| Spring is the time when all of nature seems to wake | | | | enable more sensitive bite indications, which may still be |
| up from the cold spells of winter just gone, and life | | | | necessary because the water temperature will not be |
| under water is no exception. The water temperature | | | | at its optimum during the spring. |
| starts its initial rise and allows cold-blooded carp to | | | | Baiting Methods for catching Carp in Springtime |
| become a little more active to go in search of more | | | | For baiting tactics in spring I generally prefer to fish for |
| food. The increased demand for energy creates the | | | | individual bites by placing out enough for the carp to |
| need for carp to begin feeding frequently and as a | | | | eat one or two mouthfuls of food. This is where I'll |
| result, you'll stand a better chance of catching a big | | | | often place out a single high-attract boilie with a small |
| carp during the springtime. | | | | PVA bag of pellets attached to the hook. This |
| I won't use particles too much in spring. I prefer to use | | | | provides enough food for a single carp so it may |
| boilies as many contain a wider range of complete | | | | produce competitive feeding if more than one fish |
| nutrition for the carp. Particles provide some good | | | | approaches the rig. I may even try this same technique |
| nutrition but are generally not complete sources for | | | | using maggots in the PVA bag, or sometimes fish for |
| carp, thus, they are often best used during the summer | | | | carp using the medusa maggot rig with a maggot |
| months. Don't get me wrong, sweetcorn, maize and | | | | feeder of the cage type attached. Maggots are a |
| peas are very good baits and they'll catch some good | | | | brilliant fishing bait to use during spring, they are live |
| carp all year round, but I think boilies just edge them as | | | | which creates good fish attraction and will provide |
| the best bait to use in spring. | | | | carp with immediate satisfaction. |
| I think particles are good in summer when using higher | | | | I believe this is the time of year when we can get |
| levels of oils for added attraction, but I prefer to keep | | | | away with using big round and over-flavoured boilies |
| oil contents low, or only to medium, levels during spring | | | | because the carp are usually still a little dormant from |
| as the water may still not be high enough for them to | | | | the previous cold spells of winter and may not be as |
| have effective use. | | | | alert to potential dangers yet. It could even be possible |
| At this time of year, I believe carp will be roaming | | | | to get away with using other blatant rig presentations |
| around looking for new food sources to exploit in order | | | | as well as huge boilies. Also, the carp in most lakes |
| to gain sufficient energy and nutrition for the following | | | | haven't been pressured from anglers for many |
| months ahead. In March, when the weather starts to | | | | months, so their guard may be a little lower during this |
| warm up gradually into springtime, I think about what | | | | time than at any other time of the year. Maybe this is |
| bait I'm going to use for the season ahead. I tend to | | | | one reason why many big carp are caught during the |
| opt for boilies for catching during the spring months. | | | | spring months? |
| With such a choice of boilies available, I look at | | | | Another good tactic in spring is to use air-dried |
| whether to use a highly nutritious food source in boilies | | | | chopped boilies that have been re-hydrated using |
| or whether to target the bigger fish using self-life | | | | various liquid attractors. There are many fruit flavoured |
| boilies. For the first few fishing sessions in spring I | | | | attractor liquids that can be used for additional |
| believe in using self-life for the majority of time, and | | | | attraction (pineapple is a good choice) as well as some |
| here's why.... | | | | food-type liquids such as nutramino or any other made |
| I want to attract them towards my hookbait by using | | | | by the big, reputable bait manufacturers. |
| high-smelling, highly visible, attractor boilies. Yes, I want | | | | If you make your own baits then try using a birdseed |
| to establish a new food source of bait for use during | | | | base mix during spring. The flavours tend to leak really |
| the entire fishing season ahead, but this takes time and | | | | well from the seeds and help to attract carp onto the |
| establishing new baits can be done on non-fishing days, | | | | hookbait. |
| or after finishing a short roaming session. For these | | | | For rig tactics, I prefer to use the snowman set up. |
| first few sessions during spring, I prefer to fish for bites, | | | | Using large, bright, high-attract boilies tied on with a |
| and for me, this means using a good shelf-life, high | | | | snowman rig set up is going to be a better fishing |
| attractor boilie, preferably with a bright colour. | | | | tactic in spring I personally believe! |
| High visibility, highly scented attractor boilies that attract | | | | What About Finding the Fish in Spring? |
| carp will probably work much better during spring time | | | | I want to fish where there are normally weed beds |
| on a lake. The carp at this time of year will start to | | | | present, or if I'm aware of any new weed buds |
| develop more hunger and will be interested in galloping | | | | sprouting up around the lake. The growth of new |
| down all sorts of food to satisfy their energy needs. | | | | weed is usually where the lake has started to receive |
| Therefore, a bright, smelling boilies that is easy to find | | | | an increase in light, and thus, higher temperatures are |
| will produce more takes. Using a high nutritional value | | | | possible. I really think that a higher temperature is a |
| boilie will take time to establish as a food source, and | | | | priority for carp during spring just as much as in winter. |
| HNV types would be better to use when carp have | | | | Therefore, a good place to always consider fishing |
| become wary of the attractor boilies after they've | | | | any lake is at the northeast corners because this is |
| been caught numerous times during the first part of | | | | usually a position that's covered from the cold winds |
| the season. | | | | blowing in from the northeast areas. It's also the |
| Also, because the vast majority of fish are hooked | | | | windward bank when the warm winds blow from the |
| when they eject the bait, it can pay to have the | | | | southwest direction. Therefore, it may be a good place |
| hookbait over-flavoured so they eject it harder. This | | | | to start locating carp in springtime. Another area to fish |
| enables the point of the hook to penetrate deeper into | | | | for carp is near any old rush beds, these banks tend |
| the lip for effective hooking potential without the | | | | to receive good sunlight, hence why the rush is there in |
| necessity for using bolt rig methods. This means I can | | | | the first place, and carp will always visit these areas |
| continue using lighter leads when setting up the rigs and | | | | during the spring sunshine. |