ASK THE EXPERTS
Dear Panel,
I am desperately trying to raise my PB of 16.08Ib. I am fishing a water which has a good stock of fish from 8Ib to mid-20s, but I never seem to catch anything other than fish from 8-15Ib. I catch nearly every time and, although I'm not a tackle tart, I have tried most new things on the market but I still can't locate, hook, and then land one of the 20s. Is there any way I could change my fishing to target the bigger fish?
Many thanks,
Edward, Syston, Leics
Hi Edward,
In my experience, any rig that is working well is a good rig for big carp, as the better the hookhold, the more likely you are to land weightier or more powerful fish. Seems you’ve got this side of things sussed, as you’re catching consistently, which is one of the best ways to eventually get among the big ’uns. So don’t change your current setup, although I can suggest a couple of tactics to help you target the bigger fish.
My mainstay confidence rigs, they work, and catch. What more do you need for big carp!
Firstly, have a think about your location. Bigger carp often become quite residential to different areas of the lake, with a history, or pattern, of being caught from the same one or two swims, some carp will even put in an appearance from certain swims at certain times of year. So do what research you can into which swims are most likely to produce the 20s, and fish these swims as much as possible.
Another tactic that has worked well for me on venues with a good stock of carp is to introduce all my free offerings onto a single spot, and fish one rod over the top. Initially, this large bed of bait should get plenty of carp into the swim, and will normally see the more plentiful, smaller to average-sized fish move in first; this probably relates to all the 8-15lb carp you’re catching at present, that are simply getting to your hookbait first. With a large quantity of bait present, there is a good chance of keeping fish in the feeding zone long enough for you to be able to fish through the smaller specimen to carp of better weights.
An upper-30, caught from a swim known for larger carp at the right time of year
If bigger carp are wary of the baited area, and hang back a little, second and third rods are positioned just outside the baited area, about 1-2 rod lengths off the freebies, with single hookbaits only. These rods directly target the bigger fish that often prefer to pick off safer food items from the outer fringes of the baited spot.
Give these tactics a go, keep catching, and your PB will soon be broken.
Enjoy your fishing
John
