Carp fishing in weed – how to do it and what tackle do you need?

One thing that many anglers seem to have a real issue with, both in terms of actually doing it successfully and also in terms of their confidence, is fishing weedy carp lakes.

During the warmer months of the year some of our lakes can have a lot of weed growth, and sometimes to the extent where large areas of the lakebed are covered in it all the way up to the surface.

Whilst that can mean that more effort is needed to fish effectively, it certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t still hook and land big carp from amongst the weed, and some anglers actually prefer to fish those sorts of waters and find them easier.

Here we take an in-depth look at exactly how to fish weedy lakes, as well as the tackle that you are going to need to land anything that you hook.

Different types of weed

Weed comes in many different types, but the most common that you are likely to encounter in lakes in the UK are Canadian pondweed, silkweed, and blanket weed.

Silkweed grows close to the bottom and can cover areas of the lakebed, varying in colour from bright, almost luminous, green when it is fresh, through to black when it is dead.

The name comes from the silky texture that it has, and when fresh, fish seem to love it and will happily feed on spots covered in it, as it is also often full of natural food, and it can be very good to fish on top of.

Blanket weed is more fibrous than silkweed, and even when fresh is a darker green colour, plus it can grow a lot higher off of the bottom, and on some lakes can literally cover the bottom like a blanket, with very few clear areas amongst it.

Whilst not as nice to fish in amongst as silkweed is, blanket feed can still be crawling with natural food such as invertebrates, bloodworm, snails, and mussels, and so is definitely something the fish will feed in, it is just that presenting a rig properly can be an issue when it is very thick.

Canadian pondweed is different, in that it has stems which grow upwards towards the surface, or across the surface once it reaches that height, and this leaves plenty of space for carp to comfortably swim around amongst it, or even areas where the bottom is clear underneath the weedbeds which have reached the surface.

Carp love spending time in beds of Canadian pondweed as they feel safe surrounded by it, and you will often see them sunning themselves in it on hot days. They will also happily feed in amongst it, especially fresh green weed, as again, it can be full of food.

There are of course all sorts of other weed that can be found in UK lakes, but these are the main ones and the principles of fishing in amongst it don’t differ massively – although it is worth noting that there are certain types of weed that the fish don’t really seem to like feeding in.

Finding clear spots in weedy waters

The biggest issue that most anglers seem to have with fishing in weed is when it comes to finding a spot that they can present their bait on.

Sometimes that could be a decent sized area that is totally clear of weed – although these spots aren’t always that good as they are so obvious and attract angling pressure, as well as the carp feeling less safe that they do amongst the weed – but on other occasions it could just be a spot where you can actually get a drop and for your rig to reach the bottom, even if it isn’t totally clear, when you are fishing in really thick weed.

Whilst it takes a lot more effort to find fishable areas in amongst weed, the flipside of that tends to be that you don’t have many spots to choose from, so you aren’t sat there wondering whether you should have put your rods on different spots to the ones you’ve chosen, as you may literally just have one fishable area in the whole swim!

Plumbing or leading around in weed takes practice, and the more you do it, the more of a feel you will get for what type of bottom your lead is dragging across.

A big problem with weed is that once it gets around your lead in any amount, it becomes impossible to really feel anything. If you can feel that there is weed on the lead – the tip will feel heavier – you can try shaking the tip, or even pointing your tip at the lead and giving a couple of quick turns of the reel handle, to try and dislodge the weed, and with Canadian this sometimes works.

You just need to accept that it might take a lot of casts to find a spot, and unless you have any prior knowledge of the swim, or can see weed on the surface and areas inbetween that which look clearer, then it pays to be quite systematic about where you cast in order to cover the swim and search out a spot, rather than randomly casting in all directions.

The first thing you need to do is feel your lead down to the bottom, and if you do get a donk, put the line in the clip and line up where you’ve just cast, then slowly pull the rod tip back to see if it really is clear – with Canadian pondweed the lead can fall between the stems and hit the lakebed hard, even in areas that are pretty weedy, and can give you the impression that it is clear, when in fact it isn’t. If it is indeed clear, then wind in and use your distance sticks to check how far it is to where you clipped it.

Most of the time you won’t get lucky and find a clear spot though, and you’ll have to slowly pull your lead through weed, trying to feel for spots that might be fishable – again, anything interesting that you feel, clip up and check the distance and direction.

If you think you have found a clear spot, then the next thing to do is to have a few casts around it to check not only that it really is clear enough to fish on, but also to get an idea of how big the area is.

At this point you can also put on a lead that won’t easily pull through the weed, and Danny Fairbrass likes to initially plumb with a Probe Marker Lead, which has a shape designed to give lots of feel, and the lack of coating means you can see any scratches from gravel or little bits of clay that will stick to it. But once he finds a likely spot he will check it with a Pronged Marker Lead, and if it still feels clear he then knows that it really is, as that type of lead will pick up any bits of weed and will feel very hard to drag through even thinner weed.

If you want to visually see where the clear spot is then you can cast a marker float onto it, once you’ve initially found it and clipped up – a marker float tends to collect a lot of weed as you pull it through it, so isn’t always a good thing to have on the line initially, versus just a lead.

