Questions from a new angler

[Tubbytom]

Evening all, just joined the forum. I started carp fishing in September 2024 and immediately fell in love with the whole experience. I’ve been 10 times now and blanked on 7/10 sessions. I was hoping someone could answer a few questions (probably sound basic) but can’t find exact answers online. 
 

1. How big does a lake need to be to warrant using a spom or spod rod?

2. How long do people wait to re-cast if there’s no showing signs of fish in the swim?

3. Are plastic/imitation baits affective all year round?

4. If arriving at a lake for a session there are absolutely zero signs of fish, what would be your next move?

thanks in advance.

Tubbytom.

[framey]

2 hours ago, Tubbytom said:

Evening all, just joined the forum. I started carp fishing in September 2024 and immediately fell in love with the whole experience. I’ve been 10 times now and blanked on 7/10 sessions. I was hoping someone could answer a few questions (probably sound basic) but can’t find exact answers online. 
 

1. How big does a lake need to be to warrant using a spom or spod rod?

2. How long do people wait to re-cast if there’s no showing signs of fish in the swim?

3. Are plastic/imitation baits affective all year round?

4. If arriving at a lake for a session there are absolutely zero signs of fish, what would be your next move?

thanks in advance.

Tubbytom.

Welcome in Tom 

1 no limit only limits are your baiting ability

2 depends on time of year 15 mins or so at a start 

but also depends on method of fishing

3 don’t see why not 

4 this time of year ?
fish the warmest side, they will most likely be there somewhere anyway.

[Tubbytom]

@framey thanks for replying mate, much appreciated.

[salokcinnodrog]

5 hours ago, Tubbytom said:

Evening all, just joined the forum. I started carp fishing in September 2024 and immediately fell in love with the whole experience. I’ve been 10 times now and blanked on 7/10 sessions. I was hoping someone could answer a few questions (probably sound basic) but can’t find exact answers online. 
 

1. How big does a lake need to be to warrant using a spom or spod rod?

2. How long do people wait to re-cast if there’s no showing signs of fish in the swim?

3. Are plastic/imitation baits affective all year round?

4. If arriving at a lake for a session there are absolutely zero signs of fish, what would be your next move?

thanks in advance.

Tubbytom.

Welcome to Carp.com

OK, let's go through this in order, and it will depend entirely on your waters.

Would I Spomb or spod on a 1acre lake? Yes if it is the best way to get the particles, groundbait or pellets out to where I'm fishing.

How long between a recast? I've left a bait in place for 48hours. I was convinced that after baiting up and casting in, the carp would not come onto it for 2 days. It worked! If there is no sign of showing fish? I'm nearly always binoculars and watching the lake. If I see fish I will move onto them. If I don't see anything then I'll leave the bait where it is until the morning on an overnight or longer session. Yet on a day session fishing I might recast after 15minutes or less if I have had no action.

Are plastic or imitation baits effective all year? They may be, but I refuse to use plastic baits, I don't like the thought of me leaving plastic in the environment in the event of a crack-off. A hook will rust away, plastic takes years to break down.

I would use wooden balls soaked in glug in a crayfish infested water, but on my current water, all plastic and fake baits are banned.

On arrival at the lake, if I don't see fish, I will go on weather, current and predicted, my hunches, or whether I have prebaited swims, or areas that I know that the fish move onto.