This approach is one that I’ve written about extensively over the last 10 years. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of predictability and rely on trends, local advice, known spots, popular presentations, the ‘going bait’ and various other factors. In short, if your default position is following, nodding and regurgitating then it is likely your trip will end in failure, possibly spectacularly so.
It’s vital to realise that fishing on popular holiday venues means you’re targeting very wary fish. A good commercial French venue will be fully booked every day of the week, for as much as 10 months of the year. The only time the majority of swims will be empty will be for two hours on Saturday morning – that’s carp fishing pressure on steroids. We have nothing that can compare with that level of angling intensity in the UK.
The result is that the fishing can get very hard – generally speaking, the days are long gone when a group of lads could travel abroad and all catch so many carp that they’d have to wind in halfway through the week for a break. The reality of modern holiday carping is that if you travel as a group, a couple of you will blank, two of you might catch a couple and one of you might do really well.
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Of course, there are times when even the hardest venue switches on and pumps out a load of fish, but that can happen anywhere, and it’s unlikely to coincide with your booking.
Turn up and fish the recommended spots with the suggested bait and rig at your peril – that’s exactly how the swim would have been fished the week before you arrived. If you take the carp for mugs, it’s they who’ll have the last laugh as you travel home with a dry net.
LEARN HOW TO USE THE ONLY CARP RIGS YOU WILL EVER NEED IN THIS TACTICS ARTICLE.
Tips for a happy holiday or booking session
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Try to establish what the going trends are on the lake in terms of baits (boilies or particles), rigs and hookbaits. Then try to plan to avoid all the obvious pitfalls by heading in a different direction.
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Instead of taking advice on ‘casting to the pylon at 15 wraps’ find your own spots where the fish aren’t used to coming across pressure.
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If there’s fish activity in your area, take careful note. Although you’re in a swim, watercraft can still play a huge part in your success. Look to target the areas of activity – it is always much easier to catch carp that are already in an area than by hoping they come to you.
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Always be prepared to fish in an unorthodox style. Things that rarely get seen on foreign holiday venues include solid bags, Chods, singles and small hooks. When the angling is hard, super-hot Peperami is a deadly hookbait, and fishing that with a little bag of pellets has caught me a lot of fish.
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More bait does not always equal more fish. One of the best sessions I ever had in France saw me use not much more than 5kg of boilies. I’d observed an area the fish were using (the near side of a bar, about 50 yards out) and I set two rods there, each carrying a low pop-up which matched my free bait. I baited with two just Spombs of boilies over the top and went on to catch well over 30 fish to 63lb. Every time I got a bite, I’d redo the rod and add just two more Spombs. Carp on very pressured lakes simply don’t get fished for in this manner and it proved extremely effective.
GET MORE GREAT CARP FISHING TIPS FROM ADAM PENNING IN THIS SUMMER CARP FISHING ARTICLE.