Hi all, I've started on a new venue this year and it's fair to say I am struggling! I am used to fishing between 5 and 10 acre pits some low stocked some not. My new lake is 30 acres, 90 percent is accessible, but it's has lots of bays, channels, weed, plateaus, over hanging trees, snags, islands and deep areas. I've seen 1 carp all year, I've spent plenty of time waking and looking but to no avail. I feel like I am going round in circles at the moment with no clear tactic. If I could find them that would be a start! The other anglers I have seen keep things quiet which is fair enough. I would ideally like find them close in and pre bait for them.
Any ideas how you would tackle a large water for the first time?
Any ideas how you would tackle a large water for the first time?
In reply to Post #1
Eny history available internet etc, map it thorough, stick at it ive been in your position then it falls in to place,
its a gigsaw just a hard one, walk it at different times , keep motivated by fishing somewhere easier maybe for a day then come back to it with a clear head, good luck.
Eny history available internet etc, map it thorough, stick at it ive been in your position then it falls in to place,
its a gigsaw just a hard one, walk it at different times , keep motivated by fishing somewhere easier maybe for a day then come back to it with a clear head, good luck.
In reply to Post #1
30acres?
That's a small water😖😆😉
It looks like you are doing the important bit, but I bet you are missing signs. Get yourself a good set of polarised sunglasses or two.
First and last light can be good times to see rolling, jumping fish, but even during the day carp may show themselves. Bubbling, clouding, fins breaking the surface.
You have obvious features to fish to, weedbeds, the overhanging trees, the channels and snags.
Walking and looking?
You may be doing too much walking and not enough looking. Near those snags, and weedbeds, spend more time looking. Look for fish moving up and down the channels. Sit at the end and watch, same near the weedbeds and snags.
Islands, a brilliant feature, and most people fish tight to them, try that, and fish a little further out on another rod.
Get yourself a bait that the carp are comfortable eating. Don't keep changing bait. Get onto a bait that you know works, be that CCMoore, Nash, Solar, Rod Hutchinson, or any one of a hundred others, and stick with it.
I know it sounds silly, but occasionally a very good bait you know works on other waters just will not work on a 'bogey' water.
Feed that decent bait into areas, and sit and watch. Do the carp come in on it straight away, or do they take their time? Feed it last thing at night, then look at that spot first thing in the morning. Is the bait still there? Come back during the day, see if ducks, swans or coots are clearing the spot, or whether it is other fish.
If that bait is a 'bogey', have a good back-up.
I used Enervite for years, it produced fish almost everywhere I fished it, yet for some reason it would not work on Taverham. (Probably competing against regularly fed and fished fishmeal).
I was able to get straight onto a bait I knew would work as that fishmeal was produced by a local bait company.
30acres?
That's a small water😖😆😉
It looks like you are doing the important bit, but I bet you are missing signs. Get yourself a good set of polarised sunglasses or two.
First and last light can be good times to see rolling, jumping fish, but even during the day carp may show themselves. Bubbling, clouding, fins breaking the surface.
You have obvious features to fish to, weedbeds, the overhanging trees, the channels and snags.
Walking and looking?
You may be doing too much walking and not enough looking. Near those snags, and weedbeds, spend more time looking. Look for fish moving up and down the channels. Sit at the end and watch, same near the weedbeds and snags.
Islands, a brilliant feature, and most people fish tight to them, try that, and fish a little further out on another rod.
Get yourself a bait that the carp are comfortable eating. Don't keep changing bait. Get onto a bait that you know works, be that CCMoore, Nash, Solar, Rod Hutchinson, or any one of a hundred others, and stick with it.
I know it sounds silly, but occasionally a very good bait you know works on other waters just will not work on a 'bogey' water.
Feed that decent bait into areas, and sit and watch. Do the carp come in on it straight away, or do they take their time? Feed it last thing at night, then look at that spot first thing in the morning. Is the bait still there? Come back during the day, see if ducks, swans or coots are clearing the spot, or whether it is other fish.
