Catching carp with a float rod: choosing tackle, rigging, groundbait and lures

Rod selection

When fishing for carp, all fishing rods are used - fly rods, Bolognese rods, match rods, and plug rods. Each of them is not universal, is intended for fishing in certain conditions and has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Flywheel

The fly rod is the lightest and most sensitive among the float rods.
Thanks to the lightweight absence of guide rings and a reel, this rod is widely used for coastal fishing for medium and small carp. The length of the fly forms ranges from 4 to 5-7 meters. Advantages:

• Ease and convenience to use;
• Ability to use thinner fishing line and equipment;
• Quick replacement of equipment;

Flaws:

• Inability to change the length of the fishing line when fishing for large carp;
• Inconveniences when fishing at a close distance, several times shorter than the length of the equipment;
• Casting limited by the length of the equipment;
• Inconveniences when using during currents.

Bologna

A Bologna rod or “bolonka” – unlike a fly rod, has guide rings and a reel, which allows you to adjust the length of the equipment.
On sale there are “lapdogs” ranging in length from 4 to 6-7 meters. This rod is used for catching carp from the shore and boat, with longer casts than the fly rod. Advantages:

• The casting range is several times greater compared to the swing;
• Ability to change the length of the main line;
• When fishing for large carp, a rod with guides and a spinning reel will allow you to evenly distribute the load on them when fishing.

Flaws:

• The weight of such rods is greater compared to their fly analogues;
• When using a thin fishing line, over time, it gradually abrades on the surface of the guide rings.

Match

A match rod (match) is a type of float rod for long and accurate casts. A flexible and durable fishing rod up to 4.5 meters long is equipped with a larger number of guide rings than a lapdog.

In carp fishing, particularly durable special plug-in carp matches are used for shore fishing up to 4.2 meters in length.

Advantages:

• The highest casting range among float rods;
• Strength and reliability of the form;
• Uniform distribution of the weight of the hooked fish throughout the entire form thanks to the large number of passage rings.

Flaws:

Heavy weight – carp matches, compared to fly and Bolognese rods, as well as classic match rods, weigh significantly more due to their reinforced design.

Plug

A plug rod is a tackle more suitable for sport fishing.
Due to their design, the casting range of plugs is greater than that of a lapdog, but less than that of match rods. When fishing for carp, it is not used as widely as the three previous types - plug rods are high cost, require a large number of additional devices for fishing with them (retractable rollers, stands), are fragile and cannot be repaired independently. Thus, among the rods described above, the most suitable for carp fishing is a sensitive and light fly rod and a long-range match rod. The Bolognese fishing rod is used most often in the absence of the previous two, but the plug is not widely used mainly because of its high cost.

Carp rods

A standard carp match rod differs from others in its durable blank with a dough weight of up to 20-25 grams, reinforced guide rings, and a reliable and comfortable handle.

The following models can be distinguished from the specialized carp fishing rods used:

• Shimano VENGEANCE AX Specimen 13-350 DL 2PCS is a plug-in two-section rod with a length of 396 cm. Thanks to the use of XT30 carbon fiber in the blank, it perfectly dampens the jerks of even very large carp.
• Daiwa BLACK WIDOW CARP 360 is a two-section carbon fiber carp rod with a length of 360 cm. Reliable and quite light with a long, comfortable handle made of EVA polymer.
• Salmo Diamond CARP is a carp rod made of IM brand graphite consisting of three sections with a total length of 360 cm. The handle is spaced apart, made of neoprene.

Shimano VENGEANCE AX Specimen 13-350 DL-2PCS Daiwa Black Widow Salmo diamond Carp 35lb-360

Gear selection

Coil selection

For fishing with a match float rod, a mandatory element of the gear is a special carp spinning reel.

Such a coil must meet the following requirements:

• The material of the reel body is light and durable alloy;
• The shallow depth of the spool allows it to be completely filled with a large volume of thin monofilament fishing line;
• Reel size from 5000 according to Shimano classification;
• Parts of the spool drive mechanism must be made of metal or durable alloy;
• Gear ratio – for fishing you need power reels that make 4.2-4.6 turns of the spool per turn of the handle;
• At least 3-4 bearings must be installed in the handle and spool rotation mechanism;
• A prerequisite is the presence of a rear friction brake;
• Bearing in the line roller;
• Reinforced handle;
• Reliable baitrunner.

