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What are your plans? Why HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all! Yes I know it's the end of January as I write this, but it's my first piece of writing for this year. What are your aims this year then? To catch your first 40lb'er or just to catch a carp from an unknown lake! It doesn't really matter as long as you're happy. But before you do venture out after a break, give your tackle the once over, see 'A Dry Set Up' in my archives, but especially check out the line. This must be an area where so many fail to check the most important part of our tackle and could be responsible for many a lost fish. At this time of year I personally drop onto slightly easier waters, just seeking a run or three. I just enjoy being outside. My main job is a gardener and my hobby is a carp fisherman, so as you can see playstations and the like, play little time in my life. This is the time of year when I target pike at various local waters. I use a dead bait on semi barbed hooks with some oil injected down the fish's mouth as an extra attractor. I also take a few maggots and a bit of groundbait as an added attraction for the silver fish. These are the pike's normal food and they are naturally curious creatures, so I chuck in a few maggots throughout the session and top up the swim every 30 minutes with groundbait made into the size of a golfball. I even stir up the margins with all that sediment, leaves and general lakeside rubbish. I do remove all the crisp packets and bottles etc, as this does not encourage the fish to feed! I stir up the natural mud etc., a few times during the session when I am fishing the margins. I find this also helps when I am perch fishing. The best bait I've found for perch is chopped worm. I even chop up chunks of deadbait when I am piking, I'm not sure what the roach think as bits of dead fish come raining down on them. On my last trip out I had eight carp up to mid-double. The wind was a south westerly and had been settled for a few days, so I guessed the water temperature was up a few degrees, which I hoped would help the fish feed. At first light my traps were set but although I baited up regularly, I didn't have a take till I changed my rig! Now was this a coincidence or did a shorter rig with the same bait make that much difference - or had the bait landed on the carp's head? I will never know - but I ended up with eight carp [all commons!], a roach of 2lb and three silver bream to 3lb[ish]. A short write-up this time but with increasing daylight and work commitments, I just don't have the chance to get out there. Please also remember I am the chairman of the East Midlands Carp Study Group and we are well into our meeting season. This is where
we hire a hall, get a speaker, stalls, raffle prizes and have an informal
talk from a named angler. They are great nights, but a lot of work,
please feel free to pop along. Everyone is welcome - whether you fish
for carp or not, I am sure you will enjoy the night. Find out more
by clicking to www.emcsg.co.uk
and say hello. Dave Williams |