Five spring carp fishing tips from Danny Fairbrass

Danny takes a look at some of the things that he does during the spring that can be the difference between catching and a blank

Don’t put too much bait out

The fish often aren’t feeding heavily yet at this time of year, especially in early spring, and putting twenty Spombs of bait out can kill your chances before you’ve even really started fishing.

Sometimes it is even better just to cast a single hook baits out, as long as it is in the right area and with a hookbait that is easy for them to find, or try using solid bags.

The fish are only just waking up from their winter slumber and the water temperature is still low, with new weed growth yet to emerge and not much natural food, so trickle bait in rather than trying to give them a big feed in early spring

If you are going to bait up, then don’t go mad with the amount of bait, and sometimes I will even just put one spod out accurately on top of my rig and that is enough to get one bite.

The old adage is very true, that you can put more bait out if you need to, but once it is in your swim you can’t take it out again!

Use baits that pass through the fish quickly

The metabolism of the carp at this time of the year is still relatively low, so you want to be using baits that they can digest easily and quickly, so they feel hungry again and come back for more.

For spring carp fishing you want something that passes through them quickly and stands out on the lake bed, so boilie crumb and Smart Liquid is a good starting point

It may be sunny and warm during the daytime, but the water is only just really starting to warm up, so you don't want to be using anything that fills them up too quickly whilst it is still cold, so light baiting makes sense as the carp probably aren't going to eat much and are less active.

Crumbed up boilies, such as Cell rather than a fishmeal bait, are ideal at this time of year, along with some corn as it is very visual, and you can boost the attraction of your mix with some of the Mainline Smart Liquid.

Generally speaking, corn is always a great tactic at this time of year when they haven't seen much angling pressure for a while, and the addition of Smart Liquid leaves a scent trail through the water column

Keep on looking for subtle signs

The fish at this time of year can be very mobile and sometimes this means that there will only be small windows of opportunity when they turn up in a particular area, so finding them should be a huge part in your angling, not only up until late spring, but at any time.

That can be as a result of the wind blowing into that part of the lake, or the fact that it is getting most of the sunny, and if you do find them then you need to be ready to make the most of it.

A good weather app such as UniFish can give you a head start, if you know what the wind is expected to do and the type of weather that is forecast during your session - so you know if low pressure is coming, or warm days when they are likely to be in the shallower areas for longer periods, even if just a few feet deep.

On sunny days they can be in the upper layers over deep water or sunning themselves in shallow water, depending on the air pressure, so spend the daylight hours from dawn to dusk watching for signs and move onto them

Move onto them as quickly as possible and have everything prepared in advance so you can get your rods out as soon as possible, before they potentially move again. Chucking singles at them can work well in this situation.

Make sure you are up and looking at the water first thing in the mornings, and again in the evenings – it’s no good being zipped up in your bivvy or watching your phone.

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Bright hookbaits

At this time of the year bright, visual hookbaits that really stand out and get the attention of passing fish, can really work well.

One of my favourites are yellow pop-ups flavoured with Isotonic and Pineapple Goos, as something that is fished off of the deck stands out more, plus is clear of any debris on the lakebed in terms of the rigs that they are presented on.

Spring fish can be real suckers for a bright hookbait, either as a single, over bait, or in a PVA bag, and finding the right colour and flavour combination on the day can be a turning point - a yellow pop-up with Isotonic and Pineapple Goos is Danny's first choice

A bright one in the right area is going to get you more bites than a dark one fished on the deck. Especially when they are starting to wake up and haven’t yet become wary of bright baits, as they can do later in the summer, when match-the-hatch hookbaits can really come into their own.

Stay mobile is one of my top spring tips

This really ties in with what I said earlier about keeping on looking and finding the fish, but I can’t emphasise the importance of it enough, as it can often be the difference between catching and blanking.

Sometimes I will move multiple times in a day to stay on the fish, as they move around the lake and favour different areas depending on conditions and the time of day.

Having some idea of the topography of the lake is a big advantage, but even just a couple of casts with a bare lead will give you a good idea of what you are casting onto, as well as factors such as your line lay to the spot.

Stay one step ahead of the carp and other anglers, by being ready to quickly move onto any signs of fish, this is a very important factor in Danny's fishing, and location and staying mobile can give him the edge

If at all possible try to fish off of your barrow and be organised so that you can quickly move if you need to, and before other anglers get there first!

The guys who turn up at the lake and the first thing that they do is to set the bivvy up, are going to catch very little in the spring, compared to anglers who are prepared to move and put in the extra effort.