Probing The Bottom When Carp Fishing

Whenever you speak to many carp anglers they’ll explain to you carp fishing is actually easy and should you stick to the fundamental principles you’ll have lot of success fishing in both rivers and lakes. In spite of this, there are lots of methods you can use that will build up your catch rate dramatically.

A decisive factor, when fishing on every lake will be the right choice of swim and also the location that you present the bait to the carp you want to catch. Many carp anglers may select a swim which offers at least one characteristic that they can fish to, this may be a sunken tree, island or in most cases a bed of lily pads. Carp love to conceal themselves in these features and if you stand for just a few minutes in the summer sometimes you will notice Carp lurking close to these features, notably lily pads.

Now, if we just look for a swim which has visible features as explained above then we have a good start but there are far more tactics we can benefit from to even further increase our likelihood of catching those elusive carp. What I am referring to here is the bottom of the lake, we will want to find a weed free spot and if possible a gravel bar, Carp will feed heavily on gravel bars but just how can we find them?

We use a uncomplicated tactic to probe the bottom of the lake and we actually feel through the rod tip precisely what the bottom is like, by using this strategy we will identity silt areas, weed free areas and gravel bars, these are the exact spots we need to be fishing.

To make use of this strategy we work with a weighty lead, something about 3 to 4oz and we tie this to the end of the main line with out using a hook. We cast the lead out and let it sink to the bottom, when the lead has hit the bottom we tighten the line with the rod tip pointing down towards the bank. We know life the rod and very slowly pull the lead forward and we will feel every bump on the lake bed. When the rod tip is pointing toward the sky we drop the rod back to the water and reel in the slack line. Again we very slowly lift the rod pulling the weight along the bottom as we lift the rod upwards.

By repeating this technique we will be able to tell if the bottom is silty, gravel or weed free. This method needs a little practice but the more you do it the better you will get at feeling the rod tip. If you are pulling the rod through weed you will feel the end of the rod becoming stuck in the weeds, when you are past the weeds the rod tip will become free and the weight will come back over the bottom with no resistance, you now know this area is weed free and a good place to cast a bait.

If you find a gravel bed you will feel the rod tip quiver and shake as the weight drags over the gravel, when you find a gravel bed you have struck gold and you should definitely put a least one of your rods in this area.

About the Author:
There is more to carp fishing than just casting a line out. You need to locate gravel bars and features which you can do easily bt probing the bottom. This simple method will show you how to find these features and catch more fish.

Probing The Bottom When Carp Fishing, Probing The Bottom When Carp Fishing,