Top 3 rating of the best reels

The following models are recognized as the best reels today used in carp fishing with float tackle:

• Shimano Baitrunner XT 8000 RA;
• Daiwa Black Widow 3500-5000;
• Banax Helicon 500NF;

Shimano-Baitrunner-XT-8000-RA Daiwa Black Widow 3500-5000 Banax Helicon 500NF
When fishing for carp with a Bolognese fishing rod, you can use small match spinning reels.

Line selection

When fishing, even a small carp strongly resists. This violent resistance, combined with the decent weight of the fish, dictates the need to use strong, but at the same time fairly thin and invisible fishing lines.

When fishing with match and Bolognese fishing rods, special sinking carp fishing lines with a cross-section from 0.2-0.22 to 0.3 mm are used; for a fly fishing rod - thinner ones with a cross-section of 0.18-0.2 mm.

The most popular brands of monofilament fishing line are:

• Shimano Blue Wing Line 100MT;
• Power Phantom Clear;
• Aqua PA Ultra Soft Match;

Shimano Blue Wing Line 100MT; Power Phantom Clear Aqua PA Ultra Soft Match – a new product on the fishing line market

Hooks

Special hooks are used to catch carp

Their feature is:

• Strength – the carp hook should spring back, but not bend;
• Long forend;
• Very sharp, inwardly curved sting;
• Matte or black hook surface;
• The ring for the fishing line is bent inward;

The size of the hook is selected depending on the type of bait and the size of the carp living in the pond. For catching medium-sized carp, hooks Nos. 8-10 are sufficient; for large specimens, hooks Nos. 6-8 are sufficient.

Among the manufacturers most often used in carp fishing are hooks from:

• Korda;
• Fox;
• Gamakatsu;

Gamakatsu Fox Korda is a company that has long established itself in the hook market

Sinkers

The shape and weight of the sinker plays an important role in the rigging of a float rod.

• To increase sensitivity and reduce the noise produced by sinkers in contact with water, when casting, the entire load is divided into 2-3 parts.
• Lead pellets of different weights are suitable and convenient for light fly fishing rods.
• Such sinkers are secured by carefully clamping the fishing line in the slot made in them.
• For match gear, the main part of the load consists of the corresponding weight of the olive; the pellets are installed only at the leash

Float

When fishing for carp with a fly rod or Bolognese float rod, use floats with an elongated, spindle-shaped body, a long antenna, and a narrow keel. For fly tackle, take lighter and more sensitive floats with a load of up to 1.5-2 grams, while for “lapdog” take load-lifting alarms capable of holding a load of 2.5-3 grams.

Match tackle requires a special float for long casts - a waggler, which has a long thick antenna, a spindle-shaped body and its own weight in the form of washers fixed in place of the keel.

Leash

The use of a leash in float gear for carp fishing is mandatory. The length and cross-section of the fishing line depends on the type of gear used:

• When using a fly rod, the leash is made 15-20 cm long from thin fishing line with a cross-section of 0.15-0.16 mm.
• For match gear, a thicker leader line with a cross-section of up to 0.18 mm and a length of up to 40-50 cm is used.

Where to catch carp with a float rod: promising places

The choice of fishing location is one of the important factors when fishing for carp. You need to know the places that carp love and try to throw your gear, if not into them, then in close proximity, luring the carp towards you with bait.

Favorite places for carp will always be:

• stuck areas of the reservoir;
• trees fallen into the water;
• various underwater debris or sunken objects;
• eyebrows;
• pits;
• whirlpools;
• thickets of reeds or other vegetation.

Snags hide dozens of carp. This is the most promising and, at the same time, the most dangerous place for carp fishing. Here there is a very high probability of both carp biting and tackle breaking. After biting, the carp very sharply goes into cover and here the friction may not work in your favor. You cannot let the carp get tangled in the snags.

