Virgin Carp

[Paul Williams]

For a few years now i have had my eye on a few carp in a local water, on warm hot days i have always managed to find them in a treelined corner of the lake.
I haven't fished for them for the simple reason i thought they were on the whole low to mid doubles.....today i had the shock of my life!! three fish appeared that i would put at mid twenty to possibly 30lb, exeptional fish for this area.
I had them taking floaters today, but only very cautiously so i didn't get the rod out of the van, obviously i am going to perservere with the floaters but i am also going to bottom fish at times.
I have my own ideas on how i want to fish but i would be very interested to hear other comments on carp that have not seen it all.
The water is generally deep but the corner i have found the fish in is from 1ft to 8ft before dropping off into deeper water.
The bottom is covered with that rig clogging filametous bottom weed that thrives in very clear water.
Anyone care to comment how they would tackle it?

 

[Malcolm Bason]

I'd probably pop-up a combi of a lump of flavoured meat and cork or artificial sweetcorn - something like that, or fishy pop-up boilie - using a combie rig attached to either leadcore (if they allow it) or sinking tubing.

This way the leadcore or tube is well hidden amongst the weedy bottom and the bait is nicely presented and 'visible'. Perhaps it would'nt look very natural to, what would I'm sure, be very shy carp, but curiosity should ensure some interest.

I'd also use some PVA foam on the hook - this will ensure the hookbait is presented over the weed and act as a visible marker when it comes off the hook! Saves on the use of marker floats etc, and minimises the chances of the carp becoming 'spooked'.

 

[GrahamM]

I think I'd trickle half a tin of corn in as often as possible (every day even) for at least two weeks. And then fish for them with three grains on the hair, on a light, running leger, or even well laid on with float tackle.

Or a big, free-lined lob.

 

[Carp Angler]

Got a similar lake near to me.
Big lake unfished, big carp that haven't seen any real bait before.

We (I talked two buddies into doing a bit of a campaign) are putting in whole maize and hemp as often as possible.
We are also scattering in a few boilies, as we are planning this to be a two or three year thing until the cats out of the bag and every man and his dog get on there.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Use the carp to clear the areas of weed for u. Keep trickling in hemp or pellets in several likely areas for a few weeks. They will root around the bottom and clear areas themselves. Once they have cleared an area, set your trap. Believe me, this works!!!! Make sure u pin your rigs to the bottom though. Try and keep the areas close to the margin and near over hanging trees etc as they are easier to bait up tight and hand place your rigs.

Goos luck!!

 

[Stewart Bloor]

Paul...my good friend...the one of whom I always have nice things to say...my hero...the one I've always wanted to be like...handsome, debonair, smooth, sophisticated etc etc...
...where did you say that local lake was again that had 30's....

 

[Paul Williams]

Sedge,

.

 

[Stewart Bloor]

s'funny my screen seems to go blank...ah, I know, you've mailed me direct...

 

[Stewart Bloor]

...no he hasn't...he must be serious about this water...or jealous that I'll get on there first and catch all the 30's....

 

[Paul Williams]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.......how you getting on with "bubbles" the friendly carp and Kevin the accomadating chub, are they still following you about?

 

[Stewart Bloor]

Ok...just because you've been in June's Coarse Fisherman TWICE...it doesn't mean to say you can take the mickey out of me...but if you do decide, in your mercy and grace, to tell me where this water is (I'm now really intrigued)I promise I won't fish it...otherwise I'll just send along Baby Spice (ref : your other mail on who you would like to take fishing with you) and she'll get it out of you...just think you two could do a double act...Baby Spice and Old Spice...

 

[Paul Williams]

I will never talk now!! mind you if you could persuade Emma to definatly get it out then i will sing out loud!!!!!!!!

 

[Carp Angler]

Sedge, you leave my mate Paul alone )

How much bait did you want Paul?

 

[Paul Williams]

I dunno, how much do you think it would take to lure her?? ;o)

 

[Carp Angler]

Probably enough to fill a large Ferrari and a holiday villa on an exotic island.....

 

[Stewart Bloor]

Paul...you're in luck...as you know I am on first name terms with some celebs and she just happens to be one...so I e-mailed her with your request, and here's her reply :
'Dear Sexy Sedge (her pet name for me), in order to help you discover this new water I am happy to help you out. Please tell your friend to ring me on my mobile number. The number is,

 

[Paul Williams]

ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH,
Lots and lots of laughs, oh and Val wants to know if Sean Connery is on your list of celebs, if he is she said she will beat the venue out of me!!!

 

[Stewart Bloor]

Sean Connery...you'd better watch it if she's after younger men then...

 

[Philip Inzani]

Paul, I dont know if it helps but I fished a lake over here that sounds very similar?.main problem was that bottom weed and being sure the fish could find my bait and it would not knacker the presentation or mask the hook. I am sure freelining or float fishing would work but I am not sure if you are intending to sit over the rods and strike or if you are looking for a self hooking rig ? On my water I wanted a self hooker as I was sleeping.
I was fishing close in and I suppose I could have used PVA of some sort but quite honestly what I ended up doing was pooping the corn up straight off the lead on a hooklength long enough so that it hovers just above the weed (the yellow grains standout really well against the green weed) The water was clear enough for me to see if the bait was correctly presented. If I could not see the bottom then I sort of "donked" my way down the margin with a lead and popped up hook. Basically I lowered the lead down below the rod top till it hit bottom then lifted it back up again. If the hook was free of weed on the return I knew that the hook had been above the weed and so the hooklength was long enough. I fished it with VERY slack lines, as it was close in I did not even attach an indicator and made sure the line was hanging absolutely limp from the rod tip (the fish would have had to jump onto the bank to give a dropback). It worked really well.

 

[Paul Williams]

Philip,
I will be either surface fishing the lake for a couple of hours at a time or longer periods after work, in all honesty i will probably fish a self hooking rig with slack lines exactly as you have said.....as you know from previuos threads corn aint one of my all time greats!!! but i think that may be my lack of use of it in later years!! so i am going to take yours and Grahams advice and try corn, at least if i fail i can blame the bait;o)
I have one problem though, the big fish that surprised me have disapeared!! the others are still there (to possibly mid 20 at a scrape)but not the big girls....as i said i had not seen them before and i am wondering if they were only present for spawning and have now returned to their usuall haunts?
One thing i do know.....Sedge aint caught em, teehee!!!!