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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.