Floater Fishing for beginers...

Good afternoon

I'm hoping to get some advice on floater fishing for carp - I've never posted on here though, so please be gentle with me!

It all started when I was fishing at Linear fisheries in Oxford last summer. I was spending a very pleasant afternoon on the Float (duffers!) lake, when I happened to glance across at St John's (a "proper" carp lake). There was a group (which by their size should have been called a pod!) of carp basking near the top of the water. "Hello", I thought, and chucked in about a dozen bits of crust. The carp ignored them (though hung around) and I went back to fishing the float lake. As luck would have it, I caught a nice little carp next cast, and after I'd landed, weighed and released it (7lb, a PB!), I happened to glance back at the big lake and the group of carp (this would have been approx 15 - 20 minutes after the crust had gone in) I was amazed to see that of the orginal dozen, only five of the bits of crust were still visible, and these were all taken by fish over the course of the next 5 - 10 minutes. There was no frenzy - just a series of slow, deliberate takes. This occured at about 6pm on a hot July day.

This summer, I intend to have a go at floater fishing for these fish, but I need some quite specific advice:

1) Is the behaviour described above normal?
2) I intend using a surface waggler-type float (like upside down waggler, with the ring at the top) How should this be attached? Shot either side? Or something different?
3) Is hair-rigging necessary or advantagous?
4) How long should the length of line be between the float and the hook?
5) I keep hearing about dog-biscuits - which ones? There millions on the shelves at tesco's (lucky pooches!)
6) I was intending to use 10lb line straight through to hook. Is this right, or would a lighter/ stronger/ darker/ more technologically evolved hooklength be required?
7) Lastly, has anyone got any specific advice on surface fishing at St John's? Do's? Dont's?

Thanks in advance

Jim

Hi Jim,
I'm sure that the real carpy types will answer you but really you have answered yourself........the carp on St Johns took those crusts eventually.....your observations and a bit of thought are all thats needed.....you ask all the right questions, i'm sure you have one thing over a lot who fish that lake...you found the fish!

Cheers Paul

Though to be honest, it was more like them finding me! I think that was what I was so surprised at - I didn't realise fish that size in a group would feed like that near the bank.

Here's hoping for some wisdom about catching them...

Jim,

Take a look at my 'face it' picture - that fish and 7 other of her 'pod' mates was the result when I tried floating crust for the first time.

I'm now an addict and can't wait for summer.

My set is simple beyond belief - I just go straight from the reel to the hook with no bubble float or controller etc. I use a clear thin line in 5 to 8lb depending on the size of the fish and number 4 hooks.

I've found dawn and dusk best times (though that could be due to disturbance by other anglers during the day spooking the fish!!)

I creep round the lake first looking for fish on the surface and then if a group (or individual) are spotted you're in business. Otherwise I choose the section of lake with the best bankside features. Next lob in a load of free offerings within casting distance - a mixture of pedigree chum mixers and crust, then wait for the fish to start slurping. When things start happening I gently lob a massive crust in amongst the freebies and check the clutch!!

Often there will be a fish that just swims through the feed slurping them down one after the other - with these you can whack the hookbait in its path and prepare for the iminent action - if the fish changes it's route, a little twitch on the hookbait can sometimes turn them round.

If you need a bit more casting weight to reach the fish, try dunking the crust for a second.

I've read that you get better results by casting beyond the fish and then twitching it back into the group but with my setup I've never needed to do this.

Roll on the summer!!

Cheers Mike

Looks like "simple is best" seems to be the message.....

Roll on summer indeed!