New member and plea for Carp fishing help!

[BenEagles22]

Hello,

I've just joined TFF.
I'm primarily interested in catching carp - winter and summer.
I'd be very interested to hear of others fishing without a hair rig and what baits have been successful.
Many thanks,
Ben

[Julian]

Welcome aboard Ben.

I mainly fish for carp, never use hair rigs, and most of the time Its surface fishing , using dog biscuits or floating bread (including occasionally in the winter).
If I fish on the bottom then it will be freelining or light legering ( half ounce bomb maximum), or float fishing. Baits would be almost anything- lobworm, breadflake, oily pellets, kidney beans, maggots, sweetcorn, luncheon meat/ spam.
I rarely fish more than 15 yards out and often within a few feet of the bank.

[JAA]

^what Julian said^ and read 'Still Water Angling', 'Carp and the Carp Angler' and everything by jim Gibbinson. You can't catch them if you can't find them.

[Snape]

Exactly what Julian said.
My favourite methods are surface fishing with dog biscuits or bread. Freelined (no surface controller) and float fishing the margin with luncheon meat, corn, prawn, worms etc etc. I rarely ledger in still water but if I do it would be with a light free running lead and a bobbin (old style fairy liquid bottle top) or tin foil for an indicator.

[Mark]

Welcome to the forum Ben.

[JAA]

You could do worse than have a read of our own Carping Gnome's website as well.

http://www.carpinggnome.com/197224916

[Snape]

You could do worse than have a read of our own Carping Gnome's website as well.

http://www.carpinggnome.com/197224916

Hear, hear. Gary certainly knows his stuff.

[AshbyCut]

A hearty welcome, Sir.

[BenEagles22]

Thanks everyone. Very helpful indeed.
I've recently read everything on Gary's site and also all of Chris Yates's books.
Great to get some new reading tips and bait advice.
The lake I fish has carp to 35lb. With no hair rig, what line strength would folks recommend?
Thanks again,
Ben

[Mitch300]

Welcome aboard, Ben.

A couple of grains of sweetcorn or a chunk of breadflake on a size 8 hook direct to 10-pound line will often work just fine, and are my usual baits of choice. However, carp in lakes can be quite particular depending on what they have seen in the past, and some local knowledge of successful baits can be very helpful. Depending on what else is in the lake, you might find yourself choosing a bait that other species would not be attracted to, though I hope you celebrate the occasional bream or tench you might land. Yates points out in a couple of his books everything that is distasteful about modern carp `trapping', and hopefully similar views have brought you to TFF.

Enjoy the forum!

G. B.