A successful catch and release after been sacked up for 5 hours

Only sack a fish if necessary

You should only sack up a fish if absolutely necessary and allowed by the rules of the fishery. The only times I consider sacking a fish are if it is caught during the hours of darkness and it is of sufficient size for me to want to photograph.

What equipment do I need?

• A pair of chest waders - Depending on the venue you are fishing and the depth of the margin. You may need to place your stake retention pole out of the margin as deep as you can. A good pair of chest waders will allow you to complete this and stay warm and dry.
• A large zip sack - I recommend using sacks by Solar or Fox, they have an excellent range of zip sacks that last well and ensure the fish is safe
• A strong retention pole - A large storm pole with a screw bottom is a good option, this allows you to stake the fish in deep water very securely and the cord an be securely fixed to the top with a screw in clip.
• Cord extension - Not an essential piece of equipment but can help where you would like the fish to have the freedom to move into deeper water.
• A marking buoy - Again this is not essential but a good tip. Attach a small marine buoy to a 2 metre length of cord and tie or clip this to the carrying handles of the carp sack. Now if the worst was to happen and the fish became untethered is not possible for the fish to dive and it can be located and rescued easily.

Choose your retention point carefully

Make sure you have a place in mind when considering sacking a fish on a swim. The fish should be placed in water at minimum 1 meter deep, in a shaded area away from your main swim so it does not get disturbed by other captures.

Retain the fish for a minimum period

If you choose to sack a fish during the night, make sure you are ready to photograph and release at first light. This ensures the fish is kept for the minimum time. Also the hour after first light is often the best light for taking your trophy shots anyway.

New World Carp Classic website

Join in the count down to this years event by going to worldcarpclassic.com and picking up the latest news in the run up to the event.

Make sure you are comfortable

Ensure that you are going to say comfortable during your stay on the bank. It can be a very long night if you are cold, wet or hungry. Essentials to nearly every night session are:

• a good quality bivvy that will stand up to the weather and stay dry and in one piece. During the warm summer months why not ditch the bivvy and night fish under your umbrella.
• a comfortable bedchair. A floor mat or air bed is a poor substitute
• A warm sleeping bag. The sleeping bag can be replaced by a bed chair cover in the warmer summer months
• make sure you have a good quality stove, even if you are not cooking you will always want hot drinks

Get organised

Part of staying comfortable and effective while night fishing is to stay organised. Before dark make sure you tidy up and place urgently needed items where they can be access quickly.

• Place your landing net, weighing scales and weigh sling next to your unhooking mat adjacent to your rods
• Get your camera out and ready for any trophy shots you are hoping to take during the night.
• Pre-pare a set of rigs for all of your rods. Rig tying is not something you want to be doing at 3am so pre-tied rigs are essential.
• Prepare any hook baits or PVA bags you will need for each rod. After a take you want to get your rods back out there as fast as you can, having everything pre-pared will speed this up dramatically.
• When going to sleep ensure you are able to hear your alarms adequately. A remote sounds box is a must in my opinion.
• Be prepared to jump out of bed and to your rods quickly. A positioned pair of Wellies or slip on shoes are key to been fast to your rods.

Turning the lights on

Of course you are gong to need a light or two when carp fishing at night. Be careful to use your bivvy light as little as possible. This will keep your swims margin as undisturbed as possible. The most essential piece of night fishing equipment for me is a good head torch. These allow you to work in the bivvy and walk around without having to think about holding or lighting your way. After a while you will almost forget you have one on.

Carp spotting

Just because it is dark do not rule out carp spotting. Listening and watching the water on the lighter nights can bring rewards, and could mean you move onto the fish before anyone else.

Have spares ready

The expendable items you use during night fishing mainly batteries for lights and alarms plus gas for cooking should be backed up with spares. No one wants to have an alarm battery go in the night to wake up to a missed fish.

Playing a fish in the dark

Probably the most difficult part of night fishing is playing a fish in the dark. There is no real substitute for experience here, if you are well used to catching carp during daylight then you will soon get used to it. For me you need to forget about the position of the fish until it is ready to net and concentrate on feeling the fish and it’s fight until you are fully in control.

