Popular venues such as Linear Fisheries and Bluebell Lakes are brilliant places to catch carp,
and big ones too! These pressured waters are no pushover, however, and you are often competing against other anglers as much as the fish. We asked prolific carp hauler Kev Hewitt how he manages to stay ahead of the pack to consistently catch carp!
"I’ve spent countless hours on these venues and others like them, and have gradually honed my approach to maximise my results. Here, then, are my main pointers to sustained success."
Watch the water
It’s something you’ll have heard many times, but it can’t be overstated. You have to find out where the fish are, and then put your rigs as close to them as possible. Don’t just turn up and jump in the first available swim you find.
Once you’ve located them, you need to get them in a feeding mood. I’m happy to put bait in on top of fish. They may spook briefly, but I’m not worried about this because if it’s an area of the lake they want to be in, they will come back. On the higher-stock venues, they are even attracted to the Spomb, because they associate it with food. I can think of several occasions when I’ve not seen anything, put in bait, and
they have turned up.
LET IAN RUSSELL EXPLAIN HOW TO BAIT UP YOUR SWIM TO CATCH MORE CARP!
Find the right spots
For how I fish and apply bait, I am looking for a clean spot or an area of light chod. I’ve always struggled to particle fish over heavy weed and get bites, despite having rigs like the ‘chod’ that can present a hookbait over it. Clear spots are a safer bet for heavy feeding with lots of small bits – after all, they’re only clear because they’ve been fed on regularly.
Areas of low-lying weed or light chod are still worth investigating. In fact, if you use these areas to make your own clear spot, they can become really productive, and they’ll often get increasingly better as you apply the bait. Many times I’ve transformed a spot that feels slightly choddy at first into a golden clear spot.
CHOD RIGS ARE GREAT IN WEED, BUT SO ARE THESE EXCELLENT CARP RIGS!
Bait to the conditions
When it comes to bait application, I like to have a tight concentrated patch of bait. I have no set amount, and let the conditions dictate how much I use. A good rule to follow is that it’s better to apply less bait with better accuracy, rather than having a lot of bait spread all over the swim. Depth is an important factor to consider too. In deep water I tend to put in more and use heavier food items to achieve my desired concentration on the bottom. Fewer and lighter particles are better suited to shallow water of less than 12ft.
USING ONE OF THE BEST SPOD RODS WILL HELP YOU BAIT UP ACCURATELY.
Have three tactics ready
While I’m primarily a bait angler, I will always go on a session armed with three approaches. If the baited spot isn’t happening, I then have two other methods to fall back on to try to get a few bites. These are
solid bags and zig rigs. I’m not a big fan of single hookbaits, so when searching carp out on the bottom, the solid bag is a great alternative.
The small parcel of food they deliver produces a great presentation and offers just enough attraction to draw the fish in. A lot of the waters I fish are deep, and this is where the zigs come into play. Carp spend a lot of time off bottom, where they feel safer. A piece of black foam in their eyeline is a deadly way to catch them.
On the heavier stocked waters, like Linear’s Brasenose 1 & 2 or Bluebell’s Mallard Lake, I would Spomb a cloudy mix over the top of these to encourage fish into the area. Give my tried-and-trusted approach a go this year and with any luck the carp gods will be smiling down on you!
THE BEST BUDGET BIVVIES WILL HELP KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE ON THE BANK FOR LESS.
