| Locating Tips, Part 7 |
 |
 |
|
Angler Pressure and Other Effects This is the point at which the general principles outlined above start to become totally irrelevant. Carp tend to become conditioned by anglers and the environment they are subjected to, which means that a lot of the basic rules get totally thrown out when anglers start frequenting a water. If the carp like the wind, then you may find the windward end very difficult for carp if some good catches have been made from there. The same goes for other areas of a lake. If the carp are very suspicious of anglers then you may find the best areas to try are the snags, but if these too have been pressured a fair bit it may be difficult to receive a pick-up from here. You may find the carp will only venture out of the snags to feed every now and again. This is where pre-baiting can pay dividends. If you are going to be targeting a lake regularly then start to apply bait around all the areas of the lake that you believe they may visit or feed. This will condition the carp into feeling safe when they feed upon a particular food source. This strategy works best if you use a bait with a personalized flavor or base, as this will stop other anglers taking advantage of your efforts. The best time of the year to begin a pre-baiting campaign is in the spring months when, the carp are beginning to wake up. They will be very catchable at this time of the year, but if you continue to apply the bait throughout the year, they will eventually recognize which baits are safer. We like to carry on baiting all the way through the winter also, and this sort of effort really can keep the carp on the move in the winter once they are confident of a bait and its availability. Pre-baiting is also a fabulous way of turning unproductive areas of the lake into very productive ones. Areas that are normally devoid of natural food can be turned into fantastic spots after a few weeks of baiting. Water quality can also influence the location of the carp. Inflows bringing in chemicals that are then diluted into the lake may be devoid of carp. This is also connected to the changing seasons. As autumn moves in, all lakes undergo a natural breaking-down process. Leaves that are deposited on the lake bed will decompose naturally, releasing nutrients into the water which the carp may recognize and take a dislike to. We've seen areas that are very productive in the spring and summer turn totally the opposite as autumn settles in. Such areas are then once again very productive the following year. We can conclude from all of the above information that the location of carp and their feeding areas is a complex part of the angler's armoury. Our advice will always be along the lines of: 'Be aware of what can affect the location of the fish, but never rely on only one factor alone.' Angling pressure can turn carp away from windy areas, and so on, so always try to consider every piece of evidence available to you before you decide which swim to target. As an example, consider a lake that is a gravel pit. It may appear to possess very few silt areas. If you start to catch a few carp that are excreting bloodworm then you'll need to put your thinking cap on. The action of the wind may be causing small silt deposits to form in isolated areas of the lake. Consider the direction of the prevailing wind as well as any gravel bars, troughs or gullies. Where are they in line with the winds? You may find that the wind has carried silt particles which have been deposited on the leeward sides of the bars. Are there any more signs? If there is weed growing on one side of a bar then it is likely to be rooted in a silty area. There are thousands of signs like this which the angler needs to notice and piece together, a little like a jigsaw puzzle. Locating carp that you cannot see can be a difficult process, but more often that not the signs will be there. It is just a matter of watching, waiting and thinking. |
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)