In such conditions, they usually use rough tackle without a friction brake, using brute force to fish the carp further from its hiding places. But coarse tackle always means a reduction in the number of bites, and if the carp is careful, then you may not get a bite at all, since a thick line is too noticeable and scares the fish.

Instead of snags, carp can use flooded trees or shrubs that have fallen into the water. Often, carp, if the water is not warm enough and the weather is sunny, can lie on the branches of flooded trees right on the surface of the water, basking in the rays of the warm sun.

Carp love depth, so holes and changes in depth can often be very promising. Pools, edges and exits from pits are things that need to be examined for the presence of carp.

Here it is also worth focusing on the fishing season and the weather. Although carp loves depth, in the spring, when the water has not warmed up enough and the fish are tired of the winter cold, the carp willingly moves to shallow water areas, where the water is warmer and warms up faster. The same thing can happen in the fall, when the water has cooled, but suddenly clear sunny days arrive. In such cases, carp should be looked for in shallow water.

This mainly applies to artificial reservoirs with a dam. As everyone knows, in such reservoirs the greatest depth is near the dam and large carp gather there during the summer heat, since the water there will always be colder. But in early spring, catching carp at such a depth is unpromising. It is better to fish at the so-called height, that is, on the opposite bank from the dam.

Thickets of reeds and reeds are also always rich in carp. But catching it in such places is quite problematic. Because the carp is not in the windows of vegetation, but in its very wilds. You can often see how the reeds bend almost to the water itself - this is a carp swimming imposingly. Here you can also try to catch carp by throwing a float between the reed branches. Having fed such an area a little, you can expect a confident bite.

But keep in mind that you need to behave very quietly and if you crush the reeds, then the carp will not come for a long time to the place where the noise that frightened it occurred. And, of course, catching carp from the reeds will be difficult. Here, under no circumstances should you use tackle with two hooks, otherwise one of them will definitely get caught on the reeds while fishing for the trophy.

Float rod equipment

Blind equipment

Blind rigging is typical when using a fly rod.
It uses a thin and strong fishing line with a cross-section of up to 0.18-0.2 mm, a small and sensitive float loaded with pellets. The advantage of such gear is its sensitivity and stealth. The most significant disadvantage is the fixed length of the equipment, which cannot be quickly changed during the fishing process.

Sliding equipment

Sliding equipment is more active. It is used in carp fishing with Bolognese and match fishing rods. With this installation, the entire equipment can change its length using a reel and a rod equipped with rings. Unlike the blind one, it is rougher, but at the same time it makes it possible to make long casts, the magnitude of which is limited only by the supply of fishing line on the reel spool.

Loading the float

A properly loaded float will allow you to see even the most careful bite of a cautious carp.

On the fly and Bolognese fishing rods, the float is surrounded with lead pellets of varying weights or one olive. To increase sensitivity, the entire load is divided into:

• The main load is a set of pellets or an olive, located 20-25 cm above the place where the leash is attached to the main line.
• Sub-grazing is about 10-15% of the entire float load. It consists, like the main load, of pellets, but smaller ones weighing 0.1 grams, and is secured at the junction of the leash with the main fishing line.

Very often the main load is divided into several parts spaced 5-10 cm apart. Assembling such gear is not difficult.

The main load should submerge the float to the base of its antenna, while the underweight should regulate the height of the antenna tip protruding above the surface of the water.

Rough loading of the float is carried out at home - in a bathtub, barrel, bucket - securing the main load. The alarm is more finely tuned by selecting the weight of the graze directly on the reservoir. The degree of immersion of the antenna is adjusted depending on the fishing conditions:

• In case of strong wind, current, or wave, the antenna should be loaded no more than 1/3 of its length;
• In calm water conditions, for greater sensitivity, leave only half of the antenna above the water.

Elements of a float rod

Float rod tackle plays an important role. Therefore, when buying a float fishing rod, you need to choose high-quality and durable gear.

Rod

Basic properties:

• Suitable length;
• Flexibility and elasticity;
• Wear resistance;
• Ease;
• Balance;
• Availability of access rings.

Fiberglass fishing rods are in great demand. They have a small mass and good properties.

In addition, you can very often find fishing rods made of carbon fiber. Rods made from this material are mainly suitable for spinning rods.