Gaining the night fishing experience

I certainly recommend you do not go night fishing on your own until you get used to the experience. It is also of great benefit to go with a fellow angler who has experience of night fishing to give you some help.

Re-casting your rods at night

Re-positioning your rods at night will require you to have measured and marked your rod positions during the day light hours.

• After you have placed all your rods add some marking braid or tape just above the tip to give you a visual reference for the length of the cast.
• You should also note a strong physical object that will silhouette against the night sky near or in-line with your rods position. This will give you the casting reference at night to aim at.

Baiting up at night

Baiting up at night is similar in method to re-casting your rods. Make sure you have a measured reference point and a distance gauge for baiting up at night. On your spod rod mark each of your baited areas with line markers and a silhouette reference point. Spodding out bait for instance over a productive spot at night can vastly increase the chances of additional runs in the morning.

In conclusion

Carp fishing at night is great, especially when you are getting no sleep and the rods are rattling off. If nothing else you will enjoy even more of the outdoor experience and atmosphere, learning and gaining a little more experience to make you stronger next time.

The success of Maize

It is not difficult to see why Maize is one of the worlds most loved and best carp baits. It’s low cost and ready availability give it a mass appeal. These properties coupled with the fact that Carp just love it makes it a great success the world over. It’s natural bright colour gives instant appeal on nearly all waters and its durable properties allow you to avoid trouble from small nuisance fish.

What varieties of Maize available?

French Maize

• French Maize - The most commonly used form of Maize. Large tough skinned grains. Excellent in combination with other particles or as a hookbait.
• Pop Corn Maize - A smaller variety of Maize, ideal for bulk baiting.
• Red Maize - Very similar in form to Popcorn Maize except the colour of course.
• Flaked Maize - A good option to add substance to your Spod mix or particle mix. Easily prepared buy just scolding with boiling water and soaking for 24 hours.
• Artificial Maize - I like most carp anglers I was a little sceptical of using fake baits, and whether they would catch fish. However continued repeat captures with artificial baits have proved to me that carp are quite happy to take the artificial Maize. This is probably due to their curiosity and love of the real stuff.

Where do I buy Maize from?

Popcorn Maize

Readily available in pre-prepared jars from most tackle shops. The Frenzied Feeder Maize from Dynamite Baits is an easy option, and a good introduction to carp fishing with Maize. However I prefer to buy in bulk and prepare the Maize myself. Available from many bait suppliers, Pet shops and seed suppliers by the bag, you can easy pick up a large bag for under £10.

Preparing Maize before cooking

Fishing with uncooked particles of any kind will harm fish. Unprepared bait will swell up after digestion by the carp and probably lead to death. Preparation of uncooked Maize is very simple. Prepare only the amount you need for one session, as the only way to store prepared particles is to Freeze them. I am sure many carp anglers have there own routine to preparation but the basics are still the same. My method is to fill a large re-sealable bucket with the amount of Maize I require. Cover this with rain water or lake water (preferably) and leave to soak for at least 24 hours. Ensure you cover the Maize by at least 6 inches of water as the Maize will expand as it re-hydrates.

Cooking Maize

Flaked Maize

After soaking the Maize it should now be re-hydrated but still very hard. You will need to transfer the Maize from your sealed bucket to your preferred method of cooking. I use two large pressure cookers that will quickly get the Maize up to boiling point. I know some angler use old Burco boilers to prepare their baits or even cook them in a slow cooker for a while. However you boil the Maize is up to you. Be prepared that it does not give off the sweetest of smells so using your home kitchen could stink the whole house out. Not the best way to get brownie points from your other half? Ensure you boil the mix vigorously for at least 30 minutes, your maize should now be softer but not mushy. Now transfer your cooked maize back to the re-sealable bucket.

Adding Additives and Flavours

Straight after cooking is a great time to add in your additives and flavours. This may be a favourite bait dip or sweetener. Personally I vary what additives I use depending on my baiting application for the Maize. As a general additive I do like to add a good teaspoon of Sea Salt per Kg and a teaspoon of chilli flakes to approximately every 2/3 Kg to give it a kick. Other popular additives for Maize are Molasses and Corn Steep Liquor (CSL).

