Recently I took a little trip through the New England area to visit some old friends who are also CAG members and try and catch a few fish on the new to be released CC Moore Equinox Bait Range. While visiting one area with Dean Brookes I landed a new PB mirror so I was pretty happy about that. Unfortunately Dean had to head back home for work and I’d decided to stay in the spot for a couple of more days because I thought it would probably offer a chance of better fish as time went by.
One of several nice mirrors landed
A few hours after Dean had left, I was entering all the recent captures information on my Big Carp iPhone App and I look up to see yet another old friend and longtime CAG member, Miguel Angelo. What a surprise! I hadn’t spoke to Miguel in years, but he was just driving by checking out a potential swim. Luckily it happened to be the same place I was set up! So within minutes he was set up next to me and we were stoked to get some fishing time in and catch up.
Val Grimley, Miguel’s regular fishing partner was driving in the next day and I hadn’t seen Val in years either. So for a weekend session we were going to have 3 different states represented, New York, New Jersey and Oklahoma. We were all long time CAG Members which just makes me appreciate what CAG has given me, besides the knowledge base to go catch fish, friends for life. On day two mid morning I told Miguel to watch my rods I was going to grab a few supplies for us. I wasn’t gone 15 minutes and when I arrive I see Miguel with a rod in his hand and a nice bend in it! But hold on a second it’s my rod? I netted the fish and we realized it was a good one. 34lbs 9oz mirror! Miguel and I had a good laugh and were excited to see such an awesome beast on the bank.
Joint effort!!
Val arrived a bit later and was set up fairly quickly. What may have turned out to be the highlight was breakfast? Between all of us we had the ingredients for some fantastic bacon & egg sandwiches! They were without a doubt some of the best bank side breakfast sandwiches I’d ever had. As usual these sessions go WAY TOO FAST! Val ended up with a few good ones and Miguel ended up with a few including a new mirror PB at 30lb on the button.
Val with a nice fish
Once in a while people mention, “What has CAG done for me?” Maybe they need to look at the carp anglers around them, without CAG chances are many of those people may not be there. No doubt in my mind without many of the CAG folks carp angling would not be moving forward.
Carp fishing in the winter? Are you nuts? They don’t bite do they? Are you nuts?
Winter Madness – He who dares, wins!!
The number of times I have been asked these questions and one’s on a similar theme lead me to believe that there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding Winter Carp fishing. I would point out that these questions are not just from non-anglers but also from people who regularly fish for Cyprinus Carpio.
The First step is Admission:
Now I will start by admitting that I have a problem; I love to fish. Specifically, I love to fish for carp. The thought of putting my rods away for several months is out of the question and thus, I have to fish throughout the winter months. Growing up in England, I am used to inclement weather and fishing in all manner of conditions. I served my apprenticeship fishing for multiple species and spent a few winters targeting various fish before carp took my focus. It helped that during my first few seasons I managed to fish waters where I caught pretty regularly, all through the deepest winter months and I quickly realized if you were willing to brave the conditions there was usually a fish or two that would still be willing to feed.
Not ideal conditions, but the fish will still feed.
Step 2 – Locate a water to fish:
Having rekindled my passion for carp fishing over the last 3 years it never once crossed my mind that I would not fish for them in the winter. Living in the North East of the country I could be sure I would see some extreme conditions and the main problem would be finding bodies of water that were not completely frozen over! In England, I would target fairly shallow waters (4-8ft in depth) in the winter as these were generally much more consistent and the carp more active. That would not be possible in the North East as by December, pretty much every lake and pond has 6 inches of ice covering it, so I would have to identify a few stretches of river, where the chance of an ice out was much less remote.
The mouth of a river is a great winter spot
Step 3 – Narrow your choices and find the fish:
Over the last three winters I have fished a few different waters, all identified for slightly different reasons. One is a small, intimate River with a very healthy stock of smaller carp (under 20lb’s), another is a warm water outlet on a big river system and the third is a fairly shallow flat (5 foot) just off some white water. In my opinion it is a fallacy to think that carp will only sit in deeper water in the winter. One thing I would agree on is that once they have found a spot they like they will not move around much, if at all. Personally, what I look for is an area where the water is slower (I am primarily fishing rivers in the winter), either off a faster section of water or next to a feature, such as a warm water discharge or weir pool. In deeper water the fish will be sitting in the warmest area of the water column, hence the reason why in shallower areas they become more active in the winter once the sun has been shining for a few hours.
One of my favorite winter swims – a deep bend of a river
Step 4 – Little and Often:
There are varying debates as to if carp will truly feed in the winter or not. For instance, around the FFF that CAG runs every year a popular thread appears where this topic is debated vigorously by many individuals. If you want the lowdown on this topic take a look @
I can only believe what I have experienced myself and seen with my own eyes. Carp reduce their movements in sustained periods of colder weather but they will and do feed. I have caught carp from under the ice, in blizzards and in conditions when I should have stayed at home!
A snow carp when the river was virtually iced out!This mid twenty didn’t mind the cold temperatures or the snow falling
Now I know some will say, they were curious or just picked up the hook bait, but having caught fish that were excreting my bait while on the unhooking mat, I would disagree. The main factor is how much and how often you fish and bait your winter areas. Meaning, that the more times you can keep a steady supply of free bait going into the areas the more active the carp will become and the better your results should be. I generally feed very little bait in the winter when I am actually fishing, but I will regularly put in a kilo or two of freebies when I leave. This could be particles, pack, boilies or anything that takes your fancy. The main thing is that you keep trickling bait in on a little and often basis. If you think about it, once the fish slow down, so does their metabolism. If they are not moving around to feed then they will almost go into a hibernation mode. However, if there is a steady stream of free food, once they start to pick it up they will continue to look for it and become more active. It is no coincidence to me that I have had much better results employing this method.
Boilies – My favorite winter bait
Step 5 – How to catch them:
From my short time on the CAG forum I can see there are lots of different styles and methods of fishing that are being employed to catch carp. I am not here to push any specific method and my own approach is to try and filter through what works and doesn’t work for me. I do fish Euro Style, but not all the time. If conditions dictate I will be free lining baits, float fishing or stalking fish. However, on some of the bigger waters I fish this is not really practical.
In the winter, you will find me fishing with bright hook-baits, with more flavor (soaked, sprayed or glugged) and I will also employ a method mix that breaks down very quickly. I very rarely fish a hook bait, without either a piece of plastic corn tipping it off or some kind of fluro boilie attached. This is due to two main reasons, 1) Carp are inquisitive by nature and will often pick-up a bright bait purely to test it out and 2) Carp’s eyesight is considerably reduced in colder water, thus a smelly (glugged) fluro bait is far more visible and easier to find.
Glugged hook baits and fluro’s – Great for inducing action in the colder weather
Step 6 – Stay warm and keep active:
If you plan to be out in harsh conditions then you’ll enjoy it much more with the correct attire. I layer up, with several base layers to trap the warmth. I also make sure my feet and head are warm as these are the first areas that suffer. I take a flask of coffee or tea with me to stay hydrated as a nice hot drink does wonders in the cold. I am also generally only fishing for short sessions, with 5 hours being typical.
