A guide to night fishing for carp

Carp fishing at night can be very effective, as long as you are properly prepared.

Whilst carp can be caught at any time of the day, some waters produce far more during the hours of darkness, especially at certain times of the year.

Being able to fish at night for them adds a whole new dimension to your fishing – especially on those hot, still summers days when the fish are showing little interest in feeding on the bottom – and also means that you are able to do longer sessions, whether that be the weekend, or a carp fishing holiday in France with your mates for a week.

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Many anglers go carp fishing at night and sometimes you can catch more fish

If you aren’t well prepared though, with all the necessary kit, fishing at night can turn into a complete disaster, so here we take a look at what you are going to need to help things go smoothly.

This needn’t cost you a fortune, especially when you are first starting out, and there is a wide variety of different priced gear available, although like with anything you tend to get what you pay for in terms of quality, and most items at the cheaper end of the spectrum won’t last and survive regular use, plus tend to be less user-friendly. It all comes down to what you can afford though.

If you’ve never been night fishing before and have fishing friends who do it regularly, then ideally try to go with one of them for your first trip.

 

A shelter or bivvy is essential for regular night fishing sessions

If you are going to be spending all night, or even several nights, out on the bank then you are going to want some sort of shelter from the elements.

Whilst a conventional tent might be fine for a camping trip, it isn’t really very practical when it comes to fishing, not to mention that a lot of fisheries and clubs actually ban them and insist on a proper fishing shelter that tends to blend in with the surroundings.

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Many waters insist on a proper fishing shelter, not camping tents - your night fishing ticket will usually state the rules

These can be anything from an oval style brolly, with a completely open front, right the way through to large bivvies that can accommodate two, or more, anglers – ideal if you’re taking your partner or kids with you – and can even include an area for cooking and socialising, although they tend to be more popular with anglers spending a week in Europe on a fishing holiday.

During the warmer months you could even spend the night under the stars – some of the Korda Mindset anglers do even though they do of course have a shelter – but you run the risk of getting soaked if it rains, plus your gear is likely to be damp and covered in dew in the morning.

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An overnight session can be far more effective than day or short evening sessions, if you have the right gear

Whatever you choose, it needs to be practical, so avoid anything that has lots of separate poles and takes forever to put up and take down, as that will instantly make a night fishing trip a chore, plus once you are set up you won’t want to move even if you see fish elsewhere on the lake.

You also need to consider what size of shelter or bivvy you need, as whilst you don’t want it to be overly big – which could limit swim choice on some fisheries – you still need it to be comfortable and to keep the elements out, as if you end up soaking wet during the middle of the night, you aren’t going to enjoy your session, or fish effectively.

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Night fishing for fish species such as carp usually requires some sort of shelter or bivvy

 

You will need something to sleep on at night

If you’re going to be spending all night on the bank then at some point you are going to want to get some sleep, and that requires some sort of bedchair.

In the past anglers relied on camp beds or even sunloungers, but these days there are loads of specialist carp fishing beds available, which can be adjusted so that they are flat even on uneven ground, and won’t collapse or fold up on you when you get a bite during the middle of the night and try to get off of it quickly!

It also needs to be comfortable – a lot of that comes down to personal preference, with some liking to lay completely flat, whilst others prefer the head end to be tilted up – otherwise you’ll end up with a bad back. Some sort of pillow is preferred by many people.

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A comfortable night's sleep will ensure you fish more effectively and are more likely to catch a specimen fish

A great tip for cheaper bedchairs – or any bedchair really – that will make them not only a lot more comfortable, but also warmer in the winter, is to use an inflatable camping mattress on top.

These days some bedchairs have four sets of double legs – rather than the traditional two sets - which makes them incredibly stable, especially for larger anglers, but also means they are heavy, and especially so if you go for one of the wider models as well.

So, whilst you want to be comfortable and get a good nights sleep, when not catching fish, you don’t want something that is so big and heavy that it become a real chore getting it from your car (some are so big you’ll struggle to fit them in with the rest of your gear!), especially if having to transport it any distance.

