By Paul Cooper;

Now how many times have you arrived at a good sized lake and tried to cast to the horizon in the belief that the carp only feed at a distance? I know that I have, and I am sure that most anglers have, especially on the larger waters.

I have just returned from a late March trip to the large lake at Grosley and experienced some of the worst weather conditions that have fished through in a long time.  For the first 4 days there were strong Northerly winds that brought in snow, sleet, icy cold conditions along with periods of heavy rain. The temperature never got above 6 degrees and every night was well below zero, leaving the indicators and reels frozen solid by the morning.Grosley is a 25 acre lake with a large island lying fairly central to the lake with most banks being between 120 and 150 metres to the island.
Now as I was spodding out the bait and casting to the baited areas, most of the island margins were well out of casting distance to present a bed of bait. All my rods were out placed around a baited area, 80 metres in open water and all that I could get a pick up from was bream. The Quest baits were working but I could not draw the carp.
Now from previous experience I have found area’s just under my feet to produce the odd stray feeding fish, especially when the carp are not feeding hard. This was worth a go but I needed to change swims as the area of the swim that I was fishing was clear of overhanging vegetation and roots.
On the 5th day the weather improved allowing me to move and change my tactics. A move of swim took me closer to the island and also gave me access to over hanging shrubs near to my bank.
I placed 3 rods to within meters of the island and a 4th rod within 1 metre of my nearside bank and only feet away from where I was bivvied up. Within hours I had my first carp run. Guess which rod?
Yes the margin rod!
Although it was an upper double carp, it was a start.
With this margin feeding area being so close I began to increase the amount of well prepared hemp and 15 mil Quest Rahja Spice shelf life boilies into the swim.

I then began to catch steadily until the 7th day and last day of my trip. I had tallied 12 carp from the margin rod and only 2 fish off the island rods, although one of the island rod fish was a 40lb 2oz mirror.

Had I not put out the rod in my margins I am sure that I would have ended up with only 2 or 3 carp?

If the margins have snags, roots or rocks you can guarantee that there will be fish fry, small invertebrates and maybe crayfish, all of which form part of the carps natural diet. With a bit of application, as I did, you can quickly turn them onto your bait, especially if you are using good quality boilies such as the one’s supplied by Quest Bait.

So even on the larger lakes, weather French or at home, don’t forget your margins, it might give you that bonus fish.

Paul Cooper

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