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Early Spring Carp - Phil Spinks
With the rivers now closed and the weather on the change, I turn my attention to carp fishing. Having said that, this winter saw me fishing for carp in the colder months more than usual due to travel restrictions and lockdown.
It was nice to catch a few carp during the winter, the winter water clarity is so clear this often means the fish look stunning in their winter colours. I don’t mind admitting the winter carping was difficult at times, especially when the snow and really cold weather set in after Christmas.
It feels so rewarding when a nice big carp slips in the net, especially when the odds are stacked against you, although it was very painful one particular afternoon when what felt like a heavy fish fell off at long range.
Conditions are improving now, and the lake is now waking up. In the depths of winter, I could go weeks between seeing carp show. But now I'm seeing signs of fish most days and if I play my cards right, I’m catching a fish or two.
I’m sure there has been hundreds of blogs and articles written about carp fishing in the early spring. However, the following paragraphs detail my approach, and I feel I may fish slightly different to most anglers.
I’ve mentioned before how effective fishing bright single pop ups can be, but I am definitely a bait angler, I fish very confidently. The carp are now waking up and carp love eating!
My syndicate lake is full of big roach and hungry bream. I’m not scared of getting them feeding in front of me. I like to create competition for the bait. Once the carp move in the other species seem to back off.
My go to spod mix is very simple and cost effective. I mix together 6mm or 8mm coarse pellets, sweetcorn, whole and chopped sticky baits manilla boilies and give the mix and extra kick with some manilla liquid.
As with all my fishing I feed a little and often, fish for a bite at a time. At the end of the days fishing, I like to bait my spot quite heavily. It keeps the spots primed and help get the carp used to finding bait again.
Top 5 early spring carp fishing tips.
- Find the fish! Don’t rush to swim. Take time to walk the lake before starting.
- Fish on the wind but off the wind. Sometimes the effect of some early spring sunshine will attract the carp more than a carpy wind.
- Bait little and often. Top up the swim every hour or two or after each bite.
- Pre bait. If your fishery allows it prime a few spots to wake up the carp.
- KISS! Keep It Stupidly Simple! Don’t get over complicated with trendy rigs. Use a neat tidy presentation that doesn’t tangle.
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A great start!
My spring fishing has got off to an absolute flier this year. One particular morning all seemed very quiet, it was still very cold if I'm honest. I had seen some carp showing in the area while having a walk round the lake the previous evening. But this particular morning now than I had two rods with me they seemed less active.
I felt the fish would still be in the area, but perhaps the cold northerly wind had slowed the activity. Around lunchtime I was very close to throwing the towel in. Then something changed! The cold wind stopped blowing, the sun came out and my coat came off.
It’s hard to explain why but I suddenly felt super confident. After all the fish I saw show previously where in the late afternoon on my walk round the previous day.
Then down the margin to my left a nice thickset carp poked its head out, then again, then a third time! My left-hand rod was soon reeled in and repositioned near the showing fish. A snow man presentation on a long hair with a tiny PVA mesh bag of crumbled baits was my choice.
I fished the rod locked up in the rests with the rod butt pushed into a gripper type rear rest. If or when the bite occurred, I needed to be ready.
It wasn’t too long, I heard the delkim burst into life. The rod was bent double in the rests but the gripper rest and snag ears did their job. The first 30 seconds were panic stations. I applied heavy side strain! Big fish feel altogether different, they use their weight more during the fight. This fish was very powerful, and it plodded down the margin. Once I felt I had gained some kind of control I eased off the side strain and lifted the rod up higher feeling very relieved that the carp was now plodding in open water in front of me.
I stayed as calm as I could playing the fish as carefully as I could. I have recently switched to the Korda Krank hooks and had become very confident with my hook holds even though there is a barbless hook rule on my syndicate.
After a few very tense moments a beautiful and very large common was nearly ready to be netted. Due to high water levels, I was already waring my waders thankfully. I stepped into the margins and watched with great relief as the carp went safely into the net.
It looked BIG! Maybe my judgment was cloudy due to not seeing too many big carp through the colder months? With the carp now safe in the retention sling I called the lake owner, Martin, to come and assist me in filming some footage for a series of films we are working on together at Homersfield lake.
When the scales settled on 43lb 4oz I was over the moon. What made the fish even more special was the fact neither of us recognised the fish. It was one of the lake's older commons for sure. But not a 40lber I can remember ever seeing.
After catching such a nice fish so early in the year my confidence is buzzing and I'm really looking forward to the warmer times and hopefully seeing my bobbins lift a few more times before the tench rods come out.
Good luck to you with your fishing this year, hopefully we can ease out of lockdown safely. The world definitely seems a calmer and better place when you are cuddling a 40lb common.
Tight lines & stay safe
Phil