ADTV Specimen Series - Margin Carp Fishing On The Float!

My first task of this session is to have a walk around the lake, and identify some likely fish holding spots and when I find a spot that I think will hold some carp, I like to pre-bait with a couple of handfuls of bait before continuing my walk around the lake. I like to pre-bait as it allows the fish to feed confidently with no lines in the water and when the fish are feeding confidently, you find it won't take long to get a bite! 

My favourite mix for pre-baiting for this tactic is to use a mix of 4mm Sticky Baits Krill Pellets and Dynamite Baits XL Sweetcorn. The krill pellets will release loads of attractors in the water, whereas the sweetcorn is bright and will help the carp visually identify the bait in the coloured water. I also like to feed a small blob of the Sticky Baits The Krill Paste on each spot, as this is what I will be fishing on the hook so the fish will not treat the hookbait with as much suspicion when I start fishing the spot. 

Now I have pre-baited several spots, I will not start fishing until I can visibly see that fish are feeding on my baited area. I tend to look for pin prick bubbles, areas of coloured water or if you are fishing against reeds or lily pads, they will start to shake when there is a carp milling around. 

I have started to see the reeds knocking in a secluded reedy corner of the lake, so as this is oppurtunist fishing at its finest, I have quickly set the depth by overweighting the float and flicking it away from the baited spot. As I'm fishing overdepth, I don't need to be 100% accurate, but as long as my bait is overdepth, I can stand the float up by tightening the fishing line. 

The set-up I have chosen today is an Advanta Barbel Twin Tip Rod with the 1.75lb avon section, with a Daiwa GS LTD 4000 Reel. This set-up gives me enough power to land even big carp, and I have landed fish over 30lb on this set up. Today I am using 10lb line, but if I was fishing for bigger carp that the mid doubles I am expecting today, I would not hesistate to use 15lb line. 

On the business end, I am using a small Drennan Crystal Waggler locked in place with two float stops. I always like to use a float adaptor so I can change floats if the light conditions change. The hook is a Korda Mixa size 8 and 2-3 inches above this I have placed a float stop and have moulded a piece of tungsten putty around it. I find using putty better than a split shot as it does not damage the line and create a weak point in your rig. 

After casting my rig stealthily into the swim, I can see the carp are still feeding confidently as there are bubbles popping up around my float. In no time at all, the float lifts clean out of the water, and I'm soon into a very angry carp! 

This is where a 1.75lb specialist rod with 10lb line is needed as you need a fair bit of power to turn these fish ways from their snaggly lair, but once away from the reeds you can take your time and the rod is soft enough to prevent any hook pulls at the net. I soon slip the net under a beautiful common carp.

A great way to start the session and shows how quickly you can be into fish after allowing the fish to feed confidently on your spots with no lines in the water. 

Rather than cast my rig straight back out, I am going to repeat my original process and feed another couple of handuls of the pellet & sweetcorn mix before giving the swim a 15-20 minute rest, to allow some carp to move back into the swim.

In the meantime, I have moved to one of my other pre-baited spots, another reed lined margin that is a bit deeper than the orignal spot, so should hopefully hold some fish, but after 15 minutes I have had no sign. So I have refed this swim and I am back on the move again, to check out some of my other spots! 

After trying another couple of spots to no avail, I am back in the orignal reedy bay, as this is the only area where I can see signs of carp moving around. After casting out again with a small blob of paste on the hook, I am soon into another carp which tears for the reeds, only this time the fish has won and my hook pulls! 

I decide to fish on in this spot, as the carp seem shoaled in this corner, and am starting to have one of those really frustrating sessions, as I hook pull another two carp as I am pulling them away from the reedy corner! Unfortunately, this can be the name of the game, but it definitely gets the adrenaline pumping when you hook into one of these carp, and I am desperate to get another one out before the end of the session! 

Just as the bad weather starts to roll in, I manage to get another bite in the same reedy bay where all the fish seem to be on this session, and as I hit the bite, the water erupts and my 1.75lb rod is bent double trying to divert the fish from the many reeds in this bay!

I manage to turn the fish, before disaster strikes and the carp dives into a lily bed! Rather than try and pull the carp out, I let the line go slack and by doing this, the carp has swum out of the lily pads. I can now play the carp in open water and I soon do an underwater scoop on a lovely mirror carp to finish this session.

This style of fishing can be so exciting but so frustrating at the same time, but when you strike and the water erupts there is no better adrenaline rush! So, if you have a water where the fish feed in the edge then give this often forgotten method a go.