Thanks

Phil Underwood

I have followed your advice about getting the carp feeding well before placing your rig on to the spot, and I must say that was harder said and done at time, with me placing my rig in before they were ready and then spooking the away. But after many attempts I have now started to get the hang of it. With me landing a personal best from my lake of 24 lbs 7 oz of mirror carp.

So once more mate many thanks for your advice and your time.

All the best

Phil Underwood

Hi Phil,

Firstly thanks for your message and kind words.

My stalking approach does change a little depending on the lake that I am fishing but the key principals are still the same. The most important thing for me is to get the fish feeding with confidence so they are less wary and therefore more likely to make a mistake and get caught. The way I like to do this especially if time is limited is to have minimal kit with me and keep walking and looking for signs of fish in the edge. I will bait likely looking spots all around the lake and constantly check on them doing lap after lap until I stumble across some feeding fish.

Once you have located them it is important not to rush in to it and ruin your chances from the off. I tend to just patiently wait and observe them for a while as you can learn a lot from watching them such as where on the spot they like to feed the most and which way they approach the area from and sometimes which food items are taken more readily allowing you to choose your hookbait carefully. Quiet often the fish will move off after a little while especially if they have cleared out the free offerings and this then allows you to carefully lower in your rig without spooking them. Once the fish have found spots like this they nearly always return searching for more food only this time you will have a rig in place and its just a case of patiently waiting.

Something else that works well is to temporarily spook them by flicking pellets one at a time on to the spot where the fish are feeding. This will normally semi-spook them causing them to just drift off the spot long enough to lower a rig in before they return. As far as presentation I always use the same set-up as I have found it to be extremely effective in the edge.

I hope this information helps with your limited time on the bank, just remember to use your eyes and stay mobile but most importantly have fun and enjoy your time on the bank.

Tom Oliver