Maize fermentation

Red Maize

You can use your mix straight away after adding in your flavours and additives if you like. I like to leave my Maize in the sealed bucket for at least another 24 to 48 hours. This allows resting time gives the Maize the chance to absorb your flavours and start to break down a little releasing its natural sugars and starch. The prefect Maize for me has a strong smell which will tell you, it is on the turn and is ready.

Using Maize carp baits

Maize has a many bait applications from a straight hookbait to pre-baiting beds of particles, the choice is yours.

Hookbaits

• After preparing a batch of French Maize I like to pick off a pot full of the best and largest grains for hookbaits and soak theses separately in a preserve.
• Use two or three grains on the hair to produce larger hook baits
• Insert a grain shape piece of yellow rig foam or a buoyant artificial bait above real French maize to produce balanced or pop-up hook baits
• Use a grain of Maize above your boillie in a snowman style for a little visual flare to your hookbait.

Bait beds

• Use a bait spoon to deliver large quantities of bait to a margin spot. Be aware that nuisance water fowl will dive on your bait if in shallower water and could ruin your spot.
• Baiting a spot at distance will require you to break out the Spod rod and get busy.

Maize bait combinations

Maize is a great in combination with other particles. Classic combinations I have used are bulk batches of Hemp with a sprinkling of Maize, fished with a pop-up Maize rig over the bed of bait.

Should I start fishing with Maize?

Yes without a doubt. I have not fished on a water yet that has not responded to Maize with all most instant effect.

On many waters you may have to walk a long way laden with heavy gear on your shoulder or with a heavily laden barrow. On other occasions I have had to spod out bait at range for hours on end or row a boat across a water baiting up and dropping baits multiple times a day. On all these occasions I am thankful that I am in good health and reasonable shape.

I don’t think fitness is something that occurs to most carp anglers, but it can give you an added advantage over lazy carp anglers. Perhaps you can just get to the best swim quicker than anyone else or spod your bait out quicker and further than other anglers.

Either way a reasonable level of fitness can only help you to catch more fish.

My guess would be that the substantial weight gains we have seen in some fish have come from a combination of factors, been in place on a certain water. Therefore I feel it would take a true exceptional circumstance to get a fish the 100lb weight, but not impossible.

The perfect carp growing environment

If you gave the perfect environment to the right fish I am sure they may come close. Lets say hand pick a select number of fish that show growing potential, put them in a optimal water with the correct warm climate, keep the stock level low, feed the fish a quality diet, encouraged natural food sources and perhaps some other factor that could push the fish over the record weight? May be a warmer water temperature would increase appetite or access to flowing water would give them more exercise against the flow, who knows.

Current world record Mirror carp

As I write this article the current world record stands at 91lb caught by Andre Komornicki from Luke Moffats Water, Les Graviers in France. This fish know as ‘the scar’ has increased in weight 41lb over the last 8 years. At that rate it could break the 100lb barrier by 2011?

Lets hope it happens because that would be one hell of a fight!

Getting organised

I decided it was time to get organised. As a Project Manager by profession these tendencies come naturally to me but there is more to my structured approach than just organisation. I wanted to maximise my catching potential when on the bank so I would enjoy even more of the limited time I have available to fish. Short session carp fishing can be very rewarding when it goes well so I try to make the effort to plan out my fishing trips. Sometimes the plan comes together, sometimes it doesn’t, but crucially I will always learn something more for next time.

The plan

My plans will fluctuate depending on my knowledge of the water, the length of the session or campaign, the venue characteristics and level of experimentation needed. So why don’t I just fish and note down my findings as you go along? Well I have done that in the past but have found it has taken a considerable amount of time to get to know a water and its resident fish stock. My structured approach has resulted in many more fish on the bank in a shorter space of time. Overall a much more enjoyable carp fishing experience given the knowledge that on every trip I have the information to catch with a bit of luck.

1. Decide on your chosen venue

Venue selection is a personal choice and is really up to you. For me I have always picked small (less than 20 acres) to medium (20-50 acres) sized venues for the majority of my fishing. Living in the North West of England means that there are plenty of these venues for me to choose from. If you are a beginner carp angler than I would suggest that you go for the smaller venues and work your way up.

2. Research the water

With the amount of information available to you, researching a water is easier than ever before. Valuable information can come from a variety of sources from talking to the bailiff or anglers at the venue, searching on-line and asking in on-line forums, Google maps for the layout of the venue, Publications (weekly and monthly magazines) and tackle shops are all great sources of information.

