When you imagine your dream day of fishing, you may well picture sunshine and clear, sparkling water. However, we all know that bodies of water don’t always look as idyllic as that! Often, lakes will be cloudy and, although some people think this makes it easier to catch carp, it can actually be more difficult to fish in these conditions because the carp will be on high alert. Don’t give up just yet though! You can still have a successful experience when fishing in muddy water, you just need to keep some key things in mind.
Remember the regular spots
If you’ve been to this particular lake before, a simple tip is to remember the successful spots in your past angling adventures! Maybe even keep a record of your day so that you know for the future. Carp still have their regular haunts and preferred feeding spots, regardless of the condition of the water. If it’s a new spot, you might want to spend a bit of time figuring out what works, but when you think you’ve found a hotspot you should stick to it.
Target green areas
Carp will be attracted to lily beds, overhanging trees and other green areas of the lake because of the potential food supply, so it’s a good idea to focus on these natural areas to locate your carp. You might want to arrive early to secure a good spot, however, because your fellow anglers will most likely also be aiming for these hotspots around the lake when fishing in muddy water!
Choose bottom baits
In cloudy and murky water, a bottom bait is going to be far more effective than a pop-up. This is because the carp will search for food along the lake bed in these conditions, rather than venturing to the surface, so you are far more likely to find them in deeper waters.
Use oily baits
Your instinct might be to go for a brightly coloured boilie in order to attract carp but in actual fact, you need to think about smell rather than colour. In murky waters, carp rely heavily on their sense of smell, therefore more potent baits work very well. A good tip is to use baits which are high in oil, such as hemp, as this will help to attract carp when you are fishing in muddy water. You could always make your own boilies to maximise the oil content.
Hopefully, these useful tips and tricks will give you a head start when you next venture out for a day of fishing in muddy water. You should never let certain water conditions put you off – all it requires is a few changes in technique and you’ll still be on for a really successful day of angling!
If you love carp fishing in all conditions and are interested in taking your hobby on holiday with you, why not get in touch with us?