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Is that not what a forum is for?

Not always like that Ian, A fantastic swim for floater fishing back in the day, before flying rats arrived 👍 Just if anyone is actually interested, back then it was an early fox bed chair, think an Argos sleeping bag and a blanket on top...... did me ok at the time 😟

Hmm! Your eyes and ears are your biggest advantage. My fishing for years was fishing waters big reservoirs and lakes, for a maximum of 48hours. I'd get home from work, frequently at 11pm at night, load up my gear and go fishing, arriving at the water between midnight and 1am. The picture is just 30acres of a 75acre water I fished for 10years. Even arriving that late I would often sit listening before deciding where to set up. To start with, the only baiting I would do is with PVA stringers or PVA bag of pellets, no other free bait. I don't use a bait boat, everything is by hand, throwing stick or spodding bait in. In fact I put most of my bait in either as I left, or on specific baiting sessions where I was prebaiting for later trips. Getting your lines the right distance is easy with distance sticks or walking it out. I don't worry about water temperature, if it is not iced over it is possible to catch. Fish will be where they want to be, they may follow wind lanes, move from weedbed to weedbed to natural food. As much as you ask, there really is no substitute for being on the water, while carp as a species tend to behave the same, every water is different and they have their own rules. Fish can follow a new wind, especially in summer if it is warm, but not so much in winter. As the wind grows stale they will move back off it. Don't immediately think that long range is the answer, many fish get caught from the margins. It is easier to see them, easier to bait for them, and easier to cast at them (quietly). Does your big baiting attract nuisance species? There is no point in piling bait in if other species eat everything before the carp find it. It is easier to cast in a PVA bag of bait and your hookbait, than stand spodding for 1hour if it is going to get pinched by something else.

Sounds like you @OldBoyare the one who would be more at home on the other forum As yonny said, if you've not got anything constructive to say, then its probably best you dont in future??? Thanks in advance

Sorry, English isn’t my first language, so I try my best to learn your fishing tactics by asking questions, since I can’t express myself freely in English. I often fish at unfamiliar venues hundreds of kilometres away from home, which is why I had to buy a bait boat fitted with sonar. Even so, I frequently draw a blank. Take today’s spot for example: the average depth here is 4 metres, with the deepest points hitting 6–7 metres, while the bank-side water is only 2 metres deep. I chose the transition zone between the 2-metre shallow shelf and the 4-metre channel drop-off.

The guy has given us a paragraph explaining what he's doing and is asking for advice to improve. Give him a break. It's no wonder this place is dead when newbies get jumped on for no reason whatsoever. If you can help him, do so. If you can't, just move on.

Be handy on the pit when the wind is up. You might have to dig them out so I can see what ancient relics look like 😂

Mainline straight through to the lead. I did all the experiments on leadcore years ago and the simple answer is, I don't use a leader at all unless fishing at maximum distance, and it's always with run rings and running leads. The leadcore especially wasn't safe, beads stick, rigs don't eject, and helisafe doesn't work as the leader needs the lead to stay on to eject the rig. In fact I don't even like helicopter setups as bite indication is so bad compared to inline or pendant setups.

