Angling on any venue can be tricky at times but a spring campaign on a busy club water can really be next level, not only are you competing with the fish your also competing with a lot of angling pressure on the bank. Half the time with a little walk around you can find the fish or at least find some signs but you can put money on it there’s already someone in the swim you really fancy leaving you the next option, one thing I have learnt is that if you dont pick a swim fast the chances are your not gonna get it a second time around, I don’t just mean pick any swim what I mean is don’t pass on one that gives u a good view of the lake and has signs of fish, I’ve often left my gear in 1 swim almost like a banker then giving me time to see if there’s a better option out there, If you still not a 100% sure you are In the right place get the rods out but stay mobile with the intention of moving, a quick move be can be a devastating result early spring when the fish are becoming a lot more active.
As with most club lakes I’ve been on the lake has been fished all week and there’s far to many prying eyes to make pre baiting worth while and as you never know if your going to get the swim you have been pre baiting anytime soon it can become a pointless exercise. Everyone has there own ideas of baiting situations but these fish have seen the lot, I’ve often had great success fishing over large beds of chops with all three rods on the same spot, sometimes with instant takes as the spods been hitting the water just feet above the hook baits, my guess is the fish are becoming more and more active as the weather changes and if you putting a decent amount of bait out there chopped up it’s going to be giving of all kinds of signals through the water column drawing them in, most baiting option will play apart throughout the year but as a lot of club lakes are mixed fisheries and the one I’m fishing now is, I’ll avoid particles and pellets as there’s just to many bream and small fish and when there on you they don’t move, try not to over complicate the things you do and fish to your strengths, with all the videos and info about now days are we all over thinking things?
Why not stick with a rig u have been catching on? And a bait that works for you? It will work again and rather then getting lost in rig bits and ideas just continue catching fish, I’ve see guys turn up and spend hours just trying to sort rigs out before even knowing what the lake beds like to realise it’s different to what they expected and now have to retie them all again. Even if it’s a quick cast around with a bare lead should give you enough of an idea of what’s out there and how to start.
Weather you there for the weekend or an evening session location is key and everything else should fall into place after that.
Once you in your chosen swim and rods fish keep an eye on the water, I’ve had a lot of fish casting a single to a showing fish and this 1 session was no different, after having a good look around the bay I was fishing I was on the other side looking back across the wind chopped bay on to my water I was fishing when a very large set of shoulders popped out not one but twice inside 10 mins, I walked straight back to the rods and flicked it on to the show, I knew the area was pretty clear with patchy light new growth weed coming through but the lead went down and with a nice drop, feeling probably over confident and the wind in my face there were no more shows, half hour passed and thinking I might of missed my chance I decided to do abit of dinner, soon as the water started to boil the rod was away, that single pop up dropped on a set of showing shoulders resulted in a good battle and a few hand in heart moment before a chunk of a fish rolled into the net, once on the scales it went round to a nice 42lb 2oz of chunky mirror carp that if I’d not spotted those shoulders I’d never of caught.