3. Make your first non fishing visits

Usually done during winter when most waters are receiving least angling pressure. On these visits I try to get my marker rod out and write down features and depths that I find. Beware that this process can take you several days or even weeks on a large venue. I fishing a larger venue limited mapping would be a better option and chart the water as you fish it on each session. Mapping out and charting the water can be a long process but is very beneficial in the long term and I feel will get you to your end goal of catching fish regularly much faster. Record everything that you find and discover. My basic records consist of Photos of the water and swims, depth of water at different ranges, detail of each swim, features of each swim and the general venue, stock level estimation, anglers and word of mouth comments.

4. Recording your findings

Draw a map of the water, record each session in a diary, note weather conditions and observation, your orientation to the lake (North, South, East and West), the Moon phase on the day.

5. Planning your first approach

From your research and findings you should now formulate your plan of attack. Pick your initial approach to a water and try it, stick to your plan for each short session you do.

6. Change and refine your plans

It is important to keep ringing the changes to your approach even if you have been catching. Personally I know that one good session does not mean that I have mastered a water, as the next session may require a completely different approach in order to catch again.

7. Conclusions

You will probably be already drawing some conclusions after only a few sessions. It is important to collate your findings regularly to identify the patterns that will begin to form, particularly when you have had some success.

8. When to stop!

Well some carp anglers chop and change their fishing venues very regularly. With the amount of venues to choose from this is an easy thing to do. However I prefer to concentrate my efforts to one or two waters for a period and then move on. I feel that your time on a venue will naturally come to a close after you have perhaps capture the majority of your target fish, or you just need a change the scenery. You can always revisit the water at a later date all your research and findings will still be there for you to pick up from.

Good luck with your campaign.

Even without visiting a water you know as an experience carp angler that there going to be guaranteed areas of the water where you will find fish. These areas are always my first port of call when investigating or fishing a water for the first time.

1. Weed beds

A lot of anglers try to avoid weedy areas, given the technical challenges of presenting a bait correctly and landing carp in weedy areas. One thing you can guarantee though is that the fish will not be far from large weedy areas. If you are able to find clear patches surrounded by weed they are great for presenting your bait trap on. If you can not find the edge or clear patch in the weed then adjusting your rig and presenting your bait in or on top of the weed, can be a god option.

2. Unpopular swims

An unpopular swim can be for lots of reasons on many swims it may be nothing to do with the catch rate from that position. I have lost count of how many anglers I see and talk to who base there swim choice on easy accessibility e.g. nearest to the car park or shy away from swims because they are over grown or too small. Often these forgotten swims are seen as safety areas by the fish as they rarely receive any angler pressure from them.

3. Predominant windward banks

On some waters a predominant favourable wind (South-Westerly usually) is a good indicator of where the fish may be. Particularly I have found if the wind direction is a new changing wind. Picking a swim into or on the back of the wind can be a good bet to find the fish.

4. Snags and Safe areas

Fish will always find the safe areas on waters, often deep into snags on a water or in out of bounds areas of a water. The fish know that these areas represent little or no danger to them of been caught. Therefore fishing as close to these holding areas or setting traps for fish moving in and out of them is another good tactic for getting a run.

5. Inaccessible areas

Fishing areas of a water that are inaccessible is a similar tactic to fishing the unpopular swims. To fish these areas you may have to go out of your way in order to place your bait but if it means you bag a fish then I think it is worth it, particularly on hard waters where runs are infrequent. These areas in some cases may be obvious like a far margin that is out of bounds but is at extreme range. In other cases it may be fishing a margin that you may not be able to cast a bait to. In this case wading in and hand placing a bait can be a great technique.

1. Vitalin - Original

Vitalin is actually dog food but also makes an excellent maize ground bait too. Scold your mix with boiled lake or rain water and leave to soak. Make sure you check the consistency as it is a little like making porridge and can just turn into a sticky mess if you do not add enough liquid. I also recommend you use Vitalin - Original as your base and combine it with some other free offerings such as chopped bollies, other particles, hemp, conditioner, tuna etc… with a bit of Molasses for good measure. A 15kg sack should cost you around £12.

