Carp location

Depending on this size of water you are fishing, locating carp can be easy or it may be hard. On large gravel pits locating your quarry can be hard work, you will need to watch for the clues and on large lakes one of the main things to watch is the wind direction. Carp on such waters will always follow the wind especially if it is a new warm southwesterly. In winter this situation changes as fish will hang on the back of a cold wind.

Pre- baiting is a strategy which can pay big dividend's at any time of year. Steadily introducing your chosen bait in to a specific area or swim over a length of time will get the fish accustomed to see food there and over time they will learn to trust the area. Boilies are the best option when you are starting on a pre-baiting campaign.

Try to choose a boilie which is a little unique so that others will not benefit from all your hard work. A rolling fish can tell you where some fish are present but this does not always mean the fish are feeding where they roll. In the case of carp, carp will often roll after they have fed in an area to clean themselves. A fish which rises from the water coming straight up with its head and half of its body showing is the number one clue telling you where the carp is currently feeding. This is called head and shouldering. The carp perform this motion to clear their gills of silt and other debris.

A bait cast to this type of showing fish will often result in a take. The weather plays a big part in locating carp and can be the biggest influencing factor. On silty lakes bubbles can provide big clues as to the carps where about's. As the fish pushes through or disturbs the bottom silt layers it produces a fizzing effect on the surface where hundreds on tiny bubbles are released, this is a great give away on these type of silty estate lake type waters.

Sometimes, rather than pulling out the marker rod when you fish a water for the first time in an effort to find some distant gravel bar or weedbed, just try observing for a while. A few hours observation can give you many clues and you will often learn more this way rather than beating the water to a foam and making the inhabitants nervous. The key to carp location is observation. Keep your eyes peeled!