Its spring (almost!) and you're itching to get out.
You've been sorting your tackle out now for a few weeks, had the bivvy up in the garden, rods and reels cleaned, buzzers serviced and bait, 50 kilos of success, perhaps notoriety stashed in the freezer.
You're gonna catch the big ones! Get on the water for a 3 day session before anyone else, steal into 'The swim' and fill it in.
All the carp in the lake will get on your golden balls first... Oh yes!
Don't.
There's an old saying "Get the fish onto your bait early on and it'll stand you in good stead all season long".
Trouble is, it's old advice and things are radically different since those days. Now everybody has access to good bait and as much as they can carry, sorry, push.
You've been sorting your tackle out now for a few weeks, had the bivvy up in the garden, rods and reels cleaned, buzzers serviced and bait, 50 kilos of success, perhaps notoriety stashed in the freezer.
You're gonna catch the big ones! Get on the water for a 3 day session before anyone else, steal into 'The swim' and fill it in.
All the carp in the lake will get on your golden balls first... Oh yes!
Don't.
There's an old saying "Get the fish onto your bait early on and it'll stand you in good stead all season long".
Trouble is, it's old advice and things are radically different since those days. Now everybody has access to good bait and as much as they can carry, sorry, push.
So the advice becomes; Introduce your bait regularly yes, just make sure its in the right areas and it's only a small amount. But then everyone is doing that, right? So the bottom of the lake in certain areas becomes peppered with bait of all colours (but mostly red).
There are few places and situations where you can actually angle with bait now in a measured and precise way, it's just a fact of life. There are exceptions, lakes where you hardly see another angler and they do still exist, however it's not your busy syndicate that's for sure.
Take with you only what you need, so that's less than a kilo and you might only use a few handfuls of that over three days. By all means use a bright popup. Make up some soaked boilie/bread crumb for sticks. That's all you need, no freebies are needed if its in the right area. Cast a few times in the first few hours because until you lift that rod and wind in you won't really know how it feels and how it all comes back. Also you'll be depositing small sticks here and there in your swim which will be beneficial. I'd rather grind up some boilies and mix with breadcrumb to fire out as small balls than use actual boilies.
Be silent.
Don't use a marker, use a 1 oz lead, gently. If you're going to use a marker do it another time, not while you're fishing, midweek after work? This will greatly assist you and other anglers. Not a lot of point in creeping into a swim, quietly setting everything up, gently using a one ounce lead and carefully placing your baits if some oike 30 yards away comes in and starts thrashing the water to foam now is there?
I learned the hard way that at this time of year when the water is cold, too much bait can kill a swim (and an entire lake!). For days on end.
"You can put it in, but you can't take it out".
Take with you only what you need, so that's less than a kilo and you might only use a few handfuls of that over three days. By all means use a bright popup. Make up some soaked boilie/bread crumb for sticks. That's all you need, no freebies are needed if its in the right area. Cast a few times in the first few hours because until you lift that rod and wind in you won't really know how it feels and how it all comes back. Also you'll be depositing small sticks here and there in your swim which will be beneficial. I'd rather grind up some boilies and mix with breadcrumb to fire out as small balls than use actual boilies.
Be silent.
Don't use a marker, use a 1 oz lead, gently. If you're going to use a marker do it another time, not while you're fishing, midweek after work? This will greatly assist you and other anglers. Not a lot of point in creeping into a swim, quietly setting everything up, gently using a one ounce lead and carefully placing your baits if some oike 30 yards away comes in and starts thrashing the water to foam now is there?
I learned the hard way that at this time of year when the water is cold, too much bait can kill a swim (and an entire lake!). For days on end.
"You can put it in, but you can't take it out".
So it's quality and simplicity, remember the waters cold, they can't digest bait as easily and they want nowt but a snack at this time of year.
Find the areas that get the most sun (**if you were down for walks when it was iced over then you'll know where from seeing the first thaws ).
Don't crowd a spot, use your rods in distinct individual areas. The fish won't be moving around much if at all so you want to play the percentages by maximising areas covered. Its likely only one spot will produce and its likely that fish will be on its own until the rest have woken up.
Always, always have that third rod (if its allowed) in the margins. This is where many early season hatches start, simply because of the shallower depth. It might be your margin, or the far one. If the lee side of an island (sheltered) gets the sun, put one on it.
Think about where the most *comfortable spot's are.
Carp often come out in the evenings at this time of year more than mornings, so have a lie in. Better still, have that lie in at home and do afternoon into dusk short sessions, that way you can move about more and find those fish. If you get a bite by all means, get the bivvy out of the motor and stay a while.
Find the areas that get the most sun (**if you were down for walks when it was iced over then you'll know where from seeing the first thaws ).
Don't crowd a spot, use your rods in distinct individual areas. The fish won't be moving around much if at all so you want to play the percentages by maximising areas covered. Its likely only one spot will produce and its likely that fish will be on its own until the rest have woken up.
Always, always have that third rod (if its allowed) in the margins. This is where many early season hatches start, simply because of the shallower depth. It might be your margin, or the far one. If the lee side of an island (sheltered) gets the sun, put one on it.
Think about where the most *comfortable spot's are.
Carp often come out in the evenings at this time of year more than mornings, so have a lie in. Better still, have that lie in at home and do afternoon into dusk short sessions, that way you can move about more and find those fish. If you get a bite by all means, get the bivvy out of the motor and stay a while.
Creep about, don't march.
One guy on one famous water (that shall remain nameless) walked around the lake 2-3 times a day. You could hear him coming from way off and I've no doubt so could the carp.
The carp will always seek out undisturbed areas.
If you're lucky and the place isn't busy and you've been quiet and careful you'll get a bite. The fish won't be super sensitive like late season, so a well presented popup will help them take the bait more easily and give you a better hook-hold. You don't want to be hooking them in the scissors.
Like I say the carp won't be moving about much, neither will they when picking up a bait, so, use a flat-lead system if you can and at this time of year, that's much easier without so much weed about.
One guy on one famous water (that shall remain nameless) walked around the lake 2-3 times a day. You could hear him coming from way off and I've no doubt so could the carp.
The carp will always seek out undisturbed areas.
If you're lucky and the place isn't busy and you've been quiet and careful you'll get a bite. The fish won't be super sensitive like late season, so a well presented popup will help them take the bait more easily and give you a better hook-hold. You don't want to be hooking them in the scissors.
Like I say the carp won't be moving about much, neither will they when picking up a bait, so, use a flat-lead system if you can and at this time of year, that's much easier without so much weed about.
You can be sure that if others are catching then so will you, so patience is the key. Look at your first sessions as the foundations you lay for the rest of the season. Move about, this is where short sessions (if you can do them) without a bivvy and all that comes with it is most helpful.
Eventually you will start catching but only if you carefully lay out your approach and use sensible tactics.
Spring can be the very best time of the year and that’s also when most fish get caught, so be lucky and have fun!
Eventually you will start catching but only if you carefully lay out your approach and use sensible tactics.
Spring can be the very best time of the year and that’s also when most fish get caught, so be lucky and have fun!
Pictures; Woolpack lake 3, Shallows swim on the west bank / 31.6 lb spring common from Woolpack lake 7 / Woolpack Lake 8 early spring