Going Equipped for Big Catfish

Targeting monster catfish? Make sure you have the right tools for the job… Last year, I was fortunate to attend Catmaster Tackle’s annual social at Oakwood Park Lakes, in Norfolk. As an out-and-out carp angler, I figured – like many before and since – that, with a few tweaks here and there, my existing kit […]

Planning your next French carp fishing trip? Go large this summer…

The appeal of vast, windswept gravel pits is undeniable: acres of untapped, uncharted water, unsullied by angler pressure; the allure of the unknown; the chance of a previously uncaught leviathan. Question is: where the … heck do you start? Pay too much attention to social media, the mags and myriad YouTube vids, and you’d be […]

The Spring Carp Conundrum

Spring is just around the corner; the carp are on the move, and back on the munch. Contrary to accepted wisdom, however, this may not be the time to pile in the bait; rather, a softly-softly approach is often key to early season success… The nights are finally drawing in; the water temps are rising, and […]

Coping with the Cold when Carp Fishing

Ten top tips to make your next winter French carp fishing holiday your most comfortable – maybe even productive – yet… I can well remember my first carp fishing overnighter. Ill-equipped does not begin to cover it. And here’s the thing: it was in spring. The days were sunny – almost balmy. The nights, as […]

The Great Bait Debate – shelf-life or freezer bait?

The wealth of highly nutritious and readily available ‘ready mades’ lead me to wonder: why on earth would anyone waste valuable time freezing, transporting, airdrying and rehydrating baits for their French carp fishing trip? Shelf-life or freezer bait? The debate has raged for a while now. To my mind, however, it’s a no-brainer: the extensive […]

Messing About In Boats

Targeting big French carp on larger venues? Taking to the water could take your catch rate to a new level… Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes a ‘big lake’. But if you’re limited to one or two French carp fishing trips each year, I’d counsel that the inland seas – the likes of […]

Targeting cold-water carp? Play dirty.

Why smarter carpers are trading solid PVA bags for messy method balls this winter… Whilst Fox’s excellent Rapide system has propelled solid PVA bags back into fashion – along the way, earning a place in many a carp angler’s armoury – method feeder fishing remains largely overlooked by a majority of big carp hunters. Which […]

Why smarter carp anglers SCALE-UP for small water success

Bucking the trend could help you single out the big ‘uns on those ‘more intimate’ stillwaters… From Ashlea in the eighties to Spitfire today, smaller pools and ponds of, often, less than an acre, have been throwing up monster carp for decades.  Yet despite the fact that you’re seldom more than a few yards from […]

3d Fishing For Cold-Water Carp

Far from a ‘chuck it and chance it’ daylight-hours-only tactic, to be deployed only when all else fails, zig fishing could be your best chance of a bite around the clock, throughout the year. So why isn’t it more widely adopted? An old school carper friend of mine likens zigging to lure fishing; going so […]

Cold Water Carping

Your winter carp fishing ‘short break’ starts here. Why settle for ‘drive and survive’? Do your homework, and you could just bag a belter on your next French trip… Terry Hearn talks about those ‘little edges’ which, combined, can spell the difference between success and failure. Never are those edges more important than in winter. […]

How To: Effective Zig Rigs For Carp

The Zig-Rig a simple method for fishing bait mid water that has accounted for many large carp. Here is an article by Ian Gemson from Smart Carping on how to set up a Zig rig… The Zig-Rig allows a buoyant bait to be fished from the lakebed at any set depth from a couple of […]

VIDEO: A November Thirty Landed at Laroussi

Francis Bayliss lands a lovely 31lb carp during a trip to the famous French carp lake Laroussi in November. Pete Castle kindly filmed as the action unfolded… Over the last two decades Laroussi has established itself as one of the premiere big carp waters in France, containing carp to over 70lb. Want more info on […]

VIDEO: Winter Carp Fishing at Lillypool

A February carp fishing session on Lillypool in France resulted in plenty of carp for bailiff Richard. Highlights include a 40lb+ mirror and a 53lb common lake record. Richard kindly kept a video diary and it is well worth a watch if you’re heading to the lake this year…  

Do Fishmeal Baits Work In Winter?

If you listen to the experts you would never use a fishmeal boilie over the winter months. My thinking was the same, however over the years my views have changed drastically. For the past 2 years I have continued to fish through the Winter months, feeding and fishing with Squid and Orange from Quality Baits. […]