If that bait is a 'bogey', have a good back-up.
I used Enervite for years, it produced fish almost everywhere I fished it, yet for some reason it would not work on Taverham. (Probably competing against regularly fed and fished fishmeal).
I was able to get straight onto a bait I knew would work as that fishmeal was produced by a local bait company.
In reply to Post #1
bait a few of the least popular areas consistently for a couple of weeks and you will start to see signs of fish on one or two of them at least.
keep it trickling in on your spots in the winter and you should be primed for a good spring.
bait a few of the least popular areas consistently for a couple of weeks and you will start to see signs of fish on one or two of them at least.
keep it trickling in on your spots in the winter and you should be primed for a good spring.
In reply to Post #5
Spend more time watching where other people are catching from.
Spend more time watching where other people are catching from.
Note the productive swims/areas and fish them.
In reply to Post #1
Keep walking the lake and looking rather than fishing . . .If you cannot find them select a few likely looking areas (deep holes in the shallow end / shallow plateaus in the deeper end / opposite bank to warm prevailing wind / warmest area of the lake etc), preferably at comfortable range and get the bait in regularly and out of prying eyes if possible. . .depending on your budget you could use cheaper bulk particles etc mixed with boilie but don't be sparing . . .you need to lay a decent quantity down. Once your areas are primed fish them and repeat the baiting process prior to fishing. . .simple!
IME bigger lakes can have shoals of fish (stock dependant) and if you can get them feeding regularly in your zones it can become like bream fishing with multiple hits possible . . .
Keep walking the lake and looking rather than fishing . . .If you cannot find them select a few likely looking areas (deep holes in the shallow end / shallow plateaus in the deeper end / opposite bank to warm prevailing wind / warmest area of the lake etc), preferably at comfortable range and get the bait in regularly and out of prying eyes if possible. . .depending on your budget you could use cheaper bulk particles etc mixed with boilie but don't be sparing . . .you need to lay a decent quantity down. Once your areas are primed fish them and repeat the baiting process prior to fishing. . .simple!
IME bigger lakes can have shoals of fish (stock dependant) and if you can get them feeding regularly in your zones it can become like bream fishing with multiple hits possible . . .
In reply to Post #7
Maybe, I would not.
Maybe, I would not.
In reply to Post #1
I have successfully fished quite a few large (say 70 acre plus), low stock waters over the years and can see how they can be daunting to someone new to that scenario. Simple answer is to divide the water up into smaller areas and then locate the fish visually in those spots. Fish for one bite at a time and progress from there. Use bait and rigs you have caught on and don't try to over cook it. Even recently I got on a 160 acre pit and the first couple of fish I had fell to single hook baits placed where I'd seen fish after spending a whole day walking the banks.
Location is everything - even if spend almost the entire day looking for fish, one hour in the right spot is a lot better than 48 hours in the wrong one. I'd also mix up the fishing with a runs water - I'll have a Sunday afternoon on a club lake before doing a few days on my syndicate water - catching 3 or 4 20's in an afternoon prior to fishing a big fish water ups the confidence and your mindset is in a catching mode. Makes a difference... in summary - confidence and location. Tight lines mate.
I have successfully fished quite a few large (say 70 acre plus), low stock waters over the years and can see how they can be daunting to someone new to that scenario. Simple answer is to divide the water up into smaller areas and then locate the fish visually in those spots. Fish for one bite at a time and progress from there. Use bait and rigs you have caught on and don't try to over cook it. Even recently I got on a 160 acre pit and the first couple of fish I had fell to single hook baits placed where I'd seen fish after spending a whole day walking the banks.
Location is everything - even if spend almost the entire day looking for fish, one hour in the right spot is a lot better than 48 hours in the wrong one. I'd also mix up the fishing with a runs water - I'll have a Sunday afternoon on a club lake before doing a few days on my syndicate water - catching 3 or 4 20's in an afternoon prior to fishing a big fish water ups the confidence and your mindset is in a catching mode. Makes a difference... in summary - confidence and location. Tight lines mate.