The length of the rod varies from 2.5 to 6 m.

The most suitable rod length for fishing is 4-6 m.

It should also have access rings. Thanks to these rings, wet fishing line does not stick to the tackle.

Modern fishing rods are divided into 3 types:

• With rigid construction. In this species the upper part of the whip is bent;
• With medium design. In such fishing rods, the upper half of the whip bends;
• With parabolic design. Such gear can be bent along the entire length of the whip.

Coil

It is best to install a spinning reel on the float tackle.

This reel consists of a device in which the fishing line is unwound from a stationary spool using rings and wound with a folding bow, which is mounted on a rotating holder.

Spinning reels are very convenient and thanks to them you can cast line over long distances. Also, on these reels the line does not get tangled and retains its strength for a long time.

fishing line

It is the fishing line that bears the heavy load during fishing.

In this regard, fishing lines for float fishing rods must have the following characteristics:

• Good strength;
• Smooth structure;
• No cloudy or matte tint;
• Elasticity;
• Softness;
• No defects or deformations;
• High wear resistance;
• Transparency.

It is also worth paying attention to the diameter of the fishing line. The diameter of the fishing line depends on the size and weight of the fish being fished:

• For small fish, the most suitable fishing line diameter is 0.12-0.17 mm;
• For large fish, the most suitable line diameter is 0.22-0.30 mm.

Float

Depending on their functions, floats are divided into the following types:

• For fishing small fish . This type of float is small in size. This float is installed on gear with a short length.
• For fishing in calm water . This type of float is used on rivers with calm currents and at a depth of 2 m.
• For fishing in strong currents . In rivers with large currents, barrel-shaped floats are used. They are stable on rivers with large currents and are not susceptible to gusts of wind. For deep rivers with large currents, floats with antennas and keels are used.
• For long distance casting . If the fish lives at a great distance from the shore, then floats for long casts are suitable for such fishing. They have a sliding and heavy design. Floats of this type are attached to the fishing line using a locking knot. They deliver bait to a depth of 25 m.
• For fishing with live bait . For live bait fishing, barrel-shaped floats are used. They are very heavy and therefore hold the bait at the desired depth. They are equipped with a bright antenna with a thickening at the top in the form of a ball. They are tied to the fishing line in the form of a locking knot using rubber rings.

Sinker

Lead pellets are mainly used as sinkers. You should not use various screws, nuts, nails, because they very often violate the design of the entire fishing rod equipment. It is best to use lead pellets in the form of spindles or stalks.

Hook

The hook is a necessary element of equipment and a successful fishing result depends on it. All hooks for fishing rods must be strong, tenacious, sharp and invisible in the water.

The most commonly used type of hook is the single hook. It is made of wear-resistant material and has excellent qualities. The length of its fore-end is twice the width of the hook. The ring-shaped head is bent inward.

The sizes of the hooks are different. Each size is designed for a specific size of fish:

• Hooks No. 1-3 are suitable for fry;
• For medium sizes, hooks No. 4-6 are suitable;
• For large sizes, hooks No. 6-10 are suitable.

Leash

Mostly leashes with a small thickness are installed. It should have the same dimensions as all the equipment. The length of the leashes depends on the fishing method. They mainly use leashes 20-25 cm long and 0.10-0.15 mm wide less than the thickness of the fishing line.

Bait for carp

Feeding is the key to successful fishing. In terms of efficiency, homemade baits are often not only not inferior, but even superior to store-bought ones. It is worth noting that bait for carp is extremely similar to bait for crucian carp. Some brands even produce bait for two types of fish at once.

