 what do you prefer for carping, float fish for them or ledger. i notice float fishing for them seems to be a dying art these days, or at least on our lakes locally. i still like to try my hand float fishing for them but have to admit that i leger more often than not these days. but theres always a nice feeling about catching carp on float tactics for me, maybe brings back memorys of fishing when i was a nipper.
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 I'll risk the danger of sounding like John Wilson and venture that One Carp off the surface (to me) is worth 3 from the lead.
I am always amazed in the warmer months to see so many anglers steadfastly sat behind their buzzers when all around them there are Carp feeding off of the surface.
Each to their own of course, but to my mind there is a special thrill when surface fishing that simply is not matched when fishing heavy leads on the bottom of hte lake.
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Well Dean I have to say it is a float next to the reeds or pads everytime if I could,but like you you often have to resort to the lead sadly,I used to choose my waters accordingly if I could catch carp close in on the float I was on it like a shot,but have recently ventured into the Dark side of angling.
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 both
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 Float
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Float fishing in the margins everytime.
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 Float in the margins, though off the surface would be great but the wind just makes that a pain in the arse at times, i love close in float fishing and if the weather holds out today will be having a spot of that this evening, tho I can see it going grey outside the office 
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i would say both it is easy to just sling a bomb rig in there but in the summer you cant beat floating bread with a float.
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 Ditto Peter , the buzz that I get from catching carp off the top ,nothing quite like it . 
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 float
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 In the warmer months, having them take it off the surface is 10x better than anything else but when it starts to cool down I would always favour a float.
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 Float every time especially if the carp are following a warm wind into the margins. great fun on a light carp or avon style rod. It does appear to be a dying art these days. The same with float fishing for barbel. A stretch of the Trent I fish, you can wade out and trot a float down the current and if combined with a centrepin to slow the float down, the barbel will quite readily take a moving bait. You can't beat the feeling of a barbel hitting your floatfished bait, the power and the speed of that first run sending the centrepin into overdrive as those barbel try to rip that rod out of your hands. It seems to be that the majority of anglers these days would rather sit behind static rods waiting for the fish to set their alarms off or pull the rod tip round...... they don't know what they're missing! The great thing about float fishing is you don't need to fish with one those modern 'poker' style carp rods, but a more through action rod that actually bends when you have a fish on!
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 No doubt about whats more fun and whats more satisfying when you finally get the net under it. 20lb plus on a match rod is a whole different fight then 2.5lb/3lb test curve carp rods. Off the top is good too but bottom line is different venues and different conditions should dictate the method. These days people sit behind static rods mostly through not knowing anything else. Sad really but that is where we are now.
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 if we are comparing methods over a reasonable time [bottom fishing] the float would be hard to beat in its range weather permitting, i understand why when fishing a long session and through the night carp boys use alarms etc what i dont get when chatting to these guys is why they dont bring one rod in when nothings happening and put a float rod out rather than read a book,........i can see the attraction in just chilling but not having the luxury of loads of time its the float for me.
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what rig set up would u use for a float and what bait?
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Neil, I would opt for the lift method or subtle variation of for the float - such a sensitive method. As for bait take your pick from bread, maggots, meat, prawns, cockles, mussels, paste, pellets etc.
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 Having only fished for carp since the start of this season,i have been lucky enough to have someone show me both methods,and i can honestly say that catching off the surface on a controller float is more enjoyable.
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 I jump in with a net and swim not had much luck so far but fingers crossed.
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 Buzzer = Surface > Float More excitement in a screaming buzzer or slurp of a carp but i'll take a floater any day.
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 Floating is more fun at times but I often catch more on the bottom.
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