Carp fishing methods advice please

[Davyr]

the third was soft wax ear plugs..

Why did I read that as "soft ear wax"? :hide:

[Waterweed]

Dear Mark, I would suggest that, as we head towards the warmer months, you focus your attention on the lake margins (or, at least, not too far out up to 3-4 feet deep). Gently lower a baited hook into the water, close to the edge. Nothing but the hook and line is needed. The bait should be on the bottom, so you will need to choose an area that is free of weed. Set the rod on two rests horizontal to the bank and pointing directly towards the hookbait. The line from rod tip to bait need not be tight. Leave it hanging fairly slack and be sure that it cannot get caught on anything such as bankside reeds. Pull line from the reel, and take a loop of line from between the rings about two thirds of the way up the rod. A loop 2 feet long is about right. Then fold a small strip of tin foil around the end of the loop and set it on the grass below the rod.(If it's windy put a small, thin twig on the foil to stop it blowing about). Throw in a handful of bait around the hookbait. Keep loosefeed to a minimum, just a small amount now and again.

Sit well back from the edge (but within reach of the rod, and in sight of the tin foil), and remain still and quiet. Fishing at such close range requires a great degree of stealth on the part of the angler. Drab coloured clothing is an advantage. So is sitting behind a tree or bush! There is no need to re-cast often, just be patient and with a bit of luck it should not be too long before a carp comes to investigate (Bubbles and swirls etc...). Towards dusk is a great time for this method and when the carp picks up your bait you will see the tin foil twitch and then rise up towards rod. STRIKE! - Believe me, the sense of anticipation that you experience when you know that a big carp is nosing around near your hookbait almost at your feet, will have your heart racing! You can also float fish in the margins more easily.

Suggested baits are- Sweetcorn (2 grains on a size 8 barbless), Maggots, Worms and Fishmeal pastes or pellets. Try a little hemp seed in the loosefeed as well. Each water seems to have a currently successful bait, so consulting other anglers is often wise. Despite the modern trend towards secrecy, most anglers will, in fact, be more than happy to advise. I don't know what size the carp in your lake run too but, considering that you mention that it is very weedy, I would suggest strong tackle and line. At the weedy lake that I fish, I use nothing less than 12lb line. I wish you the very best of luck! :hat:

[Beresford]

If you've got lilies close in cast your floating bait over them and tweak it back very gently so the bait is just resting on the edge of a pad. Your line will be lying across the pad and hidden so use 12lbs line if your rod is designed to cope with it. On my local pool the carp a very wary but they loose this once they are feeding in the pads.

Another trick I use – pick up a short twig, say about 1/4 inch round and perhaps 6 inches long. Attach this to your line with a float rubber at each end. Experiment with how far from the hook works best – in close I usually get takes with the twig almost touching the hook. It hides the line and free baits often end up trapped against twigs in the surface scum.

[Loop Erimder]

If bottom feeding and dare I say with boilies if you attached a string of 5 or 6 of the same hook bait ( now the carp have a nack of eating all the free offerings except the hook bait) on the string of free offerings, square one of the boiles off then maybe just maybe they will think that's a bit strange I'll leave that one alone and continue to gobble up all the round ones. In affect you are using a red herring to fool the crafty buggers. Can try with big squares of luncheon meat and then make a round one so they leave that one alone

[Loop Erimder]

Attach a piece of corn to a 2inch length of line (no hook) and tie that about 8 inches away from the hook that has a piece of corn on it, drop the hook and bait along with 10-15 pieces of corn into a pva bag, cast and wait. Basically, try and make a single bait look like a hooked bait which isnt and keep the real hooked bait tight to the freebies

[Loop Erimder]

Mind you , saying that with the corn, you wanna hope that the carp doesnt actually grab the fake hook bait and tear off and then when you strike nothing........ unless you get a stubborn carp and wont let go then you can have a tug 'o' war with him

[Snape]

Attach a piece of corn to a 2inch length of line (no hook) and tie that about 8 inches away from the hook that has a piece of corn on it, drop the hook and bait along with 10-15 pieces of corn into a pva bag, cast and wait. Basically, try and make a single bait look like a hooked bait which isnt and keep the real hooked bait tight to the freebies

I did look at a book on advanced carp fishing techniques once and there was a set up with this idea. The hook bait was the same as the freebies but there was a very buoyant large fluorescent dummy bait further up which stood out like a sore thumb and so they avoided it.
Of course there is the reverse idea that the better fish hold off from the freebies and nibble around the edges picking the odd one or two freebies, therefore put out the freebies but put the hookbait on its own away from them....

[Loop Erimder]

....... I suppose you get some daft carp and some very clever carp and know all the rules as long as we keep trying to fool them they'll keep laughing at us

[Snape]

I've tended to prefer CY's technique which caught the Bishop of just putting out half a dozen freebies and the hookbait rather than lots of freebies but then in fishing I prefer hunting to trapping.

[Beresford]

If you've got lilies close in cast your floating bait over them and tweak it back very gently so the bait is just resting on the edge of a pad. Your line will be lying across the pad and hidden so use 12lbs line if your rod is designed to cope with it. On my local pool the carp a very wary but they loose this once they are feeding in the pads.

Another trick I use – pick up a short twig, say about 1/4 inch round and perhaps 6 inches long. Attach this to your line with a float rubber at each end. Experiment with how far from the hook works best – in close I usually get takes with the twig almost touching the hook. It hides the line and free baits often end up trapped against twigs in the surface scum.

They're wary alright.
Unlike in Walker's time, the world and his Uncle ar now trying to catch 'em.
You could just use my natural wood controllers for any distance and save searching the banks for the correct specification twig, often making other anglers think you have lost the keys to the Ford Popular. :hahaha:
What is the biggest carp you have banked using your above described method Beresford?

Keyed a long replay and it never showed up… ho hum. 17lbs, not big, but very good for this water. It's not so much the size as the fact that the method works well during the day when the boilie lads don't even get a sniff having herded the carp to nice quiet insignificant looking corners for me.

Snape
I agree. My buzz is catching fish I've seen before I cast for them.