As we start to move out of the colder months and the daffodils and snowdrops are starting to come through and everywhere is looking a little brighter and more inviting, the nights are getting shorter and the days longer. These are signals that the carp are also slowly starting to wake up and will be ready to start moving again and at the same time they will be ready to start feeding more frequently.
Spring is a time of year that we all start get excited about, new syndicates, new challenges and a whole new year of your own carp fishing.
For me my style doesn’t change that much, I will carry on using my trusted hinge stiff rig with hi visual pops and a good scattering of high quality boilies, as you can tell by now I am a boilie angler, the reason I use boilies all year round it that it gives carp the nutrients that they crave and of course it’s a valuable food source for the carp.
From around April time onwards this is where the boilie fishing really comes into its own, I like to fish a boilie that’s not too over powering but still has plenty to offer in terms of flavour and colour and for me I find the formula red and plum can offer the carp all the goodness that they need after a long cold winter, the deep red colour of the bait has always been a firm favourite of mine and I wouldn’t want to be using anything else for this time of year.
It’s not just about the bait in the early spring time, location plays a huge part in into trying catching our quarry, we need to be a lot more alert with our eyes as this is a time of year that the carp can often tell you where they are, so keep your eyes peeled and keep active, I definitely fish to showing carp with either singles or a small bait stringer both are ideal for quick bites, if noting happens you can always get your rods back on to the previous area, don’t be afraid to move if you start seeing shows elsewhere.
Be lucky, tight lines.
Ben Finlay – Winter Tips