If you have picked the right water (lots of fish) and the right spot (where the fish are sitting) then you should be pretty active. If I know I am in the right spot, I will recast every 15 minutes if the action slows or stops as sometimes it is just a matter of feet between getting a bite or not. I will also have different hook baits on each rod and if one is more effective than the other I will change them to the winning method.
If you get it right the action can be fast and furious
Step 7 – Match you rigs to the fish:
Remember the fish will not be moving around as much so it is usually better to shorten your hook links. Personally I like 5 to 7 inch hook links. I will also match the size of my baits and hooks to the size of the fish. By this I mean if I am fishing for 20lb+ fish I am happy with bigger baits (20mm+) and bigger hooks (size 4’s and 6’s), however if the fish are under 20lb I will be using 10-14mm baits and size 8 and 10 hooks. On my favorite winter water the fish have been pressured quite a bit and are some of the cutest fish I have come across, either here or in Europe. While a hook baited with corn will catch the occasional fish, to consistently catch them you have to refine your methods. As an example on my first winter on the river I caught around 80 carp primarily on chick peas and boilies (bottom baits). Last year, they wised up and takes were very twitchy until I switched to fluro pop-ups on which I doubled my winter total from the previous year. This season pop-ups are virtually ignored, but fishing a snowman rig with a bright fluro has resulted in nearly 100 fish from under ten sessions.
One of my favorite winter rigs – a short combi link with a blow back ring
Step 8 – Enjoy the Action:
If you get it right and manage to find some fish and get them feeding then the results may surprise you. My own winter fishing is based on areas with a good stock of fish and although they are generally in the
5 to 10lb range they are primarily mirror carp and pretty ones at that. While the rest of the year I can be found targeting fish in excess of 40lb’s, in the winter I am looking for action and lots of it! The main goal in the winter is to catch and have fun while doing it.
Not the biggest carp – but one of the prettiest winter carp I have ever caught
The main thing to remember is that you can’t catch the fish if you are not fishing. I personally get great satisfaction from catching carp in the harshest of conditions and it all adds to your confidence, which to me is a big part of fishing. If I have tried and tested rigs and baits in the winter and I am happy with them, I can concentrate on other aspects when I am fishing for bigger fish. I cannot guarantee that you will catch, but here are my tips in review:
Location, Location, Location – Choose your target waters and then do your research to find suitable areas where the fish might congregate in the colder weather. This is by far the most important part.
Choose your times wisely – Pick days when the weather patterns are stable or at the beginning or end of a cold spell. Bright sunny days are my favorite, even if temperatures are below freezing.
Keep the bait going in regularly – If you can keep a steady supply of bait going into your spot(s) the fish will remain active and feed, even in the depths of winter.
Bright and Smelly – The use of bright hook baits or soaked and glugged baits will generally attract more interest.
Pack or method – If using pack or method, remember the temperature will have a marked effect on breakdown time. The harder and stodgier you make your mix the longer it will take to break down. My personal Winter Method mix is: 50% liquidized bread, 20% grits, 20% Dynamite Frenzied Hempseed ground-bait and 10% oats. I mix this with a can or two of creamed corn and also add a large can of value sweet corn. This mix breaks down in under a minute, even in the coldest of water.
Match your rigs to the size of the carp and conditions – If fishing for smaller fish, scale down your hooks and bait size. Shorting your hook links will also help as the carp move around less.
Stay warm and active – Layer up and regularly recast and re-bait if action is slow. The fish stay in tight groups in colder weather and until you have located them it pays to keep moving your baits around the area.
Enjoy the scenery and tranquility – Unless you fish with a friend you will probably have the whole river or lake to yourself!
Good luck to all those who venture out to brave the elements. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do and that you achieve any and all of your goals.
My winter goal achieved – 33lb+ common in the snow
I recently got my hands on a couple of jars of CC Moore Hi Viz Tiger Nuts. I’m a little behind the 8 ball as they first hit the market over 12 months ago, but as soon as I saw them I made a mental note to purchase some in the future. I have long been a fan of Tiger Nuts ever since I first used them, over 20 years ago. They are a very misunderstood particle as they need careful preparation with them usually being in a dehydrated state. It is essential to soak them for at least 24 hours and then boil them for 30 minutes or so. This not only makes them safe for carp but also helps the nuts release their natural sugars. Personally, after boiling I always add a little salt, sugar and molasses to help them ooze carpy goodness!
CC Moore Hi Viz Tiger Nuts
The key with any bait is in its’ application. Too little or too much can be the kiss of death and with tiger’s it is very easy to over bait and completely ruin your chances of success. A little goes a long way with tigers and with many companies now selling them prepared they are a cheap and effective way to target big carp. Now I won’t go into a debate on if they are effective or not as the evidence is clear to see from the hundred’s of thousand’s of captures over the last twenty years. Put simply, they work! In my own fishing I tend to use tiger nuts in conjunction with hemp and cracked corn as I find it really keeps the carp in your target area for longer periods of time.
Basic Particle mix to which I added several handfuls of Tiger Nuts
Back to the CC Moore Hi Viz Tiger Nuts. My package arrived late August and also included a couple of kilo’s of regular tigers. My plan was to use them on a session in Upstate New York and to fish the Hi Viz Tiger’s as hook baits over the top of a particle mix including hemp, cracked corn, millet and regular tigers. My target location was a popular section of the Seneca River and although I only ended up fishing under 20 hours the results speak for themselves. Here’s an overview of the session and you can make up your own mind as to the effectiveness of tiger nuts.
The hook-baits ready for action
ARRIVAL
On arriving at the swim I was pleasantly surprised to find it completely empty. I slowly set up my rods and tackle and then started to work out the areas I would fish. I decided to fish two rods over a bed of boilies and the remaining rod would be fished tightly over my particle mix with the Hi Viz Tigers as hook-baits. After putting a few kilo’s of boilies out I proceeded to spomb half a bucket (5 gallon) of particle mix at a range of 50 yards. This may seem like a lot of bait but with the number of fish in the river I was sure it would be eaten in quick order. I clipped the spod rod up and made sure the baited area was no more than 10×10 yards. After spombing I then walked out the rod along with my rig and also clipped it up and marked it so that I would be fishing right on top of the area. Rather than fishing straight away, I left the spot for 2-3 hours and fished single hook-baits into another area. The idea was to allow the fish present to get a free feed, without rigs and line in the area and then top the area up again before actually putting a hook-bait out.
THE RIVER
The Seneca River is famous for it’s common carp. It is an amazing river system with a huge stock of fish and they have seen lots of different approaches so I find it is an excellent river to test out tactics and bait. With the use of the particle mix I was hoping to get the fish feeding competitively. I was also interested to see if the Hi Viz hook-baits would result in quicker bites over the spombed area. After leaving the area for a few hours I put a rod out and sat back to await results.
