fishing the margins

while fishing the margins i have on a few occationtions had a large amount of carp feeding under my feet but not been able to get them to take my bait can someone tell what to do to get them to get them to take it i have tried changing my depth my bait even hook size but still no joy

Freeline it and sit right back away from the margin with your rod. Try a couple of maggots or casters.

It all depends on the kind of waters you arte fishing, some fish on some lakes feel confident feeding during the day time in the margins, others will visit them but no feed because they feel vulnerable. Does the water have much bankside activity at certain times of the day?

I would also fish firmly on the bottom and sit well back from the waters edge, if you have seen them in the margins, chances are they will have seen you first

iv had at least 10 or 12 big carp feeding on the bottom but egnord my bait,will try anddo as you said thanks again for your help,ihave got some good tips from you lot,witch has me a lot,still waiting for my first double,got one last week 9lb 4oz im getting closer

Yes what Baz suggests often works, in the old days we used to use a carp screen, it was an essien sack draped across 2 poles and we would sit behind the sack, often we would drap our lines along the bank and sit under the bankside trees well away from the waters edge

I've had this on my local commercial, even filmed them at Mark Wintle's feet about a month ago!

Sometimes they can appear to be in a frenzy but show no sign of interest in your hookbait. I usually try to feed in a concentrated spot and freeline the bait on a long hair away from that spot.

In that way I have picked off a couple of the better fish to over just over 20lb.

yes its funny how the larger fish appear to hold back and watch the smaller fish feeding, fishing away from the hotspot usually produces the larger carp

I was fishing once , a long while ago when i grew tired of bottom fishing and brought the rod in and set up a float rod. At that time i was still using an old spinning rod and a shakespeare 060 sea reel set with the drag slacked right off. Bait was corn on a hair. I placed the rob on the ground beside me with the tip facing out into the water but with the hook caught in the rod ring. Somehow sometime later the hook came adrift the ring and the hook and bait fell into the margin , it must have been in no more then 6 inches of water. Oblivious to this i carried on with the float rod. about an hour later i was aware of a clicking sound and turned to see line peeling off the sea reel at a glorious rate of knots. Result was a lovely common carp of almost 15lb. I learned two things that day 1. be more careful when stowing unused rods and 2. Never ignore what is often under your feet, the margins are often the most productive areas on the lake!!

just got in from work, just read your reploys some good tips there,will try them,once again thanks a bunch