Three Hours Four Carp

Wednesday 4th January 2017, 10:01AM Feature

With the weather having been mild for 2 days following the lake defrosting, I just had to nip out for a few hours fishing. I sorted a few things out at home and arrived at the lake at 9:30am. I had an area in mind that I fancied trying at the opposite end to where I had fished my last 2 day trips so I barrowed my gear round and parked it where I fancied. I carried on walking round the lake to see if I could spot any bubbling or signs of carp.

When I got to an area of shallow water, I noticed a very small flat spot in the gentle ripple. I was pretty sure it was a carp but I was not 100%. The shallow water would have been warmed by the double figure temperatures that day, and with the wind pushing in, I went to fetch my gear.

I set up with simple tactics with only a few hours at my disposal so I fished my favoured winter method of broken boilie on a PVA stringer – Essential Cell on one rod and Cell on the other. I fished pop-ups about a half inch off the bottom to keep them clear of the leaf debris that could potentially be rolling around the lake bed.

My high attract bait of choice for the short session.

As I pushed my bank sticks in I noticed a coloured patch of water in the margin. I quickly swung the Cell stringer out underarm to the spot and set the bobbin. The other rod was dropped about 30 yards out straight in front and I intended to fish that rod to pick up liners, depending on activity I planned to move this rod around a bit to search out a fish.

I got both rods in and was just tidying up my gear ready to sit down when the right hand margin rod was away. After a spirited fight I netted a 15lb 3oz Common. I secured it in the retaining sling and got the rod straight back in before setting the camera up and doing the pictures.

First blood from the coloured water spot, 15lb 3oz Common.

After slipping the fish back I settled down and watched the water. A fish topped out to my right and just as I was contemplating a recast, the margin rod was away again only half an hour after casting it back in. This turned out to be a common of 16lb 11oz.

16lb 11oz common from the same spot.

After weighing and photographing the fish I dropped the rig back in the margin. I also took the opportunity to recast the left hand rod to where I’d seen the fish show. This was the same tactic with an Essential Cell pop up with 4 half baits on a PVA stringer. This proved a wise move as an hour later it was away, resulting in a 17lb 13oz common.

A wise recast resulting in a 17lb 13oz common.

I slipped the fish back and recast to the same area and within 20 minutes that rod signalled another take. This turned out to be the smallest fish of the day at 13lb. I fished for another hour and a half after this but despite a couple of liners no more bites came. I had promised to be home by 3pm so packed up entirely satisfied with a great mornings sport.

It just goes to show if you are able to pick your trips when temperatures are rising and don’t ignore shallow water (I was fishing in no more than 2 feet of water) you can cash in on some quick winter action.

The final fish of a productive few hours, a 13lb common.

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