The Seneca River
ACTION, ACTION, ACTION!!
I did not have to wait long as within 30 minutes the rod ripped off. I started with the Pineapple Hi Viz hook-baits and after several fish I then changed over to the Tutti Frutti version to see if they were as effective. Over the first 3 hours I landed several nice fish to upper doubles and when the action slowed down I spombed an additional 10 or so loads out. This was similar to a dinner bell as the fish came straight back into the area and the action picked up again. I continued this approach over the next several hours and while I did pick up the occasional fish on the boilie rods the main action was off the tiger nut rod.
Fish after fish were nailed on the Hi Viz Tigers
The action continued until the early hours of the morning with not only carp, but bull heads and channel catfish also finding the Hi Viz Tiger’s irresistible. Around 3.30am I waved the white flag and wound in all of the rods so that I could get a few hours of shut eye. On waking, the area was alive with other anglers and most of them were casting directly into my baited area as the fish were rolling continually, no doubt still feeding on the particle mix and tiger nuts. As I was almost out of particle mix and also not wanting to compete with the other anglers I decided I had caught enough fish and spent the remainder of my session scouting out a few new areas to try in upcoming sessions.
Typical Seneca doubleA nice 22lb Common
RESULTS
Over the course of the short session I landed over 25 carp with 20 of these coming on the tiger nuts. I also landed an additional dozen or so catfish on the tiger nuts, proving how attractive they are to all species. Most of the fish were in the mid to upper double range, but I did land a few nice twenties with a 25lb carp being my largest of the session. There is no doubt the Hi Viz Tiger’s will no become a permanent feature in my particle fishing in the future and I can think of at least one water I will be using them this fall to try and tempt a big kipper or two.
A cracking mid twentyI was starting to get tired when I landed this 25lb+ beautyReleasing another victim of the Tiger Nuts
To purchase CC Moore products be sure to visit Big Carp Tackle before they sell out!!
Well, it looks like summer is finally on it’s way out and my favorite period of the year is here. The Fall. What’s so special about this magical few months? Apart from the cooler more stable weather, the stunning color of the foliage and less issues from poisen ivy and mosquito’s, it is a period when the carp really feed in earnest as they bulk up for the winter months.
A fall stunner from 2012
In the past, Fall has produced some of my best sessions, including a couple of PB’s topped by a magnificent mirror on my birthday two years ago. It can also produce bumper sessions with big numbers of fish if you get things correct. Before I discuss my approach to Fall fishing and my tactics lets catch up on what’s been happening during the last few months.
The perfect Birthday gift
The spring was nothing short of awesome for me, producing lots of big fish and some amazing sessions. My tactics really paid off and I was also happy to see a couple of friends catch PB’s as well. While we all want to catch the monster(s) ourselves it is very rewarding to see your friends bank the fish of their dreams. Talking of dreams, it has long been an ambition of mine to be affiliated with one of the world’s best carp companies and when the opportunity to join Fox Tackle came along I jumped all over it. In the 3 months I have used their products I can honestly say I don’t have one complaint. I’m generally very picky about my terminal tackle, but straight away I was impressed with the Arma Point hooks and apart from a couple of small fish dropped in the weed they really have done me proud. Anyone looking for hooks that won’t let them down should take advantage of BC Tackle’s discounts at the moment as the Arma Points are on sale!
Moving into the summer I decided to hit up one of my local lakes which is usually not an easy prospect. After a couple of night sessions I knew I wouldn’t fish it again until the Fall as firstly the weed was an issue, secondly the bull heads were very active making presentation a problem, but most importantly the bigger fish seemed to have disappeared. While any fish is welcome from this venue, for the effort invested I prefer to fish it when I know the 30lb+ fish are on the munch. Having been told that these fish could not be caught on boilies it is interesting to note that out of 15 or so fish I caught, all apart from two were taken on fluro pop-ups! Conclusion…do your own thing.
Caught plenty of fish this size…time to move on!
As my fishing time in the summer is very limited I decided to break up the routine and fish a few sessions on the float for smaller carp. I have to admit, even though I class myself as a ‘specimen’ angler who tries to target big fish, I thoroughly enjoyed these sessions. Typically, I fished for 4 to 5 hours each session with simple corn and hemp tactics, occasionally changing to bread when the bite slowed down. I not only hammered carp, I also caught goldfish, bluegills, catfish, suckers and plenty of turtles. There really is nothing better than watching a float disappear and bending into a fish, no matter their size. Having said that, I did have a couple of opportunities with much, much bigger fish, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I blew it! Oh, well….maybe next year.
Float fishing for monsters!!
I also managed a couple of sessions on my Spring water as I was in the area for my job. It would have been rude not to do the odd overnight and I was pleasantly surprised with my results as it was extremely weedy and the fish were usually right in amongst it, pre-occupied on naturals. My tactics of solid bags and bright visual baits paid off with some beautiful fish, and while I could have bounced around areas and caught more fish I was quite happy fishing knowing that the next bite might be the stuff of dreams.
This summer I have really refined my approach to fishing in the weed as virtually every area I have fished has been choked with it! While the chod rig is the most common approach to weedy waters I personally prefer to use PVA to present my baits. Chods are successful because they allow you to present a bait in areas that were previously unfishable. However, with chods you will then need to bait over the top of the rigs, which can be problematic at range. PVA Solid Bags allow me to cast into weedy areas and also present a nice package of bait which in most cases will disguise the rig as an added bonus. Don’t be worried that the carp won’t find your baits in the weed. They are used to feeding in it and if they like what they smell and see they will literally rip the weed apart to get to it.
Solid bags – Great technique for the weed
To round off the summer I planned a three day trip to upstate New York to fish for the numerous Seneca commons. I had a few new baits from CC Moore to test out and I figured three days would also give me a good chance to get through to a decent fish or two. It started quite well as the 4 hour drive was quite pleasant and on arrival I had the swim to myself. After a slow set-up and some pre-baiting I finally got my rods into position around 11am. My approach was to fish a spread of boilies over 2 rods and then spomb tightly with hemp, cracked corn and tigers on the 3rd rod.
Seneca River
I left the pre-baited areas alone for a few hours to let the fish have a free feed before topping them up again. Immediately, the spombed particle area kicked off and even though I only fished one rod on the area it was the one that produced more than 20 fish! I did notice straight away I was going to have issues as the weed was extremely thick and to make matters worse it was infested with very sharp zebra muscles. The carp love this environment but it is ridiculously tough on end tackle and my 45lb leaders were beat up after each fish, leading me to go through a whole spool in short order. I had not anticipated these conditions, otherwise I would have bought some heavy duty tubing to cope with the zebra muscles. As much as I love catching carp, it became somewhat of a chore as I proceeded to land plenty of fish, but also had no time to sit and relax as I was constantly tying rigs and leaders as well as baiting.
