Leaderboard

Learn as much as you can before fishing it! In my case it is find the features, not forgetting the margins. Some margin spots may be obvious, slopes, rushes, snags, others not so like undercut banks. I get the marker rod out, and map the lake as best as I can, and Google Earth can show up some real treats, as does an Internet search. I had some lovely hand drawn maps of Virginia Lake at Earith, some Google maps of Nazeing, with gravel bars and distances to the bars, weed beds etc. As has been said, other angler's can be useful. Don't 'pump' for information, but generally swapping info can get you a head start. Other angler's may have favourite swims and spots, might be all fishing the same, so doing what they do might catch you fish, but being different can catch you more. Going back to Brackens pool, most angler's used very little bait, there was a rule of no baiting by hand, catapult or stick, so I went in heavy with massive PVA bags and stringers, often casting in as many as 30 bags or 30 bait stringers as I could in 30minutes or so, all ready tied.

Do some feature finding, check depths, what the substrate of the lake bed is like, species of weed etc and then, record what you’ve found in a notebook. If it’s possible and allowed, it’s worth having a climb up trees and recording what you see. Carp tend to be like sheep, in that they’ll follow the same trail regularly. Also, don’t forget the margins. Observe and take note of how the carp are affected by the the elements, the presence of other anglers. That sort of thing. My starting point when I do actually go fishing is: target areas of the lakebed that feels as clean as possible and bait those areas, and if possible, keep on baiting them. But, if the venue you’ve chosen is always busy, just get in where you can and hope for the best!

I start on a syndicate water, ( my first time ) on the glorious 16th of June. I found out there’s a 47lb er I don’t know if it’s a common or mirror and I don’t want to know, which could go 50 this year so that’s my PB sorted , checked the rules, had a spy on the good old google earth and that’s about it. It’s 10mins bike ride away iv had a good look and will be just taking my marker rod for a while. There’s lots of vids on the YouTube how to fish it and pics of the fish but I don’t want to bother with any of that. My goals ...are to enjoy myself and do my own thing ...

Sticks for me and use them after every cast... if bites are hard to come by it can be worth adding a wrap or two or taking away just remember the original number of wraps you started with... I’m getting old so all info go’s in the phone. If the wind gets up I use a heavier weight and punch it out.