If you are just starting out on your carp fishing journey, it all might seem a bit daunting at first. What equipment should you use? When should you fish? What is the best way to secure a catch? Read on to discover our top carp fishing tips for beginners.
Choose the right hook
The first among our carp fishing tips involves choosing your hook. The hook you pick will depend on the size of carp you’re looking to catch and where you want to fish (i.e in weedy areas or in places with rocks and gravel). Make sure you take into account the thickness and overall size of the hook before you buy! It’s a good idea to get a few different hooks in your repertoire so that you can pick accordingly. And, read reviews before you make a purchase!
Have different boilies to hand
If you stick with the same type of boilie, you can really limit yourself in terms of attracting carp to your bait. They come in all different shapes, sizes, colours and flavours which will all appeal to different carp so it’s good to have a range. You might think that having loads of boilies is expensive but you can even make your own.
Pick the right time of day
Choosing the ideal time of day is often overlooked but we think it’s a very important inclusion in our top carp fishing tips. The more you fish, the more you will get to know the peak times for carp, and the busiest times at your nearby lake. Another great tip for those who like a bit of peace and quiet - if you wait until the afternoon, you can often end up with the lake all to yourself!
Keep noise to a minimum
This might seem like an obvious statement but it’s an extremely valuable one to remember. Carp are sensitive and can be startled away by even the slightest amount of noise. Staying as quiet as possible will increase your chances of getting a good catch.
Know your lines
There are three main types of fishing line that you want to know about: braided, mono and fluorocarbon. Braided lines are known to be sensitive and will detect even the smallest movement or bite from a fish. They’re also very strong! The mono is the most popular line amongst anglers and it will hold easily to your reel without slipping. Fluorocarbon is the least stretchy of the three and its density means that it’s good for deep water fishing.
Alter the appearance of your bait
Carp can become aware of bait over time and may even start to associate it with danger. It might be useful to disguise your bait from time to time so that you increase the chance of the carp being attracted to it.
Give zig bugs a try
Zig bugs are a recent and clever technology in fishing and they are designed to mimic small aquatic creatures. The carp will easily be attracted to zig bugs as they are made to resemble critters that the carp will eat regularly. We’d definitely recommend giving them a go!
Try fish oils on boilies
Carp love the taste of other fish and adding some fish oils to your boilies could really increase your success rate and attract more carp to your bait. Oily fish such as tuna work really well for this, as well as other fish tinned in oil such as sardines and pilchards.
Always use the sharpest hooks
I know we’ve mentioned hooks already in these carp fishing tips but the sharpness of your hook is extremely important. Sharp hooks are the key to getting that big catch so you should always make sure that your hooks are in excellent condition. Check them regularly to ensure they haven’t become blunt and make sure you change them every so often. Hooks are not expensive at all so it really is worth getting a new, sharp one as it will improve your chances.
Be patient!
Carp fishing can be very frustrating at first, especially if you haven’t yet become accustomed to the best tactics. The most important thing is to stick with it – over time you will begin to recognise the best times, spots, and equipment to use. Bad days happen to us all when we’re fishing but it doesn’t mean you should give up because tomorrow could be your lucky day!
We hope our ten top carp fishing tips have inspired you to start your carp fishing journey! If you’d really like to embrace the experience and are interested in carp fishing holidays in France, check out the range of venues we have available here.
To find out more about our French carp fishing venues please visit our home page or take a look at some of the fish photo galleries.