Not a bad problem to have, but with most of the fish being under 20lb’s and lack of sleep catching up with me I wound in all my rods at 3.30am to get some well earned sleep. On awaking the area was alive with other anglers, who were fishing directly over my areas. I retreated and went for breakfast to decide on my next plan. I know I should of sucked it up and continued to hammer the area as my tactics were spot on. However, big fish were calling me and instead I drove across the state to scout a well known lake that I have ambitions to fish. On the plus side I found fish in two areas and I am sure I would have had a good chance to catch if I had stayed, but it was only a flying visit.
One of the better fish I managed to land
I fished the second night in a known big fish area with another angler and blanked!! Not the end of the world as I really needed a good nights sleep and I returned home 36 hours early. Sometimes it is worth following your gut instinct and in this case although I left feeding fish I didn’t want to fish simply for the sake of it.
So back to the fall. I had big targets at the start of the year and achieved most of them in the spring. Fall for me will be about maximizing my chances when they come around. As I am busy with work and family, I will have less sessions than in the spring, which means I will have to fish more efficiently. I’ll be trying hard for a few more big fish but I plan to enjoy my sessions and not pressure myself to catch fish. Fall is all about being in the right place at the right time, so lets hope this happens at least once or twice. If it does I’ll be more than happy.
Hoping to be greeted by this site a few times in the Fall
There can be no doubt that the summer months are some of the most challenging periods to consistently catch carp. As well as weather patterns that can fluctuate from ridiculously hot and humid, along with pouring rain and spectacular thunderstorms we also have to contend with the the conditions of the lakes and rivers, floral and plant growth as well as an increase in the activity of nusience species.
A New York River, loaded with weed and zebra muscles
Over here in the North East of America the weather isn’t too extreme compared to elsewhere, but it does regularly hit over 90 degrees (32+ celsius) and can be extremely humid. In these conditions the carp are just not that interested in feeding, apart from small windows of activity. Surface fishing is out of the question on most waters due to waterfowl, although free lined bread will often bring success. During this hotter weather we also get an increase in the activity of nusience species such as small panfish (bluegills, sunfish and the like), catfish, chub and several species of turtles that love carp food!
Snapping Turtles love carp food!
If you can bring yourself to brave the summer conditions then the other major challenge you are likely to come across is weed growth. As always, it will depend on the individual lake or river, but in my region some of the biggest fish reside in waters that have lots of the green stuff in several varieties and so to be in with a chance of landing a monster you really need to refine not only your rigs and tackle but also your baiting approach. What follows are some of the methods I have been using for the last few seasons during the summer months. It really is a learning process but by implementing some common sense ideas and tackle I am sure your catch rate will not only increase but you will stand a much better chance of landing any fish you hook.
A cracking Scaley carp taken in weedy conditions
SAFETY FIRST
Firstly, let me state that you need to evaluate what the weed growth consists of and whether or not it is safe to fish for the carp. By this I mean what are the percentages of you landing the fish you hook? If the weed type and growth is so extreme that you find it hard to even reel in a bare lead then it may not be a good idea to fish! Just like fishing into snags, if you cannot possibly hope to land a high percentage of what you hook then put simply, you should not be fishing for them!! Even with the use of a boat it is sometimes not safe unless you are willing to invest a lot of time clearing areas with a rake. It is sometimes tempting to fish these areas when you can see the fish, but is it really worth damaging or killing our quarry? With all the fish care products in use today (mats, recovery slings, cradles, antiseptics etc) it is surprising to see anglers fishing areas where they should really know better. At best the fish generally get beaten up with torn mouths and missing scales and at worst they are left trailing line, rigs and leads!
As an example I scouted a nice 200 acre lake last year and saw several good fish, with the knowledge that it had a 40lb+ common swimming in it’s depths. My plan was to fish it in the summer months, but after a few hours casting a lead I just knew it would not be fishable until later in the year. The weed was horrific! A bare lead would bring back several pounds of weed and as it was a Reservoir and Public Water Supply, the use of boats was forbidden. With some regret (as I watched fish feed on bait I had placed on top of the weed) I put it aside to fish at another junction when either the weed growth was lower or mostly gone. Now I am not saying I am a saint, but I can say I will not fish if I think it is unsafe to do so and in this case it would have been irresponsible of me as the percentages of landing any fish hooked were quite low.
A drop-off lead system ensured this fish stayed out of the weed
WEED TYPE
As I am sure you are all aware there are many, many types of weed in our lakes and rivers. This ranges from streamer weed in rivers, to millfoil and hogweed through to silk weed, duckweed and the dreaded algea. Depending on what you encounter your approach may vary significantly. On my own summer waters I am currently dealing with silkweed, duckweed, milfoil, water lettuce and hydrillia. For the most part these types of weeds are manageable and actually provide a great source of food for the carp and as such makes location pretty easy. For the most part carp will happily feed in the weed which is why I will sometimes fish directly into it! In the past I have spent countless hours with a marker float and lead searching for clear spots which have often produced fish, but on other times I have watched carp after carp roll over heavy weed while my alarms have remained silent.
I learnt this lesson over 20 years ago when fishing the Carp Society’s Farmwood Pool Syndicate. On the opening weekend I listened to fish rolling in the weed during the night while my baits presented on clear spots were left untouched. On my next session this was repeated, although after a few hours I decided to cast a light lead with a long hooklink directly into the showing fish, deep in the weed. The result? Three nice stockies in a matter of hours.
In many cases the carp will be feeding directly in the weed on small live food particles, such as water snails, zebra muscles and various hatches and bugs. Surely it makes sense to fish where they are happy to feed! Well, it makes sense to me and with the modern tackle it is also safe to do so.
TACKLE
First up, no matter what the rods, rigs, leads or other terminal bits I make sure my baitrunner or drag system is wound tight. You should still be able to pull line off the reel but it should take some effort. This will stop the fish charging through several weed beds and it is also easier to control the fish if they are not initially steaming off! Rods are an individual choice, but you want to go with something that is strong enough to keep the carp moving but not so heavy that you risk pulling hooks. Personally, I prefer through action rods with a softer tip but plenty of power in the butt section. My current choice for this are the Fox Horizon rods which suit my purposes quite comfortably.
Fox Horizon Rods – My current set-up
Line choice is the next consideration with braided line being much better at cutting through most varieties of weed. Mono is my first choice for most fishing situations but with braided lines you also get the added benefit of a smaller diameter for casting distances, the floating properties when fishing over weed beds and also the increase indication properties due to zero stretch. I generally use 30lb Power Pro for most of my weed fishing, unless I am fishing weed with zebra muscles attached when I will sacrifice some of the stated qualities in order for extra abrasive resistance that a strong mono offers.
Moving down the end tackle we move to the leader material or tubing. Generally I am quite happy with a lead core leader or a lead free leader. As the last few feet of the tackle usually takes the most abuse the use of a leader is a necessity in my fishing. These leaders are best used in conjunction with a lead clip set-up as you will then not have to worry about the lead passing over the knots. Dropping the lead will also help reduce the chances of you becoming stuck in the weed. There is a lot of debate regarding dropping the lead, and in most cases I do not feel it is necessary but in either very weedy or snaggy situations it will absolutely put more fish on the bank and is much more fish friendly should you get cut off.