Recipe No. 1

1. In winter, you can mold the bait into balls, this allows you to more precisely deliver it to the right place, even with a strong current,
   200-300 grams of crackers from black, not moldy bread are carefully crushed;
2. Add 250-300 grams of milk powder and soy flour, 200 grams of egg powder to the resulting mass;
3. Mix thoroughly until the mixture becomes a homogeneous granular mixture, adding 1 teaspoon each of fine salt and sugar;
4. Mix with dry red clay;
5. Before fishing, the bait is moistened to a thick viscous state;

Recipe No. 2

1. Millet, pearl barley and semolina are placed in a large container and filled with water;
2. Cook over low heat until each ingredient is completely cooked.
3. Add a little unrefined vegetable oil, 2-3 tablespoons of honey, breadcrumbs, makukha (cake) to the resulting porridge.
4. Let the bait sit and thicken

Watch the process of preparing bait online:

Purchased bait

Among the purchased baits for catching carp on a float, the following mixtures are popular:

• Dunaev Karp,
• RS Carp XXL,
• Traper Big Carp

Dunaev Carp-Crucian RS Carp XXL Trapper big carp

Aromatization

Since carp are caught in warm water, the use of flavorings both as additives in bait and in the composition of the bait plays a huge role in the quantity and quality of the catch. To add an aroma that attracts fish, use:

• Anise;
• Vanilla;
• Honey;
• Garlic extract.

Typical flavorings for carp

Feeding process

• To feed carp, prepared bait in a bucket or other container is mixed with soil - pre-prepared clay, sand, or simply earth taken from the shore. After the soil has been distributed evenly between the bait particles, they begin to add water and just as thoroughly knead the resulting mass until it becomes thick. From the mixture, left for 5-10 minutes, 10-12 balls of different density with a diameter of 5-7 cm are molded.
• 3-4 balls are thrown into the fishing spot for starting feeding, two of them are tightly molded, and the rest are looser. This is done because denser balls will disintegrate slowly; although they will not attract fish immediately after casting, they will still hold them later. Balls that are looser will begin to collapse almost immediately when they hit the water, attracting fish to the fishing spot. This scheme will allow you to quickly attract the carp with a large portion of bait from the second balls and then keep them in a certain place for a long time from the gradually falling apart first ones.
• If the bite is weak, they resort to additional feeding - for this, the remaining balls are sent to the fishing point according to the same principle as during the starting feeding.
• In order to attract carp, you need to throw bait as accurately as possible to the place where you plan to fish. If the fishing distance is very large, then special slingshots are used for feeding, with the help of which the balls are not only thrown to the required distance, but also ensure high accuracy of their hits.

When feeding, do not forget about the bottom topography, in which too dense balls will roll deeper down.

Baits and attachments for carp fishing

Among the baits, carp prefers:

• Undercooked new potatoes;
• Canned or boiled corn;
• Boiled peas;
• Millet;
• Bread crumb;
• Pea mastyrka;
• Steamed grains of rye or wheat;
• Semolina chatter;
• Boyles

In addition to baits, especially in spring and closer to autumn, carp also take the following baits:

• Maggot;
• Dung and earthworm;
• Bark beetle;
• Shitik.

Technique for catching carp with a float rod

Choosing a fishing spot

Carp lives almost everywhere, populating reservoirs with both standing water and moderate currents. Carp prefers the deepest places with a hard clayey and slightly silted bottom, abundant in aquatic vegetation. Most of the day it stays at depth, at dawn and after sunset it enters shallow muddy bays to feed.

• In ponds , lakes and large reservoirs, to catch it, choose places with a depth of 2-3 meters near thickets of egg capsules, under tree branches overhanging the water, near a flooded snag.
• In rivers, carp are looked for in deep backwaters and creeks with thickets of reeds and cattails, on wide reaches with a moderate current.

Fishing in still water

Fishing for carp in reservoirs with stagnant water begins in late May - the first ten days of June, after the fish have spawned, and continues until mid-September.

In small bodies of water, as well as when fishing near the coastline, use a fly float rod with light equipment. If you plan to catch carp in places remote from the shore, at a distance of more than 15-20 meters, match rods are used. Before fishing begins, the area is fed with bait balls. The main attachments are corn, steamed peas, mastyrka.

A boat for carp fishing is used in cases where it is impossible to throw gear from the shore due to the fact that it is abundantly overgrown with reeds, bushes, trees, or the reservoir has become very shallow and the deepest places are in its middle.
In addition, the boat will be indispensable when fishing in the channel ditches of reservoirs remote from the shore, and on the edges of artificially dug wintering pits.

The most suitable tackle for fishing from a boat is a short fly rod or Bolognese rod. They feed both with the help of balls prepared on the shore, and with a feeder lowered at the fishing site.