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Seasoned anglers often take a chair as well so they can sit and watch the water at first light

Some sort of chair for sitting on during the days is also a good idea and much better for your back than sitting on a bedchair all the time, and the Korda Compac Low Chairs are ideal as they fold up small and are lightweight, whilst being comfortable enough to spend longer periods of time sitting in.

 

 

Keeping your body warm and dry whilst night fishing

Your first night on the bank could easily turn into a disaster if you don’t have the right clothing, and sleeping bag, to suit the conditions.

Even during the summer months the temperature can drop enough at night that if you aren’t prepared then you will feel the cold, or there may be insects such as mosquitoes that mean you need to cover up to avoid being bitten.

A sleeping bag that is suitable for the time of year is essential – you don’t want to be sweating in a five seasons winter bag in the warm weather; or freezing in a lightweight three seasons sleeping bag when temperatures plummet below zero.

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When night fishing it is essential that you are warm and comfortable

You can get sleeping bags that are designed specifically for fishing – they tend to have more room inside than camping/mountaineering ones, plus quick release zips so you can get out quickly when you get a bite – and some of these have an extra layer that can be zipped on or off depending on the time of year.

Another option is to use a sleeping bag cover, such as the Korda Drykore Waterproof Bedchair Cover, which not only adds extra warmth, but is also waterproof and breathable, so will keep your sleeping bag dry if you sit on your bedchair in wet clothing, or if condensation drips from the inside of your bivvy, plus won’t cause you to sweat. The Drykore cover can also be used on its own during those warm summer nights, where you want something over you but don’t want to be inside a sleeping bag.

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Many anglers use a bedchair cover when carp fishing at night

Just as important as the sleeping bag is taking the right clothing for the time of year, and the Korda Clothing range has everything that you will need, whatever conditions you are fishing in.

That includes waterproof jackets and trousers within the Korda Drykore range, as even in the summer you can get caught out in a sudden downpour.

If you are cold or wet then you won’t fish very effectively and won’t enjoy the session, meaning you are more likely to call it a day and go home early!

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Waterproofs such as Drykore are a good idea when night fishing, as are spare clothes

 

Making sure you wake up when you get a bite!

If you are already fishing for carp during the day time anyway, then the chances are that you will already be using bite alarms.

You do need to make sure that your alarms are actually going to wake you up though when you get a bite, and some sort of sounder box can be a good idea if you are a heavier sleeper. These are available with most alarms, such as Delkims, and you can have it near your head, so when you get a bite it will wake you but without having to have your alarms turned up so loud that you disturb everyone else on the lake!

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A bite alarm and bobbin with an isotope will alert you to a bite in low light conditions or even complete darkness

An isotope in your bobbins is also a good idea, so that if you do get a bleep on your bite alarms in the middle of the night you can quickly see what is going on, and if the bobbin has pulled up and held tight, or is dropping back, meaning that you can quickly be out of the sleeping bag and ready for action – or if you see it go up and then back to the original position, then you know it is a liner and can relax and go back to sleep.

Most bobbins such as the Korda Stows or Black & Whites have a slot especially for isotopes, and different colours are available – some anglers like a different colour for each rod for instance.

 

Additional items of tackle that you might need at night

In terms of the actual tackle that you use to fish with, you aren’t going to need anything different to what you would use during the day time.

Maybe a few more spares of things such as hooks and hook links if you are planning to stay on the bank for a few days, but whilst you want to be prepared and avoid running out of anything essential, you also don’t want to take so much extra clutter with you ‘just in case’ that finding what you are actually looking for becomes a real chore.

One thing you will definitely need though is a head torch that is bright enough that you can see what you are doing, and for landing fish and the like, and carrying a spare is a good idea – especially if you are relying on a rechargeable one – or at the very least, spare batteries.

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You will need a head torch as proper lighting can help to land fish, and some anglers also like to use a bivvy light for night fishing

On the subject of lights, please do be aware of other anglers on the lake and using too much light, and the fact that lighting your swim up like a lighthouse all night long isn’t going to make you very popular with other night anglers! Plus turning a light on will temporarily ruin your night vision.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t have some sort of bivvy light though that isn’t obtrusive to others. The same goes for things such as radios and noise in general, where consideration to other anglers should be exercised.

