Carp fishing, are we stuck in a rut...?

[arthur2sheds]

How many of the dedicated carpers on here are starting to use match style tactics to put fish on the banks.... Increasingly I've been using "The Method" and float fishing margins to pick up fish....

I've even started to use a bit of groundbait to pull the odd fish in, also using baits other than boilies, such as corn, meat, chopped worm, maggots & bread, it seems to be working... perhaps it's time to get away from the lead-clip, 5"hooklinks and boilies....?

I think we do tend to get stuck in a rut occasionally, we rock up to a water, have a lead about and put out the "same old same old" even with the advent of zigging it's all a bit predictable... maybe we should look at other methods as well as the zig or lead-clip

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Arthur ,

I always use maggots at this time of the year, normal Maggot Feeder rig using stepped up gear and it normally puts a few fish on the bank.

Bob

 

[arthur2sheds]

It seems to be one of the "Go-To" methods as the water cools in winter as the maggot has a high protein level... but many anglers still use the lead-clip and short hooklink approach, albeit with a PVA bag.... so not a lot of difference really

 

[benny samways]

I have been doing the 'proper carp' set up thing for about a year now and I dont catch half as much as when I used to stalk the margins with a float, hemp and worm.

There is a time and place for most aspects of fishing and this last year has taught me to be versatile. Some places a 2 rod, bobbin and buzzer approach might work but dont rule out the stalking.

Actually, as I write this, I think the most important thing is knowing your venues and fitting the tactics accordingly. Of course it is hard to get to know your venues if you pick the wrong methods....

 

[sam vimes]

Carpers are only stuck in a rut if they choose to be. I don't consider myself an out and out carper for the very reason that I don't purely fish for them. When I do, I'm as likely to be float fishing for them as I am to be sat behind buzzers, especially in the early part of the season. However, last year I had a relatively unsuccessful start to the season using the maggot tactics. Previous seasons saw me catching lots of fish when others were struggling. For that reason I've just invested in some short margin rods. I intend to switch to short range boilie work a lot earlier should the maggot approach prove as poor as it was last year. Hopefully it'll be more worthwhile than last year. Much more fun than straight legering for them.

 

[greenie62]

.... However, last year I had a relatively unsuccessful start to the season using the maggot tactics. Previous seasons saw me catching lots of fish when others were struggling. For that reason I've just invested in some short margin rods. I intend to switch to short range boilie work a lot earlier should the maggot approach prove as poor as it was last year...

Why do you reckon that was Sam? Weather? Maggot-phobia - everyone else on them? More experienced fish? Spawning later/earlier?

 

[sam vimes]

Why do you reckon that was Sam? Weather? Maggot-phobia - everyone else on them? More experienced fish? Spawning later/earlier?

I'm not entirely sure. Possibly a combination of them seeing increasing amounts of boilie, so switching on to them more (a good thing in many respects), and being increasingly wary of maggot after me giving them a fair pasting on them for two or three years. It became obvious that something was amiss when clouds of discoloured water would split in two, or move twenty yards or so, if maggots were introduced in the middle of it.

 

[john step]

Its been harder for me this spring than last year. I think the water is still colder.
As for the rut thing, I like to use a float close in. I found that with the water clarity it was difficult to persuade them to take under the rod top. Now I refuse to sit on the ground and I like to fish from a chair keeping as low as poss.

Now comes the nerdy bit that does actually work for me at least.( Don't laugh too much)
Step 1 put up umbrella to avoid skylining.
Step 2 put up my camo netting(ebay) between two rod rests in front of me. It is only required to be a couple of feet high so to fish over the top.

I use a barbel rod and centre pin. Great fun to watch them snuffle about under my feet.
Talk about snuffling, you should have see them after I dropped a couple of used sprats from the perch fishing in the edge.

 

[peter crabtree]

Camo netting? Umbrella? Would it help me on the canal?

 

[binka]

Camo netting? Umbrella? Would it help me on the canal?

It's already being deployed by some canal users who wish to be virtually invisible, believe it or not there's actually a narrowboat somewhere in this picture...



mg:

 

[greenie62]

Camo netting? Umbrella? Would it help me on the canal?

Might stop you being mobbed by that crowd of screaming fans!

 

[law]

Im confused with the question? People have been using the method for years for big carp. I used it myself around 20 years ago. Who knows when it was 'invented'
Was a slight variation back then. The middle ofnthe feeder was full of trout pellet paste and the outer with whatever groundbait you wanted.

 

[S-Kippy]

Camo netting? Umbrella? Would it help me on the canal?

I'm not sure anything would help you on the canal ! I honestly dont know how you can do that week in week out....it would have finished me months ago.

 

[john step]

Camo netting? Umbrella? Would it help me on the canal?

Not a lot!!!!!!!!! I knew it would be nerdy to admit it, but when I think of bait boats and fold away reel handles .................maybe not so???:wh

 

[alsoran]

Sorry for jumping in on this one a little late. Perhaps the problem isn't about being stuck in a rut, but more about the fact that so many carp anglers come in to carp fishing BEFORE they know how to catch fish.

That progression form perch bashing as a kid, then roach fishing etc etc etc all the skills and methods of fishing you learn is missing from their fishing education. It's been carp or nothing.

 

[greenie62]

... Perhaps the problem isn't about being stuck in a rut, but more about the fact that so many carp anglers come in to carp fishing BEFORE they know how to catch fish.
That progression form perch bashing as a kid, then roach fishing etc etc etc all the skills and methods of fishing you learn is missing from their fishing education....

Which is why we - more traditionally experienced anglers - should try and point them in the right direction giving help and guidance - so we don't end-up with future generations of secret-squirrel numpties!
Tight Lines :thumbs:

 

[thecrow]

Carp anglers stuck in a rut? couldn't the same be said about anglers that only feeder fish or only fish the float on still waters, even fly anglers that only fish on trout reservoirs never seeing a river, how about Barbel anglers that never use a float always fishing a feeder or lead.

Truth is we could all be stuck in whatever we do within angling but as long as we enjoy it I don't think it matters a jot.

 

[arthur2sheds]

A fair point and one well made, but the original premise is that while we may winkle out the odd fish, (sometimes more sometimes less) our often narrow minded approach is costing us fish.... On my Syndi water every angler I see has a 3 rod, bivvy, bedchair lead-clip and 5" hooklink bottom bait setup.... in fact on most commercials that you'd visit you'd see exactly the same setup...

"Alsoran" made a good point about new carpers not learning anything else.... Lets face it TV programs tend to be fairly one-dimensional when it comes to carping..... they have the odd foray into surface fishing or Zigging, but nine times out of ten the "Going Method" will be the ubiquitous lead clip arrangement, especially now as rigs are sold pretty much ready to tie onto a mainline and add a boilie and lob it to the horizon.... an approach that I abhor. It has it's place I suppose but by christ do a lot of lads miss out on snaffling a fish

 

[thecrow]

It has it's place I suppose but by christ do a lot of lads miss out on snaffling a fish

And much more exciting methods when seeing the fish actually take your bait.

 

[john step]

Sorry for jumping in on this one a little late. Perhaps the problem isn't about being stuck in a rut, but more about the fact that so many carp anglers come in to carp fishing BEFORE they know how to catch fish.

That progression form perch bashing as a kid, then roach fishing etc etc etc all the skills and methods of fishing you learn is missing from their fishing education. It's been carp or nothing.

Double "like" this one.