Fishing on the current

On rivers, carp are most often caught in places with weak or moderate currents, in deep backwaters and oxbow lakes, in holes under steep banks bordering shallow waters. Carp does not like straight sections of rivers with a rocky bottom, devoid of coastal aquatic vegetation.

• Long Bolognese and match rods are used to catch river carp. Fly tackle is used when fishing in backwaters and old fish.
• Feeding is done with the most dense balls that wash out in water for a long time.
• Along with vegetable baits, river carp take shells well for meat.

Fishing in muddy water

Changing the transparency of the water in a river, lake, or reservoir significantly improves the carp's bite - in such an environment the fish are less timid; due to the turbidity, they cannot see as well as in clear water. At this time, the carp more confidently approaches the shore and rises to mid-water.

To catch carp in muddy water, use light fly tackle with baits and bright colors that attract fish - corn, peas. The bait is thrown into the fishing area in smaller portions.

Fishing depending on the bottom and soil

Carp is a fish that prefers to stay near the bottom most of the day. This feature leaves its mark when fishing for it in places with bottoms of different composition and topography.

So, in reservoirs where there is enough silt at the bottom and its topography is uniform, carp can be caught anywhere. The situation is opposite with a more complex bottom topography and the local nature of silt deposits on it. In this case, using an echo sounder, a marker float or measuring the bottom with a heavy sinker, they find muddy pits, depressions, dumps and edges where carp are likely to stand

Carp activity in the morning and evening

Daily peaks of carp activity depend on water temperature and change throughout the fishing season.

• In spring, carp are most active from noon to sunset - when the water is warm enough. It takes weakly in the morning and evening.
• In summer, during the day, carp experience two peaks of activity - evening and morning. At this time, the water cools down and the carp goes to shallow waters, to the reed thickets. Night bite of carp can occur on very hot days, when the water warms up so much that it cools down only at 22:00.
• In autumn, as in spring, the greatest activity of carp is observed from lunch to evening, and on cloudy cold days the carp is passive and practically does not feed.

Carp biting on bottom tackle

If we talk about biting carp on bottom gear, carp fishing rods using an alarm and when fishing with boilies, peas or other bait using hair equipment, when the gear is designed for self-hooking fish, then the bite is usually accompanied by a long signal from the alarm and the crackling sound of an unwinding coils. This kind of bite is usually called “locomotive”. That is, the carp swallows the hook and tries to swim as quickly as possible to a safe place, for example, into a hole or snags. Such a bite gives almost 100% confidence that the carp is already securely on the hook and will not escape from it.

Less often, a carp bite is detected by a swinger, that is, the carp weakens the fishing line, the bite is a kind of analogue of laying out a float when float fishing. When the line is slack, it is advisable to tighten the line and hook the fish as quickly as possible to avoid the carp leaving or the line coming into contact with the carp's sawtooth dorsal fin.

In any case, carp bites are always strong, just like the fish itself. Difficulties often arise when fishing for carp, especially if the fisherman is inexperienced. But carp fishing is always enjoyable. Even if you failed to overcome a large carp and it got away, the memories of this fight will forever remain in your memory.

Carp fishing at different times of the year

Spring

Carp is a heat-loving fish.
In the spring, its active fishing begins only when the water temperature in its habitat reaches + 140C. This usually happens by the end of April-beginning of May, but in a cold spring, fish begin to be caught normally only towards the end of the last spring month. Choosing a location.

In the spring, as the water warms up, carp begin to emerge from their winter shelters, occupying areas of reservoirs with a depth of up to 2 meters. The most promising at this time will be the upper edges of the holes, the shallows near the thickets of last year's reeds.

Tackle.

Since carp stand near the shore at shallow depths in the spring, the most suitable gear would be a light fly rod up to 5 meters long. The equipment should be thin enough, but at the same time durable:

• The float is light and sensitive with a load of up to 1 gram;
• Line section 0.18-0.2 mm;
• Leash 0.14-0.16 mm;
• Hook No. 8-10.

Lures and lures.

Among carp baits in spring, more nutritious baits are used:

• Muckworm;
• Bloodworm;
• Maggot;
• Dragonfly larva.

