There are two types of carp angler – hunters and trappers. Are you the kind who finds a spot, baits it, and waits? Or do you pursue the fish relentlessly around the lake?
With the pressured nature of day-ticket venues these days, it’s becoming increasingly hard to fall into the second category, but if you do, and you want to catch the biggest carp in the lake, there’s a method you must have in your armoury – floatfishing.
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EARLY INDICATION
When I started carp fishing back in 1975, the majority fished a float and, as with anything, the carp got used to the presentation and sensation of the approach. These days, the polar opposite is true – they just aren’t used to seeing line falling vertically from the surface.
Its biggest benefit, however, is early indication. The majority of modern tactics require a lead to set the hook before you get any bite indication. This comes with its downsides, in that the carp can often use the weight of the lead as a pivot point to eject the rig, with the angler often mistaking these indications and rod knocks as line bites.
With a float you can hit the cautious bites in an instant.
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COVER AND STEALTH
If you’re intending to fish the float, the first thing you need to find is cover, and among the best features are lily pads. When floatfishing for carp, my line often lays across the surface from the float to the rod-tip, so the closer you can fish to the bank, the better. For this reason, stealth is essential. You have to be quiet, stay hidden and minimise your footfall, so that the fish will be confident enough to come close in.
UP OR DOWN?
There are two ways I fish a float for big carp, and deciding which to use starts with the question – do I want a float that goes under or shoots to the surface?
The ‘Sunken Float’ or ‘Lift Method’ is the more sensitive of the two. I fish it with around 4ins-6ins of line on the bottom, with two swan shot or a decent weight a short distance away. This holds all but the very tip of the float under the surface. When the float rises, you have a bite, and yes, you have to do what a lot of us have forgotten these days – strike! The way carp feed, where they pretty much have to stand on their heads, forces the shot to lift off the bottom and the float to rise. You don’t get false indications... every time the float breaks the surface it’s a bite.
My preferred floatfishing method for big carp is ‘stret-pegging’. This allows you to fish significantly overdepth with a bow in the line, and is far less conspicuous to the fish.
The float effectively sits at a 45-degree angle, and you get a straightening of the float before it disappears. As a rough guide, I’d be setting a float at around 6ft depth in 4ft of water.
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STOUT GEAR
You need strong gear to fish the float like this at close quarters. I prefer a through-actioned rod of 1.75-2lb test curve. I would accompany this with a reel loaded with a minimum of 11lb-12lb mainline. At the business end there is no need for hair rigs – the bait should be simply nicked or tied on to a size 8 hook.
COMBATING WEED
One thing to be mindful of when fishing the float is weed. If the float is fixed bottom end only on the line weed can be a real nightmare and clog up around it during the fight. The way to get around this is to attach the float with float rubbers. Done this way, the float can simply fall off.
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KEEPING IT NATURAL
I’ve found that floatfishing singles out the biggest carp, often the loners, and I’ve caught fish to 52lb 6oz using this approach. With this in mind, I opt to feed with big individual natural baits.
In the summer, I’ve observed big carp working the margins, almost singling out small fry or natural items on the bottom.
My favourite baits for the float are prawns, mussels, shrimps, lobworms and cockles. I would scatter 8-10 of these along a margin, sit back and wait.
The carp will literally work the margins, picking up each free offering, before picking up the hookbait without caution, and then of course, as we previously discussed, the indication is so clear that you can strike and hit the bite.
Floatfishing is a forgotten art, but one that works incredibly well for big fish of all species, so it’s a brilliant string to add to your bow in summer.
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