Surface fishing for carp

One of most exciting forms of carp fishing is the art of floater fishing. Make no mistake there is an art to it. Successful surface fishing involves, being patient, stealth and ability.

Being patient is crucial because you will need to be able to spend a long time just feeding the fish in an effort to have them so keen to take the bait that they lose their caution and make a mistake. This is called getting the fish pre-occupied and is the main goal when surface fishing. A carp which is pre-occupied is a carp that can be caught.

Being stealthy is important because the last thing you want to do after all your careful feeding is to make a sudden noise, foot-fall or movement. Carp are naturally very wary of anything unusual, after all they live in an wild environment which means they have to be careful in order to survive. Slow careful movements and the ability to blend with the environment are paramount.

By far the best time to floater fish is in the summer when the upper water layers are warm. A quite corner with a nice warm wind blowing in is the best place. Sometimes you wont see any fish but that doesn't always mean that they are not about, steady application of a floating biscuit will often reveal a pair of lips.

The most important thing is the small but regular introduction of pouches of bait. As you continue to feed the fish you will find that more and more are attracted to the feast. When you feel that the time is right to offer your hookbait do so gently and quietly. In this situation you are usably fishing for just one fish because the disturbance created by a hooked carp will send the remaining fish fleeing. Being mobile is key because after landing and returning the carp it will be time to move on to another spot.

You have many options for your hookbait, one of the most widely used are pedigree chum mixer biscuits dog food. There are occasions how-ever when a different bait will need to be used. this is normally when the carp have been caught before on chum mixers and are shying away from them.

In this type of situation a different variety of biscuit will be required or even a floating pellet. To attach the biscuit to your hook you just need to create a groove with a small file the apply super-glue and then affix to the hook shank.

You can also use a bait drill to make a hole through the bait which is then fixed on a hair. Rubber imitation floater baits are also available and these work well too. You can use a commercial controller to give you extra weight for the cast or you can make one yourself.

If circumstances allow and you don't need to cast far then free-lining is by far the better choice as you don't run the risk of spooking any carp with the terminal tackle. Mainline should be between 8 - 10lb depending on snags and it should be a floating line.