Speak to any carp fisherman, and they will have their own Top Carp Fishing Tips. Here I am going to go through mine, as I feel this is the most exciting way to catch fish. Surface fishing is more involved than most people think, but the rewards are immense.
1 – Wear Polarized Sunglasses.
Just finding Carp swimming in the water’s upper echelons is a success. Glare from the water makes it very difficult to spot them but wearing good quality polarized sunglasses will perform two functions. They make you look cooler but also reduce the glare and give you better vision beneath the surface water.
2 – Don’t pack the kitchen sink
Finding elusive carp can involve trekking in the hot sun before spotting them. You can end up checking out banks for hours before spotting anything. Only bring the essentials, obviously your fishing tackle, weighing scales (ever the optimist), sunblock, and something for sustenance.
3 – Feeding Frenzy
If you can get a feeding frenzy going, you are onto a winner. With surface fishing, you can see when the fish are feeding. My technique is to bait a few areas with good quality bait, and once the fish start taking the bait, slowly add more until a free-for-all breaks out.
4 – Oil Slicks
I use tinned salmon or tuna oil. Soak the bait for a few hours before fishing, and it leeches the oil onto the surface. The oil alone can start a frenzy but don’t overfeed them.
5 – Shadows
You don’t want anything to spook the carp whilst carp fishing, especially now you have found them, so watch where your shadow falls.
If you can see them, they can probably see you.
6 – Time is of the essence.
You’ll see carp basking in the sun, but this isn’t necessarily the best time to catch them. Carp feed mainly at dawn and dusk when they feel most safe, so it makes sense these are the best times to fish.
7 – Patience is a virtue
Surface fishing makes it pretty easy to spot the fish. They’ll hang around weeds and the top of the water, searching for food. Stay patient and cast when the odds are in your favour.
8 – Use the correct gear
If you want to catch carp off the top, you must use gear built for surface fishing; standard gear won’t cut the mustard. Surface gear includes using a thinner line, a rod with a soft tip, and smaller hooks.
9 – Target and strike
There may be a specific fish you have dreamt of catching. If that is the case, surface fishing is the best way to achieve this. Once spotted, you can stalk your prey until ready to strike.
10 – Watch the birdie
If birdlife is in your chosen spot, beware, they can ruin everything. Just rustling in your bag can bring the birds into action.
It may be best to throw some bread a distance away to keep them occupied.
