As the seasons progress, temperatures drop and rise and the weather changes, so does carp fishing and the approach you should be taking.
Throughout the year your carp fishing techniques should adapt and change with the seasons and weather which can make it quite difficult to keep track of the most productive way of fishing in each season.
I have already covered tips for the winter when fishing becomes harder, carp fishing in the wind, carp fishing in autumn and even carp fishing in the rain and today I’m going to be writing a post on summer carp fishing tips.
In the summer carp will commonly be more active and feeding heavier than in the winter months (weather depending) and there is many tips you can take advantage of to increase your catch rate significantly.
The 10 summer carp fishing tips I’m going to be discussing are;
- Get to the lake early
- Watch for the spawn
- Try the margins
- Bring out to spod
- Fish the method feeder with micropellets
- Look for the fish
- Feed little and often
- Try stalking
- Don’t disregard float fishing
- Keep away from angling pressure
1.0 Get to the Lake Early
If you are heading to a popular day fishing venue try to get there before first light to take full advantage of scoping out the lake before anyone else arrives. Find a spot where you can see as much of the lake as possible and watch as the sun begins to rise.
Look for areas on the lake that look murkier than others where carp have been rooting through the silt on the bottom looking for food, areas of bubbles where carp are feeding on the bottom and even carp breaching the surface.
One of the reasons carp jump from the water is to clean their gills so watching this gives a good indication that the carp were feeding below on this spot.
By doing this you give yourself a massive advantage over other anglers as you’ll get the pick of the pegs and should know exactly where the fish in the lake like to feed.
2.0 Watch for the Spawn
If you regularly fish the same venue during the summer then you can greatly increase your chances of an improved few sessions by keeping track of the spawn on that lake.
Carp will spawn between April and august when the conditions are right. During the spawn you can basically write off any fishing sessions as the spawning fish are only interested in one thing and it’s definitely not feeding.
If you manage to watch for the spawn and get down for a session in the days after it the fish will be heavily on the feed to replenish energy used during the spawn.
If you are fishing immediately after the spawn don’t be afraid to use more bait and bait up your swim with plenty of loose feed to get the carp into your swim.
3.0 Try the Margins
Throughout the summer when the temperatures are up you will be surprised at how many large carp come to the margins to feed. This is even more likely if the margins has vegetation that the carp feel safe feeding beside for cover.
If you are struggling to catch fish in the open water don’t neglect the close margins near features.
These warmer margins are also packing with natural food baits which brings the carp in close to the banks on the feed.
Also, quite often when anglers are packing up for the day, any perishable baits that are left over will be tossed close to the peg which can often be into the margins.
This can help continually bring the fish close to the bank looking for this food.
By taking a walk around the margins and baiting up a few margin spots away from most of the angling pressure and in secluded locations you can find carp will come in to feed.
Bait up around 5 spots and check them regularly to see if the fish have started to feed on any of these spots. When the fish have visited one of these spots take a rod and drop in a lead with a hook length attached and sit back off the water leaving plenty of slack in the line waiting for the bit.
4.0 Bring out the Spod
Bringing out the spod during the summer can provide excellent attraction to your swim and force the fish into a heavy feed. This is something that must be done carefully though.
If the fish are not feeding heavily and you continue to bait up with your spod the carp can become over fed pretty quickly and move out of your swim and away from your hookbait.
On warm days in summer a lot of the carp will be cruising around in the top few layers of water so baiting up with heavy baits such as boilies and pellets might not be the most productive.
By spodding a cloudy spod mix over a zig rig up in the water you can attract the carp in the top few layers to your hookbait suspended in the water.
By spodding a sloppy mix the carp will having nothing from mix to directly feed on apart from your hookbait so your chances of catching are increased.
5.0 Fish the Method Feeder with Micropellets
If you are having no luck fishing the upper layers of the water then the method feeder should not be ignored.
This method of fishing is perfect for taking a ball of bait to the bottom of the lake with your hookbait presented perfectly on top.
In the summer months when the carp are feeding more heavily micro pellets can be the best approach to bring the fish into your swim.
6.0 Find the Fish
It should be no surprise that if you don’t find the fish you’re not going to be catching them. No matter the time of year by staying mobile and not limiting yourself to the one swim can help get you onto more fish.
You should constantly be looking for signs on the water that the fish are about and if you are seeing them in another swim and not in yours then it should be time to get up and move.
A lot of anglers get too comfortable and lazy in their chosen swim and miss out on a lot of opportunities when you see the fish showing themselves in another location.
By taking a walk around the lake at the start of your fishing session you should be able to locate plenty of spots where there should be carp.
Look for areas near features such as, lilly pads, reeds, vegetation or even an island in the water for any signs of carp activity.
Once you find the fish the catching should come far quicker.
7.0 Feed Little and Often
Even though the fish will feeding heavier than in the winter you still need to be careful not to overfeed. It is far better to feed in small lots often than massive amounts at the start of a fishing session.
If your swim is over run with bait your hookbait can go easily unnoticed as the carp sook up all the free food.
By providing small patches of bait there is enough to attract the fish to your swim and there is far more chance of your hookbait being scooped up.
Also, consistently firing in bait should keep the carp there for longer waiting for the next small lot of feed to drop into the area.
8.0 Try Stalking
Stalking can be a great way to mix up your fishing and try something different if your not catching anything on warm summers days.
Stalking involves taking a light rod sometimes with only a piece of bread or a hook and walking slowly around the margins looking for fish in the warm water around the margins.
Look for ripples murky water or even the fish themselves and be ready to keep quiet and flick your hookbait out in front of the passing fish.
Make sure to take your time and don’t rush things as the fish can spook very easily.
9.0 Don’t Disregard Float Fishing
Float fishing is another method that can really help you to pick up some more fish in the summer.
When the fish are up in the water cruising around in the sun a float rod with even some floating pellets can pick up fish rapidly.
This is something not a lot of carp anglers will be familiar with but I would highly recommend you learn. It works great in the summer and give you another tactic to break out when all else fails.
10.0 Keep Away from Angling Pressure
This is a tip that stands all year round but mainly in the summer when more people venture out for carp fishing.
This is another situation where you should be walking around the look and watching where other anglers are casting there rods and bait.
If the fish are under a lot of pressure they will be very hesitant to bite. If you find a secluded spot near features where the fish are hiding you can pick up bites far quicker.