The other set-up that is absolutely suited to weed fishing is the Chod Rig. So much has been written about this rig that I am not going to go into any great detail, other than to say I generally use it to cast to showing fish or for longer range fishing as you do not have to worry about tangles or what the rig lands on as the rigs sits on top of any debrie or weed.
For the final part of the presentation I will increase my hook link breaking strain as it really does take a beating in the weed. This goes for hooks too, with a size 4 and 6’s being my most used choices. Recently, I have been using Armor Points (SSBP) and have had virtually no hook pulls to speak of.
The idea of a Canadian fishing adventure has been firmly implanted in my mind for as long as I can remember. For years I have listened to the stories of my dad’s fishing trips into the deep wilderness of Canada. Ever since I heard those stories I have wanted to have an adventure of my own. During this past winter my dream finally came to life as my dad and I began to set in motion what would surly be one of the biggest trips of my life. The destination was not hard to choose, the St. Lawrence River would be the venue we would fish. We got in contact with Paul Hunt, from Canadian Carpin in late spring, and the date was set for July 9th .
The next few months went by in a flash and before I knew it we were a few weeks away from our departure. The original plan had been to leave on the 3rd and fish the St. Lawrence for a few days before we headed to Paul’s place, but after a few conversations between my father and I we decided to take our adventure even further and head to the East Coast for the few days before our Canadian trip began. The quest? Mirror carp. The choice of who to get in touch with on the East Coast was not a tough one either. I decided to contact fellow BCN teammate and big mirror guru Dean Brookes in order to get some information on areas to fish. Dean is an awesome guy and was quick to share any information that would help us out. With the whole trip planed out there was nothing left to do but sit back and wait for the 3rd to arrive!
The car was packed on the morning of July 3rd and we left around lunch time, with an eleven hour drive to Massachusetts ahead of us. We drove through the night and arrived in MA sometime in the early morning hours of the 4th. When we arrived at our first planned swim we were greeted with high waters that left the swim completely flooded out and unfishable. After a quick chat with Dean it was on to plan B and we were back in the car for another hour drive to a different swim. The plan we came up with was to target two different swims about a half hour apart. One swim only produced at night, and Dean had warned us it would be an extremely hard venue to catch from, but the reward could be well worth the effort. The other swim we planed to only target during the day. It was not known for its size, but could definitely pump out some real stunners. With our plans finalized, we set up camp for our first night carping in MA.
A tough Lake to crack!
Dean was correct on the first swim being rather difficult. With three days of hard effort we were only rewarded with three runs, and one fish landed in the shape of a mid teen lightly scaled mirror. My father did lose what looked to be a very solid mirror to a hook pull mid fight, which was gutting. All in all we were glad we had challenged ourselves.
A hard earned mirror carp
The second swim on the other hand was a huge success. Everyday we fished we hauled stunning little mirrors until we lost track of how many we had landed! Our last day fishing that venue was extremely memorable. We hauled fully scaled mirrors in the 8-10lb range all day long, and even with the lack of size, it was outstanding for us because we just don’t get mirrors in that quantity back in MI. The only thing I can say about the mirrors in MA, is that they are some of the most stunning fish I have ever had the pleasure of capturing in my life. The last day was extremely hard to end. We found ourselves wanting to land just a few more mirrors before we departed for Canada. Soon a rather nasty storm started to brew and we were forced to pack up and end our MA adventure on a rather good note.
Fully scaled mirrors are rare in most of the USADad, getting in on the action
We were back in the car, with another long drive through the night ahead of us. After about seven hours we found ourselves at Paul’s (Canadian Carping) doorstep around lunch time. Upon arrival we found that we were the first of the new group of anglers there. Paul’s wife Lisa was picking the rest of the anglers up from the airport and it would be a few hours before they arrived back. We did however meet Paul and two of the anglers who were doing three week trips. After introductions were made Paul showed us around the Manor, which we found to be an amazing estate! After the tour we got all of our luggage inside and then went to get our kit sorted out for the week. Once the gear was set, we took a look at the garden swim which is no less than a stones throw from the back of the Manor. One look into the deep clear water, and Paul’s offer to wet some lines could not have come soon enough! We spent the next few hours leading up to dinner hauling the famous, hard fighting commons of the St. Lawrence River. We had something like 7-8 fish with a few fish in the 20 to 22lb range. I can definitely concur with every single word that has ever been spoken about the fight the St. Lawrence fish put up, it is absolutely ridiculous! In no time at all the other anglers had arrived back from the airport. We introduced ourselves to all of them and sat down to a lovely meal prepared by Paul’s wife Lisa. After dinner, we stayed at the table exchanging fish tales for hours and found it hard to leave the conversation to go to bed!
A River Cottage common
After the late night, the alarm clock wake up at 4am the next morning was rather unwelcome. First things first, we were downstairs for a quick breakfast. After breakfast we grabbed our lunch prepared for us by Lisa, then we were off to the garden swim were we would be set up for the day. The rest of the anglers departed shortly after with Paul in the boat to be dropped off in other swims. It turned out to be another great day for us at the garden swim and we were happy to have the opportunity to chat with Paul throughout the day and get to know him better!
The rest of the week passed in what seemed to be a bit of a blur, its funny how time flies when your having fun! During our week in Canada, we landed between 60 and 70 fish with most of them around the 20lb mark, and several in the mid twenties up to 26+lb. Even though we did not manage to land a 30+ during our trip, the way the St. Lawrence fish fight, it felt like we were hauling 30’s the whole time! Paul and Lisa were some of the most gracious hosts a guy could possibly ask for! Lisa prepared some of the best food I have had while I’ve been fishing in my life! Paul was absolutely born to host, he kept the camp lighthearted the whole time, and with his vast local knowledge he was able to keep everyone on the fish the whole week.
A hard fighting St. Lawrence commonTwo Tone stunner
This trip is one that I’m sure will stick with me for the rest of my life, and I’m sure that one day I will be telling my children about my great Canadian adventure,just as my father told me his.
Fish like this are the reason anglers from all over the world visit the St. Lawrence River
Summer time is well underway as I write this article with the last two weeks giving us over 8 days of 90 degree weather. While most of you no doubt love the warm weather and the opportunity to sunbath and hang out at the beach, personally I am counting down the days until the Fall Season arrives!! Being born and raised in the North of England I am most happy with 50-70 degree temperatures and love the New England Fall weather which brings magnificent foliage and more importantly the right conditions to target large carp.
AN AMAZING SPRING
The past spring was my most successful to date and one which will be hard to top next year. I had made a conscious decision to target only big fish venues, which as a rule usually have a much smaller stock. I knew this would reduce my numbers and catch rate but it would also give me a much better chance of catching 30lb+ carp. The fishing was not easy by any means, as tactics had to be refined, location of the fish determined and at least a few thousand extra miles logged on my car. In the end it was worth it as I caught over ten fish over the magical 30lb mark with a new PB Mirror thrown into the mix as well.
