We run through the best ten tips to help you bank more carp this spring!
We run through the best ten tips to help you bank more carp this spring!
Spring is without doubt the best time to be out on the bank, as the temperatures begin to climb, so does the carp’s metabolism. Being cold blooded, the warmer weather signifies a change to the carp, and wakes them from their winter slumber. As a result, they become far easier to catch, but you can stack the odds even more in your favour by following a few simple rules. Here are our best, top tips for the spring, guaranteed to help improve your early season catch rate!
TIP 1BRIGHT HOOKBAITS
Fluoro hookbaits are a must for the spring, as they are arguably even more effective as the weather warms than they are in the winter! Whether you fish them over bait or on their own, bright hookbaits are bound to score you extra bites. As a rule, early spring is generally better for single, bright hookbait fishing, whereas later in the season, as the carp become more and more active, the best results come over a baited area.
TIP 1BRIGHT HOOKBAITS
Fluoro hookbaits are a must for the spring, as they are arguably even more effective as the weather warms than they are in the winter! Whether you fish them over bait or on their own, bright hookbaits are bound to score you extra bites. As a rule, early spring is generally better for single, bright hookbait fishing, whereas later in the season, as the carp become more and more active, the best results come over a baited area.
TIP 2SHALLOW AREAS
When targeting open water zones in the spring, it is worth paying particular attention to the shallowest areas of your target venue. These areas will increase in temperature much faster than the deeper parts of the lake and as such will draw the carp to them, often in great numbers. Shallow bays or large plateaus are great places to target.
TIP 2SHALLOW AREAS
When targeting open water zones in the spring, it is worth paying particular attention to the shallowest areas of your target venue. These areas will increase in temperature much faster than the deeper parts of the lake and as such will draw the carp to them, often in great numbers. Shallow bays or large plateaus are great places to target.
TIP 3BUILD UP THE BAIT
It’s easy to get caught in a trap of piling the bait in as soon as the first days of spring occur. However, it does take the water a while to warm up fully, so it is actually more beneficial to build up your baiting slowly. Starting with single hookbaits for the first couple of weeks, to a few handfuls of bait and eventually moving to big beds of boilies in the latter part of spring.
TIP 3BUILD UP THE BAIT
It’s easy to get caught in a trap of piling the bait in as soon as the first days of spring occur. However, it does take the water a while to warm up fully, so it is actually more beneficial to build up your baiting slowly. Starting with single hookbaits for the first couple of weeks, to a few handfuls of bait and eventually moving to big beds of boilies in the latter part of spring.
TIP 4CHECK THE MARGINS
The margins come alive with the first swathes of spring sunshine, with the natural food flourishing and temperature rising, it’s no wonder the carp gather within feet of the bank. Small, baited traps, often close to some cover can score very well during the spring. Small baits like crumbed boilies, pellets and sweetcorn seem to produce the best too, as the carp are in the margins to search out small natural food items.
TIP 4CHECK THE MARGINS
The margins come alive with the first swathes of spring sunshine, with the natural food flourishing and temperature rising, it’s no wonder the carp gather within feet of the bank. Small, baited traps, often close to some cover can score very well during the spring. Small baits like crumbed boilies, pellets and sweetcorn seem to produce the best too, as the carp are in the margins to search out small natural food items.
TIP 5SOLID BAGS
There’s no doubt solid PVA bags work very well all year round, but in the spring when the carp become highly nomadic, they can be a godsend. A solid bag is basically a single hookbait on steroids, with the massive amount of attraction you can pack into the bag, it just lifts it to another level. Chasing the carp around, casting super attractive solid bags at them can be a highly successful tactic, as is lowering them in marginal areas.
TIP 5SOLID BAGS
There’s no doubt solid PVA bags work very well all year round, but in the spring when the carp become highly nomadic, they can be a godsend. A solid bag is basically a single hookbait on steroids, with the massive amount of attraction you can pack into the bag, it just lifts it to another level. Chasing the carp around, casting super attractive solid bags at them can be a highly successful tactic, as is lowering them in marginal areas.
