My Spring Fishing Approach
As anglers, throughout the usually bleak winter period our thoughts are fixated on spring time. When spring does eventually arrive there is a sense of renewed optimism for what may lay ahead during the warmer months of the year. The waters are beginning to come alive with weed growth, lily pads and increased signs of carp activity, with the surrounding environment changing drastically in appearance too. The dreary landscape is replaced with the emergence of colour and life. It is a truly exciting time in the mind of the carp angler, and it is most certainly the best time to be out on the bank.
In this article I will discuss how I approach my fishing during the spring, which will hopefully provide you with a few useful hints and tips that you can incorporate into your fishing.
Spring into action with singles and zigs
As spring arrives, I move away from the solid bags used throughout the winter and opt for a single hook-bait approach. This is not to say that solid bags do not work during spring, however in my experience I have found that they are not as effective as carp are more likely to snatch at a single high-viz hook-bait whilst meandering along the lakebed.
The fish are truly beginning to wake up during the spring and occupy more varied areas of the lake, often in search of a quick meal as their metabolism increases in line with the warmer weather. In tandem with this the carp’s senses are becoming more heightened, so smell and sight play a big role in my approach.
My personal favorite single hook-bait is a bright yellow pop up which has soaked in goo all winter long. I fish my single hook-bait on the ever faithful Ronnie rig or Multi-rig (if the fishing situation allows). The mechanics of both rigs are extremely effective and I have ultimate faith in their presentation and hooking capabilities, so would highly suggest looking into how to construct these rigs if they are not in your armory already.
Zigs can be a devastating approach all year round, but I find that spring is when they really come into their own. I am a firm believer that carp spend the majority of their time in the upper layers of the water which are far warmer than the depths. If I am unable to fish a swim that provides access to margins and/or shallow water I will always have at least one rod on a zig. My go to hook bait is black foam, again soaked in a mixture of different goos. I will always search the water column a foot at a time in 30 minute intervals until I find the depth the fish are sat at. Remember that sometimes even a foot can make all the difference.
Location
Location is undoubtedly the most important factor in carp fishing all year round. But in the spring I like to target areas of the lake where the sun permeates the water for much of the day. Shallow water and margins are the first point of interest, and with a pair of polarized sunglasses you can easily spot any carp in an area. On my walk around the lake I always take my bait bucket and bait up a few likely looking spots. This provides me with options should I not be able to locate the carp straight away.
Failing to find fish in the margins or shallow water, I will opt to fish towards a growing weed bed which are hives of activity for carp in the spring, providing them with oxygen rich water during the day time. Carp also use these areas for safety away from angler’s lines, and undoubtedly feed with more confidence when they are near the security of a weed bed. Gravel bars should also not be ignored as they offer the carp a passage along the lake which is always a warmer temperature than the depths, so can be a great place to intercept passing shoals of carp.
As we all know the lakes start to become busier in the spring, as ‘fair weather anglers’ start to pick up their rods again. I find that in nearly all cases the main body of water becomes pressured by lines. At this point I look to head for the corners of the lake, or any areas that are away from the bulk of pressure (especially on day ticket waters). Shallow bays with a south/westerly wind blowing in will undoubtedly hold fish during the spring.
Baiting Approach
My type of bait changes as the spring month’s progress and the water warms, however my deployment of bait remains the same. I introduce my bait on a little and often approach, and this will continue all the way through the seasons. I typically opt for 3 handfuls or 3 small spods on my chosen area every hour or so. This has proven fruitful on many occasion for me, but I always keep in the back of my mind that you cannot take out but can always put more in, so always bait cautiously to begin with and increase the level depending on the carp’s reaction.
At the beginning of the season my bait will consist of Mainline Cell (crumb, chops and halves) mixed with particle which include maize, hemp, pellet and other seeds/pulses. Remember - the carp are still lethargic and grazing more than ravenously eating bait so small, easily digestible items are best.
During mid-spring I will begin to add Mainline Link (crumb, chops and halves) to my bait in preparation for the summer. The ratio I use is roughly 30% Link to 70% Cell. At the same time I will also drop the hemp, pellet, and seeds/pulses from my bait as the fish are well awake now and will be searching for larger food items.
As spring turns to summer my thoughts are on how to amass a ‘big hit’. Gradually introducing your preferred summer boilie during the spring gives you a real edge in achieving this, as the carp become attuned to the different food source and will not shy away from large beds of the chosen summer bait.
One final point on bait is that I do not remove maize from my mix as it is attractive in colour, easily digestible and in my experience works all year round despite the venue.
Spring is certainly an exciting time of year, and if you are able to locate the fish and implement the tactics noted above I am sure that this will lead to a great campaign.
Tight lines,