Spring carp fishing tips

South facing banks – Knowing the points of the compass can lead to areas of the lake where the water can potentially warm the quickest. The south facing bank (North bank) will receive the first rays of sun in the morning and will warm through the day. This can often be a great place to start if there are no other visual signs of carp elsewhere around the lake. The fish will often be up in the water to capitalise on any warm rays of sunshine. This simple tip is echoed on waters up and down the country and also at VS fisheries where we grow and harvest carp.

Corn – Don’t forget the sweetcorn! This little gem of bait has a lot going for it at this time of year. The bright yellow colour sticks out like a fluoro pop-up on the bottom and alerts the fish in clear water. Being over 90% water it will fly straight through the carp’s digestive tract with ease, this is very important and all times of the year but essentially in the spring as the carp’s metabolism is not working at optimal capacity. Corn is a very cheap bait option that can be mixed in with your chosen boilie option.

Baiting – It’s a really tricky time for applying bait at this time of the year. The spring can bring all types of weather, rain, sun and snow. You generally have a mix of weather to contend with and as a result, it’s often better to fish for a bite at a time. A small spread of boilies will push the odds in your favour. My number one baiting tactic would be 15 boilies over each rod and to fish a bright hook bait over the top. Spring carp often get caught on bright carp baits more than any other time of the year, ignore them at your peril. A great universal colour would be white, this really stands out in any background and has caught me so many spring carp that I’ve lost count. Picking the best boilies for spring can be challenging but look for a carp bait that’s soluble and has a good open texture. This will help with the water penetration that will flush out food signals around the baited area.