2. Pigeon Conditioner

This is excellent particle bait for around £18 there is no better value bulk particles that this. Includes: Red Dari, Wheat, White Dari, Linseed, naked Oats, Safflorseed, Black Rapeseed, Mung Beans, White Rice, Buckwheat and Aniseed Flavouring. To prepare it scold it with boiling lake or rain water and leave it in a sealed bucket for minimum of 24hrs. I usually leave mine to soak for 72 hours in a warm place, this encourages a little fermentation and the mix to go slightly off. I then finish the mix with a desert spoon of chilli flakes and a bit of sea salt.

3. Cat meat

I am sure lots of the cat meats on sale will work very well. I go for chunky Coshida Red or Blue cat meat available at Lidl as a recommended variety. This is very smelly and a bit tricky to get the correct hook bait presentation, but can give amazing result for only 25 pence.

4. Hemp

I don’t really feel the need to say anything about Hemp seed the king of all partials in my opinion. If you have not used Hemp then you should be. Available very cheaply in large quantities you just need to soak the seed for a minimum of 24hrs, then give it a quick boil until the kernels split open. Carp love Hemp used in small or large quantities it can be devastatingly effective. A 20kg sack should cost you some where between £15 - £20.

5. Pedigree Chum Mixers

Chum mixers are probably the most widely used bait when surface fishing for carp. The chum mixer is a great hookbait size and can be catapulted a remarkably long way. Carp love chum mixers and if you can get one or two fish feeding well you will be sure to have some success fishing on the top. No preparation need just hair rig or glue to the hook and you are ready to start. A 9kg bag will set you back around £12.

6. Maize

Whole Maize is not just a chicken and bird food but also an all time classic carp bait. Fished on the bottom or popped up Maize catches loads of carp on all waters. To prepare whole Maize soak it for a minimum of 24hrs and the boil for 30 minutes. For an extra tip after boiling pick out 20-30 choice kernels for hook baits and mix them with a little Betaline for extra attraction. Some carp anglers also choose to leave their Maize for a few days to go slightly off before using it. If kept in a warm place the Maize will start to ferment a little and release its natural sugars inside. You can pick up 20kg bag of whole Maize for around £15.

In Conclusion

If you shop around you are able to buy very large quantities of bait for a fraction of the cost of bulk buying conventional baits such as bollies. This makes bulk baiting or pre-baiting campaigns a realistic option even for the average pocket. The above bait will only set you back around £75 for around 85kg of bait for around 88 pence per kg. What a bargain!

How else would I get to see beautiful scenes like this

Well this is a question that usually comes from a non angler. To which my reply is to escape and level myself away from all the stresses and strains of modern life. I can not think of any other activity that manages to completely clear my mind. I rarely think of anything else on the bank but how to catch my next fish.

The gap grows

The question also sometimes comes from fellow anglers who can not understand my focus on exclusively Carp fishing. It raises an interesting split that clearly exists in course fishing. I have certainly witnessed a growing gap between the Pleasure and Match anglers and the pure Carp fishing anglers?

Why I started?

As with a lot of carp anglers I started fishing when I was very young and was not bothered what size or species I caught as long as I did catch? However around 15 years ago I decided that I was fed up of sitting perched on the edge my Shakespeare box. Starring at a float or a quiver tip for hours on end. I decided to change to fishing for Carp exclusively. To me this was a natural progression at the time as I usually had an extra rod and reel aimed at sneaking a large carp out anyway.

Times are a changing

However times have now changed and a lot of carp anglers now started carp fishing with out any previous experience of fishing. Their first experience is carp fishing and it does not affect them at all.

Reasons to love carp fishing

For me the reason I love carp fishing is the variety of experiences it gives you. I love the full experience, the camping, comfort and pure relaxation I get from carp fishing. These mixed with the technical aspects and the gadgetry equipment, it gives me every thing I want from a hobby. Some of these elements I have always got from fishing but only now on reflection do I truly appreciate the full experience.

Conclusions

I am sure many of you out there will have vastly different opinions or perhaps do not restrict yourselves to one type of fishing. However the trend of exclusive carp only fishing is only set to increase more over the next few years. I can only hope it does not reflect badly on the whole sport of fishing in the years to come.