The days have now got longer and those overnight temperatures have been creeping up, the excitement levels are beginning to rise, summer is also well on its way!
Hopefully by now you will know where you will be fishing this year, for all kinds reasons we can’t always get started early spring, some of us may be targeting a water with a traditional close season for example. The longer wait can be frustrating, but on the plus side you can always fish a few day ticket venues, experiment and perfect those tactics and methods, enjoy the fishing and be fully prepared for when the real campaign begins.
We all have different criteria for choosing a water to concentrate on. Some like the challenge of large low stocked waters targeting a particular fish, while some enjoy the hustle and bustle of busy day ticket waters perhaps catching numbers of fish. I usually chose the former, enjoying the challenges that this type of fishing brings.
My new water is occupying my thoughts a great deal at the moment, unusually for me it doesn’t contain any real monsters, though in relative terms it does for the north! The scaly inhabitants and idyllic surroundings is the real draw and its only 100 miles from home, which is much closer than my normal haunts!
BE PREPARED
Its always important to gather as much information as you can.
Most waters now have a well-documented history and this information is invaluable in helping you learn as much about the water and its inhabitants. The Internet is a good place to start, try the many search engines out there such as Google for example. The fishery may have its own website so have a good look through it although the information may not always be up to date. There are many forums were you could search for information, try to search those local to your chosen venue or even better specific to the place! Try Google earth and Multi-map to view the lake from above, these sites are a revelation as its possible to identify sub surface bars and features from the pictures. They can be used to measure distances to islands etc. You can highlight the effects wind will have on the lake i.e. which bank receives the warmer southerly winds which can be an advantage early season.
Do some networking! Try to talk to people who you know have fished the place. While that may have been a while ago any information is useful in building up a picture of the lake and the fish’s behaviour. I know a few Nash consultants who have had success at my chosen venue and they have been well and truly grilled! Local tackle shops may be of use, so try quizzing the staff there too.
If your new challenge is a well known one, check out Carp Talk and the monthlies it may get a mention or two, its worth keeping any information on interesting venues that you might fish in the future, it might lead to full cupboards, sheds and garages but it can help out in the long run!
All information is useful, but don’t take it all as the gospel truth! While friends will give you true, honest information, some others will send you on a bum steer and tell you anything but the truth! I’ve seen replies on some forums to questions about a venue that I know that are completely wrong! These are often replies from people who are still fishing there or from locals who don’t take kindly to “foreigners” having success on “their” water. So be careful, some see the request for information as taking the lazy way out and as a way of taking a shortcut to success so tread carefully.
Some of the catch reports can be misleading too, I have witnessed captures while on the bank that bare no resemblance to the catch report published in a magazine a few weeks later! The bait, distance, tackle etc are definitely not what was used to catch the fish! This is done to hide the successful methods and give the angler an ongoing edge. I can certainly understand this, as there will always be people who will jump on the bandwagon and benefit from your hard work!
RECCE
This is definitely the best way of gathering knowledge, Visit the water as many times as you can, try to spend as much time there as you possibly can.
Try to be at the water at different times of day, in different weather conditions and at weekends and weekdays. Climb trees, get into those nooks and crannies that are not easily accessible and you may come across some hiding monsters! Just sitting and taking it all in will benefit you in the long run.
If allowed and obviously without disturbing other anglers on the venue, get the marker rod out and begin mapping the lake, it’s definitely worth the effort if you can do it. Prior knowledge will save time and cut down on disturbance when you get the chance to fish.
If possible you can trickle bait into likely looking areas, though on busier waters this must only be done with permission and without affecting other angler’s sessions. How much bait, and where, depends on many factors but if you can begin to establish your bait then the odds will begin to stack in your favour.
Without being a pest and disturbing other anglers ask the people fishing how they are getting on and try to pick their brains. Don’t go in like a bull in a china shop, be pleasant and don’t bombard them with hundreds of questions and you may get some useful information. Some anglers don’t like being approached on the bank, so respect their right to a peaceful session, and just exchange pleasantries and move on. Don’t expect people to part with all their hard earned knowledge to a complete stranger, be friendly and remember you may be fishing along side these angler’s so try and develop a rapport.
Remember, take the information you’ve gleaned and filter out what you know to be untrue. How many times have you asked an angler if they have seen anything and they say ‘yeah they are all up the other end mate!’ But ask yourself, why are they sat there then!
One year I began fishing a water quite early, much earlier in-fact than it normally produced. It was a slow start but I woke up with the water and really felt at one with the place. I went on to have one of my best seasons and the knowledge gained really kept me ahead of the pack. Its something to think about for next year
GETTING TOOLED UP
Now that you have a good idea what you will encounter when you begin fishing for real you can review your tackle and bait to make sure you are covered. Tackle needs to be tailored to suit the venue. What about long distance casting, are those islands, features and bars at 100 yard plus? If so you need to ensure that your rods, reels and line are capable of hitting those distant hot spots. If you are not used to long range fishing a few casting practice sessions in a field can help immensely when you have to do it for real on the bank.
Check out some of the casting tutorials you can access on the Internet, these will point you in the right direction. Main line has to be tailored to the conditions you will encounter whether it is distance or snag fishing you must make sure everything is up to the job.
Rigs are another area requiring some thought, are you expecting to be fishing in heavy weed with PVA bags? Then your rigs will need to be tied up to suit. Are you going in with the much hyped chod rig? If so get plenty tied up ready.
But start with what you have confidence in and use rigs and baits that have worked for you elsewhere, a new water and new untried methods and baits is rarely a good combination!
You may need to tailor those proven tactics to suit the lakes requirements, but once you get a few trips under your belt, your knowledge increases and things start to drop into place.
Long walks to reach a chosen swim may be a factor so make sure you are armed with a barrow and only carrying what you need, something we are all guilty of is taking too much gear which can certainly tell on the old arms if you have a long trek ahead!
Are the pegs big enough for your bivvy or will it be better to use a brolly, are you fishing from platforms and if so will you need a pod? There are many questions that you need to ask yourself when you are looking around the lake and its better to find out now.
THE BAITING GAME
Bait is another big one. I would almost certainly go in with a bait I know and have confidence in. Your research may throw up a bait that is, or has been successful on the water so initially that might seem like a good staring point.
But often the opposite applies, in my experience some of my favourites such as Nash Bait Scopex Squid or the recently released Monster Squid will catch anywhere and will often give you a major edge if most of the members are on the ‘going bait’ so stick to what you know works.
Also you may need to consider nuisance fish or crayfish in choosing your bait and in particular bait size and hookbait choice.
Its never too late to start ‘doing your homework’ If precious time on the bank is in short supply, as it is with most of us, it can only help to stack the odds in our favour
Be confident and don’t be disappointed if things don’t happen right away, it’s a learning curve but most importantly of all – just enjoy it!