Releasing a40lb+ mirror
SUMMER WEATHER PATTERNS
Now I don’t want to get into complex weather patterns and give you a list of all the things I look for, suffice to say that in the hotter and humid conditions of the summer you will be dealing with long periods of high atmospheric pressure. This is not condusive to the carp feeding with any regularity and on many occasions the fish will spend the majority of the time higher up in the water where they feel most comfortable. They may also hang out on the surface, soaking up the sun’s rays. One way to try and target these fish is with Zig Rigs or floater fishing and both will bring good results if you persevere with them. I usually spend a few afternoons floater fishing in the summer with either floating trout pellets or dog biscuits and it is a very addictive way to fish and exciting to watch the carp at close quarters. However, there’s only so much sun I can take and for the most part I will either look for a break in the weather (rain and storms) or concentrate solely on night fishing.
Surface feeding carp – truly awesome way to fish
NIGHT FISHING
I am truly in my element when fishing at night. For the most part I don’t even bother with a head torch anymore as I generally have rigs made up to go and can even tie them in the dark if needed! I also find the head torch alerts everyone else to your location and as I like to go under the radar I only turn it on if I really need it. My general procedure is to turn up to the venue a couple of hours before dark, bait up my spots and slowly set up my equipment so I can have my rods in position before dark. Some waters fish well the last few hours of light so if that’s the case I will arrive earlier, but on my local summer water the fish usually feed in earnest after midnight, so I do not rush to cast out. Take into account that if your chosen venue has a lot of bank and boat traffic then the bite time may be later, once all of the noise and disturbance has died down for a few hours. I usually fish until 9 to 10am in the morning or until the boat traffic picks up, but another way to beat this is to fish week days or a Sunday night when everyone else is tucked up in bed preparing for the work week!
A self timer helps avoid sacking fish overnightA recent night time capture in the hot weather
A CHANGE OF PACE
As well as doing some surface fishing in the summer I also like to take a few mornings or evenings to float fish. Generally, this will be for smaller fish and may not even be solely for carp. I’ve managed two such sessions so far this summer, one an early morning affair where I caught plenty of carp, some cracking common goldfish as well as several other species. The second session was for a few hours in the evening and a few carp made an appearance amongst many bluegills and chub, as well as a particularly nasty case of of poisen ivy, my third such outbreak of the year!
The float fishing focuses the mind and simple tactics work best. In both cases I used corn and hemp and the fishing really took me back to my roots. It really is fun to watch a float for a few hours and hopefully see it regularly disappear or appear (when fishing my favorite Lift Method). All I need now is to find a water where I can float fish for larger fish.
Corn and Hemp – A truly classic combinationGreat fun on the float
FOX CONSULTANCY
I was recently afforded an opportunity to work with FOX Tackle and have to say there was no way I was going to turn it down. Over the last 8 months I have used several Ashima Products and have been very happy with them. I would not hesitate to recommend their hooks and terminal tackle and did not join Fox because I was unhappy. The main reason is that I have more range to publicize my articles and the US Carp Scene as Fox are one of the biggest, if not the biggest carp and course fishing company in Europe. The fact that I join an illustrious group of anglers is also good for the ego, as I am not ashamed to admit I do get a boost from seeing my captures highlighted on a global scale.
One thing I have tried to do is to pick items of tackle to use that are readily available to the US market and also within a decent price range. Over the next few months I will pass on my own impressions and the odd review on what I am currently using and one thing I pride myself on is my integrity. I will not give a positive review if I do not like the product and while a few of you may see me as just another sponsered angler pushing products you can be assured that if I recommend something I will be using it myself. I have used Fox products many times over the last 20 years and one thing I can say straight away is that the standard and attention to detail is excellent. All of the items are well made and thought out and I look forward to putting a bunch of new gear through it’s paces.
An organized tackle box – a rare thing for me!A brace of carp well contained in the Fox Deluxe Unhooking Mat
FISH CARE
With the increased heat it is important to recognize that the shallower water will be much warmer and less oxygenated. If you are retaining fish, then look for at least several feet of water and if in doubt retain the fish only long enough to organize your weighing equipment and camera gear. Unfortunately, I have witnessed some very bad carp care recently from more that one angler. Fish being sacked in 2 feet of water for several hours on a hot day, unhooking fish on dirt areas or concrete, the lack of appropriate nets or no net at all! I’m sure we all have seen our fair share of such cases and I encourage you all to try to do what you can to educate the younger or newer anglers and not waste time berating such offenders as generally it is a lack of understanding. The more seasoned anglers who practice bad fish care aren’t worth the hassle, as at best it becomes a slanging match or argument. Like everything carp are a resource and if you do plan to practice Catch and Release then it is important that we try and return the fish in the same condition as they were before we hooked them (minus the hook mark of course).
A retaining sling is an excellent choice for keeping carp safe for short periods of time
FINAL THOUGHTS
We have a month or so left of the summer and I will continue to try to beat the worst of the heat and maybe get out for a few more overnight sessions, if work allows. I’ll be waiting for storm systems and the drop in pressure that can offer some of the best fishing of the year. I’ll also be looking at trying to tempt a 30lb+ fish by either float fishing or stalking (still a long time goal I have yet to achieve) and if all else fails I’ll get back out for a few short sessions with the float, targeting smaller fish. My real goals are to stay out of the sun, stay away from the mosquito’s and most importantly recognize exactly what poisen ivy looks like!!
Early morning summer commonChunky scatter scaled mirror, another early morning summer capture
We are excited here at BC News to announce that Dean Brookes is now the USA Carp Consultant for FOX Tackle.
Fox, who are one of the premier Carp and Tackle companies in the world continue to lead the market with both outstanding quality tackle and also new and unique items. From hooks and leads all the way through to bivvy’s and bedchair’s, FOX provide outstanding products and excellent customer service. FOX is truly an International brand.
Dean will also join some of the biggest names in the Carp World at Fox, including Ian Chilcott, Rob Hughes and Ed Skillz. Here’s what Dean had to say on the matter.
“I am extremely proud to be associated with FOX Tackle. Over the last few years I have been looking to team up with a company that have the same principles and high standards that I set myself and FOX fit this role perfectly. I have used many of their items already and the quality of the tackle is second to non. I look forward to promoting top quality carp tackle, that I myself use and you can rest assured that everything I recommend or use will have passed my own rigorous tests. The majority of the items I will be using in my own fishing will be available @ www.bigcarptackle.com so watch this space for my reviews which will be starting in the fall.”
“I can’t wait to start using the Tackle and continue to publicize the fantastic fishing we have on offer in the USA.”
