Have you ever wondered when you survey the day’s carp fishing location about the margins of the lake? Wonder no more because using the lake margins can be very fruitful and coupled with good angling techniques can improve your catch no end.
I have noticed that many carp anglers dismiss the lake margins as non productive, how wrong they are. They gaze out to the middle and far reaches of the lake and convince themselves that this is where the fish are. I have, in fact witnessed many an angler with two or three rods all with lines cast as far as the eye can see. Carp aren't daft and they sense all this mid-lake activity so hang out in the margins and very often you will find that the carp lake margins can harbor the monster carp that we all strive to catch, you know the ones we lie about that got away.
One secret of fishing for carp at the margins of the lake is that you must be very quiet when setting up your gear. Carp have sensitive hearing and vibration perception and will pick up on activity from the banks of the lake so don't be hammering in pegs or practicing your river dance moves as this will cause the carp to scarper for quieter waters. When fishing from the margins of the carp lake try to blend in with your surroundings by wearing dark green, brown or better still camouflaged attire, try to stay hidden and stay low when approaching the waters edge. Personally I try to set up my shelter behind a tree away from the edge of the water and not wear my hob-nail boots.
By taking those few precautions any carp in the margins, where you intend to fish, should remain there. Now we come to the tactics than can be applied to aid margin fishing for carp.
If there are a number of anglers already at the lake, fishing at distance, then this could be to your advantage as the carp, have most likely sensed this and have retreated to the margins to feed where they feel more secure.
Be selective in your choice of fishing spot. Look for areas that don't look obvious and avoid common and over used areas, the carp will learn to avoid these places. Locations where there are over hanging trees, under-cut banks, bits that stick out in to the water can be hives of activity for carp.
Some of the most active margin areas are those that are away from such disturbances as roads, car parks and foot-paths. Carp will see these places as potential threats so you should make a bee line to the bank furthest away from potential busy areas.
If you can find an area that other anglers won’t use because they think there are no fish to be caught, then you will find that this is where carp will feel safe and when you start baiting you may find that the fish will feed relatively quickly.
Margins tend to accumulate debris and potential snags so using single hook baits or pop-ups would be a better tactic so that you don't have to keep aiming the hook at the same spot to avoid snagging.
The ability to bait up more easily and with more accuracy is another advantage of margin fishing. It is also much easier to lay rigs on to the lake bed thus doing away with the potential of main line tangling that very often happens unknowingly with normal casting.
Bite indication sensitivity is also heightened when fishing at the water’s edge this is because there is less line to absorb the activity of the carp biting at your bait. For even more bite indication sensitivity use running leads this will also reduce the possibility of a fish unhooking the rig. One of my little tactics is to employ very slack lines and place the bobbins on the ground this ensures that the line is positioned in such a way that it is flat on the bed of the lake so as not to be noticed by the suspicious carp.
I have heard it said that carp don't like murky water stirred up by the wind, for example. Apparently they are concerned for their gills, well wouldn't you be? If you think it’s not true, then give it a try, you never know the stirred up water may be due to the carp itself kicking up the silt so these areas may prove to be fruitful.
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