Fishing is what you make it. I don't like bait boats, despite having owned one long before they were a must have, and then getting rid of it as I felt the ethics of it weren't there. In the UK fishing is very 'mixed'; anglers who do like, do use bait boats and those who don't, fisheries that allow bait boats, fisheries that don't. Some waters allow Deepers, GoPro or WaterWolf cameras, others don't. I know anglers who still reel in at night as they don't believe in fishing while sleeping, others who won't use boilies. The British 'way' is 3 rods on alarms, and that took off. The other adaptations occurred sometimes because mainland European waters are bigger compared to most UK waters. Taking bait out in a boat occurred for years, but on a water that is 10miles long, the use of Sonar and WaterWolf cameras became almost a necessity to find the fish. There is in the UK, a saying or word to describe people who just follow fashion, the media or news without question, without thinking, 'sheep'. Fishing is full of these people, they buy the latest must have item of gear, the best rods, the best reels, fashionable alarms, use the latest published rig and follow slavishly the articles in the magazine, the YouTube or TikTok video. They don't think what they are doing or why. Many get into it, think it is easy, catch to start, want bigger and better, and either learn in a hurry or maybe burnout or quit. There is a lot of secondhand tackle on Ebay! Then there are people who kick back against this fashion chasing, are traditionalists, do things as it was done before the invention of the bite alarm, before the hair rig, only use cane rods, pre-1970 reels or centrepins. Despite not having most modern gear, their watercraft is frequently top notch and they catch or not on their terms. Then there are I suppose a middle ground of people who question their fishing. Who buy gear to suit their fishing, the rods may not be the latest Korda Super Kaisen 3.5lb test curve designed to throw a lead 200metres and some, but instead are around 10years old, well used, possibly from Harrison or Century, maybe ESP, with alarms that are 25years old. The tackle is well used, abused, but still catches fish. They question the articles written by the latest name sponsored by Nash, Korda, Incredible, Fox, Sticky or whichever company gives them the best deal. They watch the water, they try to learn how the fish behave, where the best place to catch what they want. They may also fish a water for years rather than jumping from lake to lake in search of the largest. As with every rule, there are the exceptions to that: Terry Hearn, a lifetime angler, who despite going after some of the hardest carp in the country, catches and continues to catch and fish. Dave Lane who probably 25years ago made his name, or Chris Yates, a traditionalist who despite catching the UK's first 50lb carp, will not use carbon rods, hair rigs as he thinks bait placement on feeding fish is better than the way the bait is attached to the hook. Let me tell you this, people are gullible. They believe adverts, whether the facts are true or not. The advertisers need to sell their product, and when the product life runs out, they need another new product to replace it. Why buy Flash Bathroom and Flash Kitchen when Flash All-purpose will do both? They need you to buy Flash whatever floor wipe on the stick because a mop lasts longer and you don't throw away a mop head for months. A fishing company need you to buy fishing tackle. You buy hooks and swivels, that is two items. You read an article by superstar angler sponsored by tackle company who is telling how his superduper rig is the best thing since the invention of the hair rig, you buy hooks, swivels, rig rings and hook stops that is four items.

1m of fluoro leader for me. Near invisible, pins the last metre down and reduces lifting scales during a fight. I use a helicopter set up but use it as a near lead clip! By that, I mean I have the bottom barrel bead just above the lead and the no trace bead literally just above it. I don't fish particularly weedy waters and so allowing the trace to slide to sit pretty isn't necessary but you get the instant bolt effect of the lead and the end tackle can slide off in the event of a cut-off but haven't lost a lead for a couple of years now - except when I lent a couple to mate who had forgot his lead pouch!

I’m really surprised to find that European – or rather British – anglers also feel so strongly against this trend. I always assumed this high-tech approach had long been accepted and widespread over there. Over the past few years, I’ve gone through nearly every carp fishing article available online: every online magazine, every tackle brand blog, everything you can dig up through search engines. This style of fishing felt so novel, fascinating and almost magical to me. Whoever invented it must have been an absolute genius; it feels almost inspired. To this day I still don’t think I’ve fully wrapped my head around it. Honestly, I went back and forth for ages about buying and using a bait boat, and had endless discussions about it with my fishing mates here. But for whatever reason, we caved in to the temptation in the end. I don’t know the exact situation across Europe, but I get the impression your fishing regulations and the whole scene are really well established. And for you lot, it’s all about the enjoyment, not the catch itself. It’s different over here – we have a long culture of eating carp and grass carp. So apart from a few influencer streamers who do it for clout and to take the moral high ground, very few people actually release their catch. Another factor is the ripple effect – almost like a butterfly effect – when someone bags loads of fish, and big specimens at that, in no time using a bait boat. It’s incredibly tempting for regular anglers. Especially when you’ve driven hundreds, even thousands of kilometres, fished solid for days on end and come back blank. After a few runs of that kind of frustration, it’s really hard to turn down a shortcut that seems to work. Carp fishing has blown up to become one of the most popular freshwater fishing styles in China right now. On live streaming platforms, people sell tackle while broadcasting from reservoirs. Big catches are a regular sight – especially footage of 100-jin (roughly 110lb) black carp. It’s visually spectacular and drives huge traffic, which in turn boosts bait boat sales. It got to the point where the high price tag seemed like the only reason not to buy one. A few years back, a team of Chinese anglers sponsored by tackle brands entered a world carp fishing championship for the first time. They were among the very first carp anglers in China. They used all kinds of high-end kit: inflatable boats, underwater drones, bait boats, the latest top-of-the-line fish finders, you name it. And since all that gear was permitted in the competition, this approach got spread around here as the “proper, orthodox” way to do carp fishing. The logic goes: if the fish are released anyway, any method is fair game as long as it’s legal. Part of this is driven by tackle sales. On top of that, barely anyone here has actually travelled to Europe or the UK to learn first-hand, or to fish and talk with local anglers. Almost everyone learns everything online. That flood of information, mixed with commercial push, is what’s led to this whole situation. That’s exactly why I came onto this forum to ask. I want to know how real anglers in Britain and Europe actually fish. I want to learn the actual, meaningful skills and knowledge behind carp fishing. Throwing endless money at it lowers the bar for catching big fish, and makes honing your own craft and skill feel pointless. That was never what I got into this for. Thank you so much for your thoughtful replies. I know it’ll take me a while to take it all in and put it into practice properly. But I truly believe this is what fishing is really all about.