Fishing tactics.

When fishing in spring, it is worth considering that carp are not yet as active as in summer. The fish are most active from lunch until 4-5 pm - at this time the water is warmest.

In order to catch it, you need to choose the most suitable place, moderately, so as not to overfeed the fish, feed it with a mixture that includes the bait used in fishing - chopped worms, small food bloodworms. In order not to scare away the sensitive carp, you should not often re-throw the tackle, often come close to the water, or make extraneous noise. In spring, the key to successful carp fishing is patience and silence.

Watch a video on carp fishing for free:

Summer

Choosing a location.

In summer, carp spend most of the day at a deep depth of 3-5 meters or more near tall reed thickets casting a shadow, in places where underwater springs flow, near a flooded snag. In the morning and evening, when the water has not yet warmed up or has begun to cool down after the heat of the day, the carp rises to shallow waters overgrown with grass, rich in food, where it feeds throughout the night. Carp takes it well on cloudy days with rapidly passing rains.

Tackle.

In summer, the entire arsenal of carp gear is used:

• float rod - light fly rods are used on lakes and ponds; for fishing in large bodies of water, match and Bolognese rods are more convenient;
• bottom gear – feeders and pickers, classic bottom fishing rods;

The equipment on the float rod, bottom rods and feeder is coarser and stronger than in the spring - the cross-section of the fishing line reaches 0.25-0.27 mm for the float rod, 0.3 mm or more for the feeder and bottom. The size of the hooks, depending on the nozzle, ranges from No. 10 -12 to No. 8-6.

Lures and lures.

In summer, carp gradually switches to a vegetarian menu, preferring:

• canned corn kernels;
• steamed peas;
• undercooked new potatoes;
• pea mastyrka;
• mash of semolina and water;

Among the baits, carp takes a worm, maggot

Fishing tactics.

In summer, although carp are more active than in spring, they still have plenty of food and must be forced to bite. Therefore, when summer carp fishing, supplementary feeding is a prerequisite - mixtures can be either purchased or prepared independently. The main thing is that the bait that gets into the water creates turbidity and attracts fish with its smell and variety of ingredients - corn, peas, breadcrumbs, etc. Just like in the spring, carp do not like unnecessary noise.

Autumn

Choosing a location.

With the onset of autumn cold weather and a gradual decrease in water temperature, carp begin to move to the deepest places in reservoirs. And if at the beginning of autumn the carp still visits its summer feeding grounds, then closer to winter it slides into pits and pools. As in spring, carp in autumn bite more often during the day, when the water warms up as much as possible.

Tackle.

In early September, when the water has not yet cooled down much, a float rod is still used to catch carp. In October and November, a feeder is a more catchy tackle, thanks to which you can catch carp from holes located far from the shore.

Lures and lures.

The most preferable baits for carp fattening up for the winter at this time are dung worms, bloodworms, and maggots. He takes plant baits much less often than in summer and then as part of “sandwiches” with bait.

Fishing tactics.

Autumn carp fishing requires not only knowledge of the deep places of the reservoir where large carp can stand, but also proper feeding and use of bait. Feed in small quantities, adding chopped worms or small bloodworms to the mixture; flavorings are added in slightly smaller quantities than in summer - cold water does not conduct odors well and its high concentration near the fishing site can scare away the fish. Baits should be chosen small in size - if it is not possible to place a medium worm on the hook, it is better to use a bunch of bloodworms secured with a silicone rubber band, 3-5 maggots pierced across the body.

Winter

Choosing a location.

Fishing for carp in winter is not a common occurrence - as a rule, when the water temperature drops greatly, carp falls into torpor and remains there until spring. But there are also exceptions to the rules. Thus, carp have recently begun to be caught quite successfully in flowing and deep ponds, on rivers and reservoirs. For fishing, they choose deep wintering holes with a slow current, coastal snags with underwater springs gushing in them, pools at the mouths of rivers or streams flowing into large bodies of water.

Tackle.

Carp are caught in winter using jigs and winter float gear. When choosing a fishing line, take into account the significant weight of the fish and its weak, but still weak, resistance - a fishing line with a cross-section of up to 0.22 mm is more suitable.