TIP 6SOUTH WEST SIDE
Just like you would love a south west facing garden, the carp love them too! More often than not, the carp can be found on the south west facing bank in the spring, particularly in the morning period. It is the area that receives the sun more consistently throughout the day and therefore becomes a desirable area for the carp to sit in. It also gains the benefit of warm south westerly winds too, further improving the environment in favour of the carp!
TIP 6SOUTH WEST SIDE
Just like you would love a south west facing garden, the carp love them too! More often than not, the carp can be found on the south west facing bank in the spring, particularly in the morning period. It is the area that receives the sun more consistently throughout the day and therefore becomes a desirable area for the carp to sit in. It also gains the benefit of warm south westerly winds too, further improving the environment in favour of the carp!
TIP 7UPPER LAYERS
Zigs can be a huge edge in the spring, as the natural insect life in the lake takes advantage of the warmer weather, so do the carp! Fly hatches are a regular occurrence throughout the spring, and the carp love nothing more than smashing into a cloud of hatching larvae. In order to target them, you have to use zig rigs and suspend a bait right in their eyesight! Black foam is great for imitating a natural food item, especially soaked in Bloodworm Bait Spray. Alternatively, you can trigger an aggressive, almost curious bite using a small fluoro pop-up too, as the carp’s inquisitive nature works right in your favour when they come across a glowing beacon whilst going about its daily business.
TIP 7UPPER LAYERS
Zigs can be a huge edge in the spring, as the natural insect life in the lake takes advantage of the warmer weather, so do the carp! Fly hatches are a regular occurrence throughout the spring, and the carp love nothing more than smashing into a cloud of hatching larvae. In order to target them, you have to use zig rigs and suspend a bait right in their eyesight! Black foam is great for imitating a natural food item, especially soaked in Bloodworm Bait Spray. Alternatively, you can trigger an aggressive, almost curious bite using a small fluoro pop-up too, as the carp’s inquisitive nature works right in your favour when they come across a glowing beacon whilst going about its daily business.
TIP 8PRE-BAITING
Spring is the perfect time to start a baiting campaign on your target venue, which will see you in good stead for the rest of the year. Just a few boilies trickled into a few likely looking areas will be enough to begin with, but as soon as the weather starts hitting mid-double figures consistently, it is time to up your baiting! A few doubles or a pair of twenties can easily work their way through a kilo of boilies in no time, so try and bait regularly with as much as you can, using particles or pellets to add bulk to your mix can seriously help polish your spots, while keeping the costs down to a minimum.
TIP 8PRE-BAITING
Spring is the perfect time to start a baiting campaign on your target venue, which will see you in good stead for the rest of the year. Just a few boilies trickled into a few likely looking areas will be enough to begin with, but as soon as the weather starts hitting mid-double figures consistently, it is time to up your baiting! A few doubles or a pair of twenties can easily work their way through a kilo of boilies in no time, so try and bait regularly with as much as you can, using particles or pellets to add bulk to your mix can seriously help polish your spots, while keeping the costs down to a minimum.
TIP 9SURFACE GEAR
Those first few rays of sunshine that signify the start of spring can often bring carp so high in the water that they become highly susceptible to surface baits! You will be kicking yourself if you don’t pack your surface gear and the weather becomes unseasonably warm, like It often does in the early parts of spring. A small bag, a bucket of Krill Floaters and a spare rod and reel won’t be noticed in your kit and could come in handy if you get a spring scorcher!
TIP 9SURFACE GEAR
Those first few rays of sunshine that signify the start of spring can often bring carp so high in the water that they become highly susceptible to surface baits! You will be kicking yourself if you don’t pack your surface gear and the weather becomes unseasonably warm, like It often does in the early parts of spring. A small bag, a bucket of Krill Floaters and a spare rod and reel won’t be noticed in your kit and could come in handy if you get a spring scorcher!
TIP 10BE MOBILE
Making the extra effort to move onto signs of fish is of course important at all times of the year, but even more so in spring. The carp are very much on the move in spring and can be extremely hard to pin down to a certain area for a full session. As such it pays to be on your toes and try and be one step ahead of them.
TIP 10BE MOBILE
Making the extra effort to move onto signs of fish is of course important at all times of the year, but even more so in spring. The carp are very much on the move in spring and can be extremely hard to pin down to a certain area for a full session. As such it pays to be on your toes and try and be one step ahead of them.
