The Four Season Approach To Carp Fishing

Well we all know that the carp in this country act differently and feed in different ways at different times throughout the year.  Each season I have a different approach and this has helped me over the years to put a few more carp on the bank, here’s a quick overview of my tactics….

Spring

Springtime can be fantastic for catching big carp… or having multiple catches if you get it right!  Watching the water for activity such as bubbles, fizzing, crashing, rolling, clouded/coloured water and spotting the movement of carp from a tree for example can give you that vital edge that you require to catch your first carp of the year as they are just waking up.

Don’t be afraid to use a single boilie approach, small pva bag of crumb/ pellet or zig rig at this time of year and most importantly be ready to move swims / area when you see carpy signs.  Once you’ve had 1, maybe 2, during your session be prepared to get the bait out there as soon as you can, as when there on the feed you can certainly get through some boilies.

Wally, the bailiff at French carp lake Molyneux, swears that April is the best month to fish his lake.

Summer

A great way to catch in the summer months is surface fishing.  As we all know Mr Carp loves a dog biscuit or floating pellet.  But you’ll also find these lazy carp roaming around in deep and thick weed beds for cover, or just holding up getting sun on their backs.  Again if you fish these areas correctly you will find your net getting wet on a regular basis.

Don’t be afraid to try a free line approach to thick weed close in or even a solid bag of boilie crumb and pellet straight into the weed.  Dog biscuits can be soaked and I prefer salmon oil or hemp oil for this just to give you that little flat spot where there carp will investigate first.  It also gives you a better chance of seeing your floating biscuit.

Autumn at Alder

Autumn

I find this time of the year is the best time to bag yourself a personal best carp. Get on a quality boilie and be confident to put it in as these carp are looking for a food source!  You can easily go through 5 maybe 10 kilo of boilie in a weekend session as the carp are definitely vulnerable at this time of year for beds of bait or big areas of bait and have regular feeding patterns.

You will normally find the ‘big ones’ will come out as a brace too, so be ready for this and once you’ve caught 1 lump then don’t be afraid to stay another 12 hours to have another. Heavily baited areas can pay dividends but just make sure the boilie you chose you have 100% confidence that the carp are going to eat it.

Winter

A time of the year where location is a massive factor and once you’ve located the carp, keeping the bait going in little and often will help you catch regularly throughout winter as they will not move far from a food source and quality boilie.

Dead weed beds, lilies or the shallow area of the lake can produce, but don’t be afraid to have a look at snag’s or a marginal shelf where the sun hits first thing in the morning.

Don’t forget location, bait application, bait presentation and work ethic will help you catch consistently throughout the year and don’t be afraid to ring the changes if things are not going to plan!

Marc Twaite
Pukka Squirrel Baits

Thinking of taking a trip to France? Our lakes often have offers on for earlier and later weeks in the season, find out more here – Carp Fishing in France