 

Keeping yourself well fed

If you’re out fishing for an extended period of time then you are of course going to need to eat, and whilst some sandwiches and cold drinks might be fine for a day session, eating properly will help you to fish more effectively.

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A decent meal when night fishing will help you to fish better and catch more carp

For that you are going to need some sort of stove and pots and pans – although you don’t want to take literally everything including the kitchen sink! A small gas stove is ideal, along with a windshield so that you can use it in any conditions (you shouldn’t use stoves other than in the doorway of your open bivvy, due to the risks of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning).

A separate bag for your cooking gear is a good idea and makes everything easier to find when you need it, plus some sort of cool bag to keep all your food fresh and prevent any wildlife, such as rats or ants, trying to eat it.

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When night fishing or on longer sessions, some sort of cool bag keeps your food fresh and protected from wildlife

 

Photographing fish at night

If you catch carp at night then the chances are that you are going to want a photograph of them, and that will require either a compact camera with a built in flash, or a separate flash for your SLR style camera.

You can also get LED light panels designed for night time photography and which work well with modern cameras that are capable of shooting at a high ISO.

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A camera that is suitable for night fishing and photography is needed if you want to get catch photos at night

All of this kit needs to be kept in a bag until needed, and you want to ensure that it stays dry, so a proper camera bag, such as the Korda Compac ones is a good idea.

If you are going to be on your own then you are going to need some sort of tripod so you can do self-take shots – even if using the camera on your mobile, you still need some sort of holder for it that is stable and won’t fall over, especially in windy weather.

If you’re new to night photography, or have never done self-take photos before, then practice in your garden beforehand, to make sure you get the quality of shots that you want.

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Great catch pictures are still possible when night fishing if you catch the fish of your dreams!

 

Getting all your gear to your swim

However careful you are that you don’t take loads more gear than you actually need, you are still going to have enough that carrying it all to your swim in one go isn’t likely to be possible, especially if you have to walk any distance.

The more you go night fishing, the better you will get at just taking what you need, but initially most anglers on their first few night fishing trips end up taking loads more clutter than they really need.

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Getting all your night fishing gear to your swim is much easier with a Carp Porter barrow

Short of walking back and forth to your car several times, the easiest way to transport all of your kit to the swim, and back again, is with some sort of carp barrow, such as the Carp Porter ones, which will allow you to take everything that you might need and specially designed for fishing tackle.

 

How to accurately recast, even in the dark!

If you do catch a fish at night, or need to recast for any other reason, then obviously you aren’t going to be able to see where your rig lands and that it is in the right place.

Distance sticks have become very common these days to allow you to clip up at exactly the right distance, so you are casting at the same range every time, and are used by many carp anglers whether they’re fishing in daylight or darkness, and to ensure accuracy. At night, isotopes in the top of your distance sticks will help make it easier when you are wrapping up your rods – the Korda Distance Sticks are designed so that they can be added.

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Distance Sticks will ensure that you are casting your hair rig accurately back to the same spot every time

So casting at the right distance – or even putting more bait out via a Spomb – shouldn’t be an issue, but you do of course also have to ensure that you are actually casting your rig in the right direction, and if baiting, that it is landing in the same area as your hookbait.

Before it gets dark, make sure you pick a far bank marker, one that you can actually still see against the skyline at night, such as the top of a tree, as this not only gives you something to aim at when casting, but once you’ve felt the rig down and tightened your line, you can then use a torch to check that your line is pointing in the right direction.

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Pick a far bank marker that you can line up with if you need to recast at night

If there is nothing on the skyline, then other options include using a stick, or markers for your feet, that at least line your body up with where you intend to cast, and also helps when checking your line direction after the lead lands.

With practice you can get to the stage where you can fish almost as accurately at night – including baiting up - as you can do during daylight hours.

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