Large jigs with a diameter of 5 mm or more with strong hooks No. 8-12 are used.

Larger hooks are also placed on the float tackle.

Lures and lures.

Among the baits, carp is most often caught on a bunch of bloodworms.

Fishing tactics.

Winter carp fishing requires increased patience and attention from the angler. At this time, the fish feed much less and less often than in the summer, so having identified the treasured place, you need to feed it and abandon the gear to wait - the bite begins suddenly and ends the same way. Feed in small portions so as not to overfeed the fish.

Carp bite in winter on the first and last ice. The best carp bite is observed during thaws that last for several days. Its peak occurs in the afternoon and lasts from several tens of minutes to 2 hours.

The bite in the dead of winter weakens, or even stops completely. It is not possible to catch carp in January-February even on a paid site.

Equipping a fishing rod for carp fishing in spring

In spring, carp are more cautious and the water is still quite clear. And since the water is best warmed up in the coastal zone, it is better to use a Bolognese or match rod. There will be less noise when casting. If you use a sliding float with a long antenna, then there should be no problems with fixing bites.

You can fish with carp and bottom rods in the second half of spring. As the water warms up, there are more and more promising areas for carp fishing and long-distance fishing is becoming more and more relevant. Classic carp fishing begins with rod pods, stands for 4-5 rods and long-range rods.

Is it better to take a match fishing rod or a Bolognese fishing rod? If you need to throw over 20 meters, then a match one is better, since the throws will be more accurate. If the distance is closer, then you can use a lap dog and a medium-sized float with a blind rig so as not to become an eyesore. A blind rig allows for better control of the tackle, while a sliding rig makes it easier to cast over long distances. The carrying capacity of a match float is 5-7 grams, and a blind float is 3-5 grams.

It is better to use a match reel, high-speed with a spool capacity of 4000. It is better for the drag to be located in the front. This one is more convenient to twist during the fishing process.

We use fluorocarbon fishing line with a thickness of 0.25 mm. Larger diameter forests are not appropriate in the spring, since the number of bites will sharply decrease. We use a leash with a cross section of 0.2 mm, also fluorocarbon. It makes sense to use a 5 cm long feeder. It will absorb the jerks of the fish well and will preserve the leash. We set the carp hook No. 4-6 according to international numbering.

Carp anglers spend a lot of time exploring the bottom. Many people use markers that are attached to a marker or regular fishing rod. Finding a promising point takes 20-30 minutes. But with the development of the fishing industry, more and more fishermen are using wireless echo sounders and smartcasts. With their help, even a beginner who takes a fishing rod for the first time will determine the depth, edges and other promising places. With an echo sounder, scanning the bottom will take no more than 5-10 minutes. And, most importantly, you will get an accurate picture of the situation at the bottom. There will be no doubt what the weight catches during reeling: a log or an edge, a bush or a stone. You can then tap the bottom with a weight to determine its structure: sand, silt, stone, grass, or shell.

Disadvantages of catching carp with a float rod

In addition to the advantages, fishing for carp with float tackle has several disadvantages:

• Very often, fishing rods that are not designed for heavy loads break under the pressure of particularly large carp;
• In windy weather and with strong waves, even the longest and correctly loaded float will not be able to hold the bait in the fishing spot and most clearly signal a carp bite;
• Since most float fishing rods have an impressive length of more than 4-5 meters, this constrains the fisherman to more actively search for promising places for carp fishing on reservoirs with shores overgrown with bushes and trees.

Catching carp on a donk

A very popular tackle for carp is the donka. This gear is a little more complicated. In order to collect bottom tackle you need:

A rod with a test weight from 30 to 100 g. This is the optimal test for casting almost any feeder;

In addition to the fishing rod, you need a reel that will allow you to reel in at least 100 meters of fishing line;

The main line is used with a maximum diameter of 0.25 mm. The leash is knitted both on braid and on regular fishing line.

In order to tie a leash, you need a feeder of any shape weighing from 20 to 50 g. The movement of the feeder should be limited by stop beads.

Next comes either one or 2 hooks. A pair of hooks will noticeably improve the bite, but they will get tangled more often.