Water Craft - The term for knowing what the bottom of the water you are fishing looks like. Being able to see 'under' the water gives you the ability to target only the best areas to catch carp. Every lake, pond and river is unique beneath the waves. imagine taking all the water out, what would it look like whan empty? The bottom has all manner of depths and textures, some of these locations are loved by feeding carp while others are avioded or un-accessible for such a large fish. Using the techniques explained below you can explore the bottom of your water and build up a 3D visualisation of what is beneath the surface. Only by spending time on water craft can you guarantee your best chances of sucess. Without putting in this time your efforts at the bank could be doomed to failure. Why spend hours casting your bait into the shallowest part of the water, so shallow a carp could not even fish there let alone find your bait! Good water craft would have identified this and avoided a totaly wasted carp fishing trip!
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For this technique you will need a spare rod, with either a shop bought marker float, or a large float, such as pike float. First slide a heavy lead on to your line, next a soft bead (to avoid knot damage) and finally tie the float using a swivel. Make sure that the setup works by dropping it into the margins. You should be able to freely raise and lower the float, while the line is anchored to the bottom by the weight. Cast the setup into your swim, just further than you intend to fish. Take up the slack line until you see the float start to sink. Keep winding until you eventually feel the float stop at the lead. Now point your rod at the spot were the float landed, taking up any more slack on the way. Disengage the bait runner or drag and pull out 12" (300mm) of line at a time until you see the float again. You can now estimate the depth of water at that particular point. Repeat this process in several different places and build a mental picture of the depths you find. You can even draw a map and record the depths for future reference. Using this method will help you find raised gravel bars, plateaus, shelves, basins and other features that carp visit to feed.
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This technique is fairly simple to learn. When you are set up ready to fish cast a few times without bait into the swim that you are fishing, feather,(gently slow the line coming from the spool with a finger) just before contact with the water. Now tighten up the line until you feel the resistance of the lead. Raise the rod tip to about 45 degrees and slowly move the rod in an arc to your side, dragging the lead along the bottom. When the rod is at a right angle to your line point it back at the water, reel in slack and repeat process. You can also use your spare marker rod to do this if you have one. Silt or soft mud Lead takes a lot of force to move initially if in deep silt Lead glides along smoothly like silk. Gravel Lead feels jerky, bumps along and you can feel the rod tremble. Weed Lead feels very heavy or sometimes snags up.
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Calculating depths uses exactly the same technique as discussed in Water Craft and feature finding earlier. After you have found the various depths and features in your swim decide which you think will be the most productive and leave the marker float out at that point. Fire out enough baits for the conditions, making sure that they land near or around the marker, depending on whether you are adopting a tight or loose feeding pattern. Finally cast out your baited rig to the marker. If you are not as close as you would like to be then try again, make sure that you are satisfied with the cast and retrieve the marker float. Repeat the process for any second or third rod you are using.
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[ Back to Watercraft Menu | Find Out More ] While at the water's edge take time to examine your surroundings, make mental notes of likely feeding spots like islands, large over-hanging trees, snags and in-lets. These sort of features account for a great deal of the carp's natural diet. Take time to consider the insects, fruit, seeds and nuts that must fall in beneath and around these features. Don't be afraid to climb the tallest tree around and spend a few hours peering into the waters below. With a bird's eye view you can see fish moving around that you would never see from the level of the bank. Try to find regular routes taken by fish around the water. Lastly, but no less importantly, don't be afraid to talk to other anglers. Unfortunately, there are still some serious carp fishermen who are very secretive about their approach and results, but in my own experience most are only too happy to share their knowledge with you.
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Unfortunately there is no magical secret when it comes to catching carp. No single product that money can buy will put carp on the bank every time, although some do help a lot. The real "killer secret" is us. We need to adopt a different approach to other types of anglers. Take match fishing for example, it is almost like a mathematical formula: Method + Bait + feeding pattern = fish. But carp are not as obliging as all other freshwater species. If we adopted this approach our carp would merely sneer at our efforts. Instead we need to put a stealthier plan into action. We have to take the fight to the carp, not wait for him to find us. If nobody else is catching, be different. Try not to follow what others are doing, carp fishing does not work like that. I have tried all sorts of methods, baits and rigs. They all catch on their day but not the next. We have to ask ourselves why. Be diverse, resourceful and never give up. Most importantly, be confident. If your bait isn't up to scratch don't use it. If that rig tends to tangle, strip it down and make a new one. If you are not happy with that cast, try again until you are. Confidence and the right approach will make you a killer, but you have to open your eyes and co-ordinate your attack with military precision. Good luck.
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