It can also be hard to get a marker float to pop up anyway where your line is running through thick weed, even if you are using one of the Marker Stems, which are buoyant and help keep the line clear of debris on the bottom, and sometimes it can pay to add a couple of cork balls or similar before you tie on the float, just to give it even more buoyancy.

A lot of this though you actually need to go out and feel for yourself, with a rod, braided main line such as Marker Braid, and a lead, as that is how you will really learn what you are feeling.

If you do find a decent spot and are planning to keep on fishing it regularly, then regularly introducing bait to it will definitely help to keep it clear, or even make it much bigger, as the carp and other fish rip up the bottom – in this situation, baiting with hemp can really work well.   

Fishing in weed if there are no clear areas

Sometimes, it will be so weedy, often with several different types of weed, that you can’t actually find any clear areas at all and have to resort to fishing in or on the weed, which can still be very effective.

It could well be the case that literally everywhere you cast in your swim has some blanket weed, of varying thicknesses; or that you’ve managed to find an area in amongst big beds of Canadian pondweed where you can hit the bottom with a lead, but it still isn’t clear and has some silkweed or blanket weed on the spot.

The good news is that you can definitely still catch carp in these situations and can fish on top of the weed or in amongst stuff that is on the lakebed.

You will of course need to think about your presentation though as you don’t want your hookbait to sink into the weed and be obscured, whilst at the same time your hook gets snarled up on it and your rig becomes ineffective.

So usually when fishing on or in weed, some sort of pop-up, to keep the hook clear of debris, is advisable, or at the very least a balanced bait like a wafter that can settle on top of the debris.

Chod rigs can be very popular in these sorts of situations, and are why anglers such as Luke Stevenson use them throughout the summer and don’t just view them as an early spring tactic, like many anglers do.

A chod rig allows you to take account of how deep the weed on the bottom is, and to set your rig accordingly, by moving your beads around, and thus ensuring that your hook bait comes to rest on top of the weed, where it is visible and can be picked up by a carp.

Solid PVA bags are another option and are particularly good when casting in amongst weed where you are concerned that your rig could pick up some on the way down, as everything is inside the bag and can’t get caught up.

Another good thing with a solid bag, such as the Korda Solidz, is that once they reach the bottom, they tend to flatten any weed they land on, as long as it isn’t too thick, and leave your hook bait sat on top.

Best rigs for weedy lakes

Aside from chod rigs and solid PVA bag rigs for actually fishing in weed, you will need to consider how clear your spot is when it comes to choosing a rig, and just as importantly, your lead system.

The biggest thing to bear in mind is how your rig will sit on the bottom when it lands, and especially if there is patchy weed.

If you’re fishing a spot that you can feel is clear, then you can just fish as you normally would, but if you have any doubts and there is some weed present, you may need to re-think using a short, stiff boom type of set up with some lead systems, as debris on the bottom can leave your hook link sticking up at a horrible angle.

In these situations some anglers prefer to use a softer boom section, such as a coated braid, and which will still lay across an uneven bottom quite well.

Or at the very least, if they are still using Ronnie rigs, will do so with a helicopter set up, which helps to give a better presentation in this situation.

Whatever type of rig you end up using, it makes sense to use a lead system where the lead can come free and be dropped if it does get stuck in weed – you will land a lot more fish in weed if there is no lead on the line to get caught up, plus when the lead detaches, often the carp will come up into the upper layers, which makes them easier to play through thick weed.

You have a number of different choices, depending on the fishing situation and type of spot, and the Heli-Safe System helicopter rig is particularly popular, including for chods as well.

But it also has the downside, like any helicopter set-up, that it is less efficient at hooking fish, and in some situations you can get away with a lead clip, drop-off inline, or a COG system, each of which has better hooking potential, although will also be less effective if the weed is thick as they won’t give as good a presentation as the helicopter.

So, it pays to have a few different options with you which will mean whatever the weed is like, you will have something in your armoury that you can use with confidence, knowing that you are in with a chance of a bite, and also of landing any carp that you do hook.

How to play big carp in weedy conditions

That brings us onto something else that many anglers worry about when fishing in weed, and that is how to actually play a fish through it all.

Firstly, you need to have totally confidence in your gear that it won’t let you down and is strong enough to apply the necessary force to get a fish moving and pull it through the weed in front of you, but at the same time without trying to rip its head off and applying so much pressure that you snap your line or pull the hook.

When a carp goes into weed you do need to apply steady pressure, to either get it moving or to gradually break through the weed stems until it comes free, but that needs to be controlled and steady pressure.

All you need to do is put a good bend in the rod and then hold that, and hopefully after a while you will feel the fish kick and start to come free, and at that point it is essential that you keep it moving. Walking back can really help if there is space to do so, then winding your way back to the front of your swim and repeating the process.

If it really won’t move, don’t apply so much force that you snap your line, but instead put the rod down on the rests and give it some slack, as often they will move of their own accord eventually and you can resume the battle.

