be in spots that you can position a bait but may also be in areas that you can't, like overhanging trees or out of bounds areas. As I said, the idea is not necessarily to prime spots, but to get the carp to readily accept your bait as a food source.
If possible, use clear shallow margins as you will be able to watch the fishes reaction to your bait and will also be able to see if what you have put in has been eaten.
Please note:
(A) When pre-baiting make sure that you are sensible and don't overload a lake with bait that the carp don't want. Rotting, uneaten bait will not only ruin your chances but every other angler on your lake.
(B) Respect your clubs rules and the other anglers - There is nothing worse than fishing in a swim then finding out that somebody filled it in 10mins before you arrived. Little and often is best.
TIP 7 - 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 8 - POLISHING HOTSPOTS
Once you have your map and think you have located the likely feeding areas, start thinking about introducing a small amount of hemp or chopped boilies to polish up your hotspots. As the carp feed on this free food they will push away the debris and polish up lovely clear spots on the bottom for you to position your baits. Over time, you will be able to judge the difference when you drag a lead over the area, if it has been fed on it will 'feel' smother. It may take a while for the carp to move in but by maybe using pellets as well, you can also use the bream to help.
TIP 9 - START FISHING AND GOOD LUCK!
Only when I feel that I have a good foundation of basic knowledge on my chosen venue will I wet a line. By the time my first bait is cast, I am pretty confident that I am fishing in the right areas and using a bait that a good number of carp have already tasted. Hopefully it will only be a matter of time before my buzzer indicates that all my preparation has been rewarded.
Cheers & Tight Lines
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