Nicely put. Ian.

After I reeled in my rig for the first time, I measured the lead weight and found its temperature was 22.8°C. I reckon this temperature is pretty suitable. Also, is my spot right on the transition between shallow and deep water? I’ve heard this kind of area is known as a fish highway/fish path.

Even though relevant laws and regulations are in place, many reservoirs are privately contracted. The contractors carry out illegal fishing using nets, and some rivers are frequently plagued by people using electric fishing devices. There are very few spots available for long-term shore camping fishing, and the viable ones are far away. In many areas, fishing rods fitted with reels are prohibited. Yet we have a strong passion for angling. We are still willing to give it a go even when fish stocks in a given water body are scarce. After my last post, I did walk around the reservoir with a monocular to scout the water. I am not sure whether I failed to identify fish bubbles or there were other factors, but I spotted no signs of fish activity at all. There are crucian carp close to the bank, yet I have never seen anyone land carp or other large fish from the shore. Perhaps the bankside areas are too disturbed and noisy.

I’ve learned all my fishing knowledge entirely online. I spend far more time studying fishing content on the internet than actually fishing on the water. That’s why I often get flustered and confused the moment I arrive at a fishery. I’ve come to realize that instead of second-guessing things on my own, I’d be better off asking seasoned anglers with plenty of real-world experience. They share advice with no commercial agenda, unlike me who only has book knowledge with no on-water practice.

I guess pre baiting is out of the question (which is a good edge), judging by the distance you travel? Is there nowhere closer to home to hone your tactics? As others have said before, your eyes are the best tool you have to try and locate the fish before you think of putting a rig out. Although its all guess work, if you can't see any signs of them. What makes you fish at such range and depth? Ive caught nearly as many fish in the margins. Benefits such as, easier to bait up and also determine if the fish are taking your freebie bait. Its all part of learning how to unlock the puzzle of the venue. Its called fishing, not catching😉

I only use backleads when margin fishing to keep line pinned right down. I slide them on. Small ones around .5oz. captive backleads are something I’m looking at for a big pit im fishing. Still trying to work out if they’d actually be beneficial or not.

I have various weights of the fox captive back leads. i don't use them religiously but when I need them they are in a lead pouch in the bucket ready to go along with the solar flying back leads back from donkeys years ago when Richard walker was a boy lol. don’t strike when using them either just pick up the rod and let the line tighten and mostly they then drop off. if weed has gone around the gate and stops it opening a little flick of the rod usually sets it free.

Like @yonny I do not like using backleads, for the reasons he states. If you add a backlead, you add an extra angle, and angles reduce indication. I will only use them if there are boats on the water I'm fishing, where I need to get the line below the boat hulls or engine. When I do need to use them, it is the Gardner Tackle Captive Back lead for me. The majority of the time I can get the line running along the lakebed by sinking my rod tips below the surface. That is on reservoirs and lakes. Add in any distance above 40metres and the line runs along the lakebed anyway, unless there are features like gravel bars between your rod tips and the end tackle.

There are no hard/fast rules but generally you'd go heavier for longer distance work and lighter for close-in stuff. I personally am not a fan of back leads. They reduce sensitivity and if there's any weed or debris around they can cause big problems. I remember watching a lad having to land a fish in a boat a few years ago.... his back lead had snagged in the weed. Once released, the rig/fish was also weeded up. It was like a spiders web of line around his swim, looked like a nightmare. He lost the fish. If I had to use one, I'd use a flying back lead. The important thing is getting that last few feet pinned down.