Generally patience does work in the end, even if it takes several hours, but there will be occasions where the carp really is stuck – if the lake rules permit the use of a boat to free the fish, then that is the option that you should take – and one last resort that can often work is to put the rod down and carefully try handlining it back towards you. With your hands you can really feel everything that is going on, plus can apply more pressure than you can with a rod, whilst feeling whether or not the line is on the verge of snapping. If you do get it moving like this then once you’ve really got it started coming towards you, quickly pick up the rod and take up the slack, and resume playing it.

Again, a lot of this comes down to practice, and the more you do of it, the more feel you will get for how to play them in weed.

Netting a carp can also be problematic when fishing in weed as it may well have accumulated a big ball of weed on the line during the fight, which can sometimes be several feet in from of the carp, or the fish might not be visible at all, with just a big lump of weed coming towards you.

The key is not to panic, and to get your net under as much of the weed as possible – unless of course you can see the fish, then just net it as normal – then drop the rod, with the drag slackened off in case the fish isn’t in the net, before starting to pull back the weed and feeling down your line carefully until you reach the carp. Often when they are covered in weed they don’t do much, so even if it isn’t in the net at that point, you’ll be able to guide it in by hand and then lift the net whilst bundling all the weed into it.

Line lay in heavy weed

Your line lay is something you always need to think about, and whilst in normal circumstances you would sink your line and then potentially pay off a bit to fish semi-slack or slack, depending on the situation, this doesn’t really work when fishing in weed.

Unless you are on a clear spot in the margin and can slacken off and sink your line, if you’re fishing out into the lake and your line is over the top of weed beds, then no matter how much you slack you give it won’t sink through those and will still be running over them.

This also means that if your spot happens to be just behind, or inbetween, weedbeds then you’ll have to think about how to sink it close to your rig. Often in this case a fairly short leader of Kable leadcore or a fused Dark Matter one work best, especially with the addition of a lump of Dark Matter rig putty around the leader knot to help pin it to the lake bed – a longer leader could well end up also hanging over the weed and sticking up off of the bottom, and will be very obvious to the fish, so 3-5ft is plenty enough, depending on the size of the spot.

Another consideration is whether there is any floating weed to contend with, especially if it is windy, as this can build up on your lines and drag your rigs out of position, and in that situation it pays to have your rod tips under water to keep your line away from the surface as much as possible.

It isn’t just feeding fish or rogue floating weed beds that you need to worry about either, and just as important is that when you do eventually hook a carp, it doesn’t end up getting caught up on your other lines, as this often spells disaster and results in a lost fish, especially if the rigs on those other rods get stuck in weed and nothing can move.

Sometimes when fishing very weedy lakes, it is actually an advantage to use less rods, and especially if it increases your chances of landing anything that you hook.

Make sure you have the right tackle for the job

There is no point in hooking a carp in the weed unless you are using tackle that is suitable to land it, and just how extreme you have to go, in terms of strength, will depend on how thick the weed is.

When it comes to rods, you want something where you can actually apply a decent amount of pressure, without the rod just folding in half, and something like a 3.5lb test curve, or higher, Kaizen Green is perfect. You still want enough bend and feel that you don’t accidentally snap the line or pull the hook by inadvertently pulling too hard.

Your main line needs to be strong, not only because of how much pressure you might need to apply and the weight of weed you could be dragging in with a carp in amongst it, but also because some weed can be abrasive on your line, especially if it contains mussels, and also because monofilament line doesn’t like being put under lots of pressure when it is at a funny angle around something like weed.

For the same reason it is best to stick to coated braid or braided hook links, ideally 20lb and upwards, or something like a heavier boom type material in a similar breaking strain or above. If a carp gets into the weed and manages to wrap your hook link around some weed stems at an acute angle, then any lighter nylon or fluorocarbon hook link can end up breaking.

Braid can also be incredibly good as a main line in these situations, where fishery rules permit it, as it isn’t prone to sheering off when pressure is applied at an acute angle, and is also very good at cutting or sawing its way through weed, with a bit of patience.

Many of our Team Korda and Mindset anglers favour SUBbraid in these situations as it is strong and reliable, plus it sinks really well.

You will also want to think about stepping up your hooks, not necessarily the size, but the gauge of wire that you are using, and it will pay to go onto one of our X versions, such as a Wide Gape X, as there is less chance of the hook popping out, or even bending slightly open, when you are applying a lot of pressure on a hooked fish to extract it from a weed bed.

Unless you really need to, such as where mussels and cut offs are a major issue, or the weed is really thick, and you might need an Arma-Kord leader, it is best to avoid any sort of longer leader as the knot can be prone to getting stuck in the weed and also becoming clogged with it, such that it will no longer pass through your tip ring. It is much better to use a short length of Kable leadcore, or one of the Korda Dark Matter fused leaders.

With the right tackle, and gear that you are totally confident in, you should be able to land a good proportion of the carp that you hook, and if you are still losing a lot of them, then it probably means that it is time to find a different area, or even venue, where the odds are more in your favour, as sometimes parts, or even the whole lake, will become pretty much unfishable due to how thick the weed is.