As I went out on my first session of the year I never would have imagines that my net would be graced by a fish of this caliber especially so early in the season. The fish were just starting to get on the feed after the cold winter months which left me guessing how the fishing would be. Catching numbers of fish on a session is fun but my approach is to target one fish and one fish only and that’s a 30lb+ rather than catching numerous small fish and hoping one may go 30lb. My real enjoyment in carp fishing is chasing big fish, however it does come with at a cost. There have been plenty of times when I have blanked on a session but as I have said before learning from that and changing your tactics will only benefit you in the long run.
Boilies and PVA bags would be my tactics
This session was perfect in my books landing a huge fish that was surely the best fight out of any I have ever had. I was fishing at range about 120 to 130 yards when my left hand rod began to drop back, which woke me up 0ut of my not so deep sleep. I quickly ran over to my rods and reeled up the slack as the hanger on my Delkim continued to move up and down. I picked up the rod and was into a fish but had no idea of the size because she started swimming towards me. As the fish got closer to me then she realized she was hooked and that’s when I felt the sheer weight of the fish on the rod and the fish immediately started to tear off line kiting to the right. Feeling the fish’s power through the rod my legs started shaking and the butterflies began in my stomach. From where my rod pod was the fish ended up taking me nearly 80 yards down the right side of the bank in an unbelievable battle taking huge runs that left me on the bank shaking. After fighting the fish for 20 or so minutes and the fish literally rolling over my net a good 6 times then going on powerful runs she was securely in my net. Not seeing the fish yet but knowing it had to be a 40lber I remember my buddy saying to me, “man this could even be a 50”. Now that we were both out of breathe from the fight and netting we took a few minutes to rest as we broke down the net and hoisted the fish onto the mat finally seeing the amazing specimen under the light.
Getting the fish sorted and unhooked it was finally time for the moment of truth knowing I most likely wouldn’t be sleeping after this moment running on pure adrenaline and excitement. We popped the fish into the sling and lifted her up topping out at a staggering 46.11 oz of golden common carp. After weighing the fish we put her in the sack and placed her into the water waiting till the morning to take some quality shots of the fish.
The moment of truth
THE APPROACH
The approach for this session was simple, taking what I learned from my last session on the venue and applying it in my tactics. Previously fishing here I had only caught a couple small fish just off the edge of a weed bed in a clear area. I had noticed that the fish had been crashing way out of casting range and was hoping a few fish would come in close at night with the right baiting and some patience. Just as I thought I had two fish off that weed bed and noticed the few bites that I had were in the night out of the three day session. Taking that into consideration on my next session I wanted to get my rods out as far as possible to where I saw the fish before even though I was fishing the swim a lot earlier than I had previously.. With that in mind I decided to put one rod as far as possible about 120 yards and one rod in close about 15 yard off the same group of weed beds. The far out rod I fished my favorite rig the chod rig with a single 20mm K-1 pop up. I continued to put about 20 baits around it consisting of K-1 soluble boilies and K-1 bottom baits. The close in rod I fished a snowman rig blowback style with a 20mm bottom bait and a 12mm pop up on top. I placed this rod just to the left of a weed bed and baited with some of the K-1 Boosted Oats, boilies, and soluble boilies. My other plan was to keep the rods out till they got a bite even if that meant leaving them out for even 24 hours then I would check to see if the rig and pop up were still working properly. When fishing for big fish I like to keep the rods out as long as possible.
Chod rigs – perfect for weedy situations
My rig of choice is one that I have a lot of confidence in and have used previously on the venue. I chose the chod rig because it was perfect for my situation, being completely tangle free with fishing at such distance and not knowing what the lake bed was like. With this rig I am confident that every time my lead hits the bottom the rig is laying perfectly over any weed or silt and is ready for the fish to pick it up. This rig is great for fishing over a bed of boilies and in my opinion tends to pick out some of the bigger fish. Most of the big fish I have caught in the past have either come on the chod rig or a snowman rig building my confidence through the roof. The choddy has never let me down and adding this massive beauty to the victims of the chod certainly makes me even happier with it. SO GET ON THE CHODDY!!!
THE BAIT
A big part of catching carp is have a good quality bait so the fish will recognize it as food source and healthy for them to feed on. For this session I brought about 10 pounds of K-1 boilies 20mm in a tutti fruity pineapple combination. I also brought another roughly 10 pounds of K-1 soluble boilies 15 mm also in the tutti fruity pineapple combination with matching K-1 pop ups. Boilies are surely my favorite style of fishing and absolutely love the concept behind it. As we all know it’s tough dishing out that little extra money for the amount of boilies you need to properly fish them but let me tell you that little bit of extra cash will be the best money you could spend carp fishing because that is really what’s going to catch you the fish. Having enough boilies to get the fish to recognize it as a food source really does pay off in the long run and will definitely catch you bigger carp. With the soluble boilies the concept behind them is a quick release and breakdown of the attractants theoretically resulting in a quicker bite on the bait. As we all know boilies take a little bit longer to start working in the water but when the fish get on them they are devastating. With The combination of the K-1 bottom baits and soluble boilies you get the long lasting effect and the quick release effect standing for a great baiting method. Last but not least I made sure I sprayed all my hook baits with the matching K-1 spray flavor. Every session I go on and fish K-1 boilies my confidence levels can’t stop increasing and the results I have had this past year says it all!!!
K-1 Hook BaitsMatching spray
THE FISH
No words needed!!
PAY MY RESPECTS
This was really a great catch for me and will definitely go down in the history books. I am very thankful to be able to catch such an amazing fish and really hope to catch it again when it’s over 50 pounds if I’m lucky. I would like to take this time and say thank you to the whole K-1 team with all the hard work they put in preparing bait and doing everything they can when there is something I need, If it wasn’t for them none of this would be possible. A special thanks is due to a good friend of mine and K-1 team member Istvan Gyori because he was the one who prepared the bait for me with such short notice and without bait there would be no fish as I really appreciate the support so thanks again buddy. I also would like to give a shout out to my BCN team members Dean Brookes and Craig Parkes for being awesome fishing partners and the good times on the bank. I hope you enjoyed the read and look forward to putting more BIG fish on the bank and in the future for you to check out now go out and GET ON THE K-1!!!!
At the end of my previous article I was left with a choice to make; stay in a swim that was producing mostly smaller fish or gamble and move to a spot 45 minutes away to take advantage of the weather conditions. I decided to roll the dice.
Rods out after changing swims – mid session
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WEATHER PATTERNS
My decision to move was in part due to experience. Having fished the area the previous two springs I had found that strong winds from the South always seemed to produce bumper sessions and looking at the previous days weather and the current forecast I knew I would be missing out if I stayed put. Once I arrived at the location I left my tackle in the car and went for a walk. This is something very simple but sadly overlooked by the majority of anglers. At times we all fall into patterns of behavior and I can’t tell you how many times I have seen anglers turn up to a lake or river who have already decided where they will fish! Even five minutes of watching the water can be enough to figure out the best areas and time spent finding the fish is never wasted. In this particular case I had a feeling the carp would be in the teeth of the wind (25-30 mph) but I still took 30 minutes to check several areas. I was proved right as I saw signs of several fish exactly where I thought they would be. It was time to get the rods!