Also think groats, bit of an old skool thing, might also soak this stuff up too, if you can be bothered with it all now

I remember those days mate, "You can add these liquids to your spod mix, your particles, your powdered groundbait, your pellets." Agree with the groundbait, maybe glugging air dried boilies too, if anyone ever does that now? Tbh, otherwise a waste of time and effort...... Tin hat on! 👍

Just rooted out some old pics from the times I had on there when the CS took it over. I was one of the anglers who paid the money for them to actually purchase the lake, not sure what is going on there now tho. Wondering if there is anyone on here who actually fished it back in the day, so many good memories and people I met there. as ever time moves on and lost contact with everyone.... no Mobile phones and social media in those days

I can see why it's called Winter Bay. Ian.

There you are , Newmarket , David Sullivan gone ! . 😃

I used to love my Wavelock with the Fox Jekh Shelter overwrap. I think that I went mark 1 Fox EasyDome next. That is a Taverham Mills swim, and Delkim ST's and Fox Swingers as well.

And here you have raised very pertinent additional points. Any ingredient in a boilie is denatured, or liquids evaporate as they are boiled, less so if they are steamed. By denature, the food value is reduced, the protein level is lowered, and enzymes 'killed', even vitamins and minerals are reduced, especially those on the outside skin of the boilie. The inside of the bait may still not be 'cooked' on short boiling times*, as the full temperature takes time to get to the middle. So the only part of the boilie that still contains fully effective or as you nicely describe it, beneficial effects is the middle. The best way to get these liquids to continue working effectively is to soak or glug the baits after boiling. You can add these liquids to your spod mix, your particles, your powdered groundbait, your pellets. I don't know if anyone remembers the days of the CarpWorld/Nutrabaits Lac Fishabil trips, but Bill Cottams favourite mix I think was a bucket of birdfood, boilies crushed and whole with added Nutramino, Multimino PPc and condensed milk. This is where you have different effects in water, the solubility of the liquid, how it mixes in the lake. Some liquids will spread out across the lakebed, others will cloud lakebed to surface. The 'hope' is that the carp will follow the reverse track of the water current if any down to the source, and it creates a spot to investigate. *My aim when making my own bait was to have a solid skin, but a paste middle.

Hey 👋🏼, good luck in starting out with the carping. Over here we use relatively light tackle compared to gar fishing or shark fishing ect. There's no need to use things like steel traces. They have really soft mouths so they have to be played a little more carefully. The teeth they do have (pharyngeal teeth) are back in they're throat and more like human molars for crushing food items so no need to worry about steel traces. The aim is to make your rig look as inconspicuous as possible under the water. Rods are generally around 2.5lb - 3.5lb test curve Size 4 - 12 hooks depending on size of carp we are targeting. Most lakes around the UK don't hold many large fish(fish over 30lbs) Wide gape & curve shank being 2 popular hook types. Usually barbless or micro barbed so the fish has as little damage / stress as possible and can be unhooked / put back swiftly and safely after a pic or 2 if it's a nice one lol Hook lengths are usually around 12lb - 25lb and usually braid or fluorocarbon. Might want to go heavier if your fishing for 40lb+ fish. Hope this helps. Would be cool to see a few mexican carp Tight lines & Wet nets

I was banned too after questioning some crazy claims regarding SHB. It's refreshing to see some real feedback thou.

Of course it is it, obviously, but..... what next? What hook size, what bait? Think it might be more interesting if this guy actually explained the waters he is actually fishing tho tbh! Sadly no info on any of that, just more questions that seem to be a bit boring, doesn't give any details of anywhere that is being fished, that's my problem. If he is really in Asia, could probably share some good information on fishing there..... I suspect not though ☹️ Hopefully proved wrong 🤞

Hello mate, From a previous post of yours : I'm from Asia, and our holy grail is landing giant common carp, grass carp, and black carp Not sure why you keep posting on here with so many questions? sorry mods. Maybe you can share some of your actual fishing experiences so far that you need so much advice? 😂👍

Based in West Sussex mate, My main venue now is a certain group of club lakes off A27, have to say it's not what it used to be ...... sign of the times I guess, lovely big beds of pads ripped out and slowly turning into brown puddle lakes ☹️