Fish ranging from 10lb-20lb are commonplace in many venues, and the evolution of margin poles allows anglers to target them with full confidence. Bulletproof sections mean you can apply plenty of pressure from the word go and, when these are combined with a suitably strong rig and elastic, there’s only ever going to be one winner, no matter how big the fish is.
Daiwa’s Adam Richards regularly visits waters where double-figure delights are on offer, and the pole is often the first tactic that springs to mind.
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Time it right
This isn’t a tactic that will work all day and, for most of the session, it’s all about fishing elsewhere in your swim to get bites. Leaving the margins untouched will make sure that fish are ready to settle later in the session.
I tend to let other anglers dictate when the time is right to pay the margins some attention. If they start to catch short, or down the edge, it’s a sign that fish are coming closer. I believe that the later I can feed the margins, the more confidently the fish will be when they arrive. If it’s done too soon then you may get the odd straggler early on, and when they don’t settle properly, it has a ripple effect, spooking other fish in the area.
HEAD TO ONE OF THESE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES TO CATCH SOME REALLY BIG CARP!
Trust in two feeds
Smaller baits that the fish gorge on, rather than bigger items that they pick up one at a time, hold fish in the margins for longer, so I always carry dead maggots and micro pellets with me.
They’re perfect for ‘dump potting’ and, to prime the area, I’ll introduce two pots holding a mixture of the two, approximately 15 minutes before I intend to drop a baited rig over the top.
I’ll top up with another pot after each fish, and add the same quantity whenever I see a bow wave as a big fish spooks. Their sudden movement will waft a lot of bait off the bottom and spread it around. Feeding again when this happens gives the carp a clear area to focus on. If I didn’t do this, fish would be more widely spread and at different depths.
I aim to attract a decent number of fish into the swim, as the more there are present, the more competition there is, and this leads to me getting bites quickly.
IF YOU AREN'T CONFIDENT ON THE POLE, LEARN HOW TO PLAY FISH WHEN USING ONE!
Find the ideal depth
A lot of anglers like to find ultra-shallow water at this time of year, but I believe big carp need to have their backs comfortably covered if they are to feel settled. In most instances, this means putting the plummet on to try to find 2ft 6ins of water.
Ideally, I will fish tight to the bank if the depth is available, as this reduces line bites, but failing that, fishing down towards an empty platform is a good second option.
The margins go beyond 2ft 6ins at some venues, and the risk with fishing in deeper water is that the carp will come off the bottom as they chase any bait that has wafted up. This can lead to line bites and foul hooking so, with this in mind, it’s essential that you find a way to concentrate them on the deck.
In this instance, I fish close to where I am sitting, as my presence alone will do that. It’s not enough to put them off coming in, but they will be slightly more cautious when they do, which keeps them down in the water. A top kit and one section are ideal when faced with this type of swim.
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Use tough tackle
A double-figure carp will pull back a bit once hooked, and you need strong tackle to make sure that you take control of the fight in the early stages.
That starts with the pole itself, and I use a Daiwa Pro Margin. It’s as strong as anything and, at 10.3m, it allows me to get close to the next vacant platform on many venues. I’ll use Red Hydrolastic, while the rig is made up of 0.24mm mainline to a 4ins, 0.22mm hooklength and quite a strong size 12 or 14 hook.
The float is a 4x14 Carpa Wire Pellet, shotted with a bulk sat just above the hooklength knot. Whether the fish you’ve hooked weighs 5lb or 20lb, this is a set-up that will tame it in no time at all.
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Big baits, big fish
Dead maggots are my favourite hookbait when targeting big carp in the margins. They match what is already on the deck, and so the fish will hoover them up without a second thought. I like to cram my hook with plenty of dead reds, while making sure the point is still well on show. That could be six to eight grubs, depending on the size of hook I am using.
If small fish are proving to be a problem, then double corn is the alternative. It is much more durable, and you can feel confident that each time the float dips, something substantial will be attached to the other end.