QUICK BITES
Having seen evidence of carp in the area the last thing I wanted to do was start thrashing the water to a foam or setting up camp. I had the advantage of knowing the swim as I had fished it several times, therefore I could get a rig out without having to check depths or the make-up of the bottom. In this case I wanted to get one rod on a margin spot over a handful of bait and then retreat several meters up the bank to set up my second rod and arrange all of my tackle well out of the way of the actual fishing area. The baiting situation was simple enough; a snowman rig and 3 bait stringer fished over a handful of home made soluble boilies, less than 15 yards out. I gently swung the rig into position followed by 30-40 solubles and placed the rod onto the alarm. In this case the clutch was wound tight, therefore not allowing the fish to run at speed (due to snags in close proximity) but not so tight the rod would be pulled in.
Soluble boilies ready to airdry
PERFECT START
I slowly set up the area to weigh fish (mat, scales and camera) and also arranged my net and retaining sling close to the water so that I could fish efficiently if the fish were feeding in any numbers. I like to do this as once I land the fish I can unhook it in the net, secure it in the retaining sling and then rebait. I will then weigh and picture the fish once the rod is fishing again. This maximizes my chance to catch more fish rather than wasting valuable time when the fish are feeding! Just as I was attaching a rig to my second rod, my alarm signaled a steady take. I was on the rod in record time and hit into a very angry and very powerful carp. It did everything it could to get into the snags to my right, but with a 2.25lb TC rod I was able to exert maximum pressure on it without the fear of a hook pull. Having turned the fish it decided to use the waves and it’s weight and it took another 15 minutes to see my prize in the net. A stunning upper thirty was secured and I quickly re-baited and also deposited 1/2 a kilo of 20mm boilies into my second area, closely followed by a fluro pop-up rig.
The fish in the sling was stunning. A solid chunk with some unique scaling but with the bright sunshine the self-take pictures really didn’t do it justice.
38.5lbs of solid Mirror carp
Over the next 5 hours I landed a mixture of fish with several twenties amongst them. All of these fish came off my second spot, fished over a good amount of Dynamite Carptec boilies and all fell to a 15mm Fluro pop-up topped with fake corn. The presentation was simple enough, but deadly as the area had a light coating of silk weed. Combined with the heavy wind, regular bottom baits would have ended up being covered in weed in less than 5 minutes.
Typical feisty mid-twentyA long lean 27lb+ fighting machine
The action slowed after lunch time but I stayed an extra hour in the hope of one more fish. I made the slow ritual of packing away and as usual the last items were the rods. My patience was rewarded with one last take and another good lump joined my photo album. This one was a very lightly scaled fish but still a beauty.
Lightly scaled 30lb+ Mirror
EDGES
We all have our chosen methods and little ‘edges’ that we employ from time to time when the going gets tough. Over the years I have incorporated a lot of these edges into my fishing, disregarded many of them as fads, but most importantly found a few favorites that have stood the test of time. One of these is the use of glugs for my hook-baits, whether alcohol, fruit or oil based. Recently, I received a bottle of Betalin (from Saxon Tackle) and determined to use it over the next couple of sessions. The reviews I had read on it were excellent and on tasting it the first thing I noticed was it was neither overly sweet or gave a bitter aftertaste, unlike many modern dips and glugs. My next session saw me return to my previous success but the conditions were very different with hardly any wind and no carp activity visible. On a tough morning I still managed two stunning carp, both on Betalin soaked hook-baits. Now I am not saying I would not have caught on regular offerings but the Betalin gave me the extra confidence to stick to my game plan.
Just under 30lb’s but one of my favorite spring captures32lber that liked the Betalin
ONE LAST HURRAH
With the spring coming to an end and most of the fish having spawned I decided to try a couple of different areas over my next two sessions to hopefully rustle up another lump. Unfortunately, heavy rain over several days had put the river levels way up and on investigating two areas there was absolutely no way I would be able to fish the main river. As I had already driven over 100 miles I decided to look at one last spot to see if it was feasible. Fortunately, although the water level was high the actual flow was manageable and so the decision was made to stick it out. Not ideal conditions as it rained for 24 hours straight! I managed an upper double an hour or so before dark and then after changing clothes I tried to stay somewhat dry. With the heavy weed, I opted for solid PVA bags (not an easy task in heavy rain) and baited with chopped boiles over the top of the areas. At 3am I was rewarded with a very strong take and the next 10 minutes was spent playing the fish through the weed while getting absolutely drenched. I wasn’t too disappointed though as peering into the net I recognized the fish as an old friend. It must have been feeding heavily over the previous few months as it was in great condition and at over 44lb’s, a new PB.
I don’t usually name fish, but this one is now christened ‘Brookes Pet’.
The following week saw the river back to normal levels and the spot I wanted to fish previously now looked extremely good.
The river back in fine condition – would the carp be present
The area was overgrown, meaning it had seen little if any pressure recently. Usually, the fish patrol the marginal shelf and feed heavily at night, so I arrived in the late afternoon and slowly set up my tackle. I did have a take after only an hour which was somewhat of a surprise, but unfortunately the fish ran straight towards me and then kited down the margins which resulted in the braided mainline being cut off on one of the many rocks. It cut me off several feet above my leader so there was little I could have done in the circumstances but at least the rig was safe and I knew that the hook-link would pass over the leader knot and not leave the fish trailing the lead. I settled down for the night and shortly into dark I managed an upper double that tried the same trick. Fortunately I was alive to it’s tactics and I would quickly whilst walking backwards to keep a tight line on it. This worked a treat and the fish was soon landed, unhooked and released without ever leaving the water.
Another fish followed at 3am and this time a lovely fully scaled mirror of around 22lb’s was netted. Again, I slipped it back quickly and got back into my sleeping bag as the temperature had dropped quite a bit. I was in the middle of a fantastic dream (of me landing a 60lb+ behemoth) when I was awoken by one of the most violent takes I have ever received. The fish was powering off downstream at an incredible rate of knots and I had no choice but to run down the banks after it to make sure it could not kite into the marginal rocks. By the time I had the fish under control I was over 200 yards away from my net. I employed an old snag fishing method and instead of trying to pump the fish back upstream I kept it on a tight line and slowly walked it back in front of the initial take (just like walking a dog). The fish cooperated and was soon in the net. It was no wonder it fought so hard as it was a very long, lean male carp and at just over 30lbs it’s tail and fins were massive and I doubted it had never seen a hook before.
Last 30lber of the Spring
FINAL RESULTS
With the summer solstice just around the corner my spring fishing was at an end. In truth I wish I could have kept going as my results were way in excess of what I was hoping for. My target for the year was ten fish over the magical 30lb mark and I have achieved this in less than 2 months fishing. I was more pleased with the fact that the fish had come from several different areas and had challenged both my approach and my baiting strategies. I can only hope the rest of the year carries on in the same vein.
