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. 

 

 

[jules007]

Very good advice from the other posters, must say i cast out and tend to leave them for about 3-4 hours before recasting if its very quiet maybe i should recast every 30 mins if no fish showing, never to old to learn lol

[elmoputney]

On 19/01/2025 at 18:39, 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.

If I didn't need too I wouldn't spomb, catapult wins everytime. 

My rule of thumb for should I recast or not is just trust my gut, if I feel I should have had a bite or have doubts I rechuck it, I've had many quick bites from a recast to the same spot for it to worry me these days. You need to feel confident and if you think your rig isn't working for whatever reason best to check. 

I don't have confidence in plastic baits, which goes back to confidence. 

I would go where I think they were and fish for liners. Also somewhere I could see a lot of water so I can look for signs. 

Just enjoy it and don't worry if you don't catch, it's the blanks that make the captures more worthwhile. 

[Tubbytom]

@elmoputney that’s a great way to look at it mate. The catches are more worth while.

[mrmud]

On 19/01/2025 at 18:39, 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.

If I was using different sized baits like particles, a pellet mix or something to cloud the water I'd spomb it out. Boilies I'd just be catapulting but have to be mindful the spomb spooks fish on some venues. For example I fished a new venue for 48hrs last summer (few acres) and was spombing my bait out n never had anything. After about 24hrs the owner came to see how I was getting on. I'd not caught nothing at this point when he said as soon as they hear the spomb hit the water they disappear off down the other end of the lake. Stopped spombing and recast to a area where and finished the session on 2 fish.

Recasting depends on method I'm using, I also never fish with all my rods on the same spot. I'll cast a method feeder around or small sticks of pva leaving as little bait as possible in that area but if I've baited a area I'll stick it out maybe bring my rig in every 2-3 hrs to add a bit of attractant. I've lost count of how many times I've baited a area n had no luck after a hour or two so I've moved only to see fish showing on the spot I've just moved from.

Plastic baits can work all year round imo especially if your fishing them over same type of particles. Can also soak them in a attractant as they take on flavours pretty well.

If there's no signs of fish I generally go for some overhanging trees as they like to hold up in snaggy areas and whichever part of the lake catches the most sun as long as it's not too shallow.