Oscar Thornton - Summer Tactics

Post spawn, I love to give them some bait. They can be really active through the late summer months as we progress into autumn, and those cool morning periods can be really productive spells.

I think that old ‘big autumn feed up’ is a thing of the past, what with angling pressure and current climate, I’ve found the big feed up happens much earlier. The months of July and August is what I refer to as clubbing season – The carp are hungry and vulnerable and often they’ll slip up through this period.

When they start munching, you almost can’t give them enough, and when you’re getting the bites, I’m not afraid to give it to them large hits. Boilie forms the base of the mix, with a concoction of bits and pieces to keep them grubbing. Hemp, nuts, chops and corn all go into the mix, where I like to fish a big blatant hookbait over the top, a snowman on a D Rig being my go-to.

I like a hookbait nice and obvious for them to home in on, and when fishing with bits and pieces, I try to fish the cleanest spot with a bottom bait. Yellow or white toppers form my hookbait, again, something nice and blatant that I feel leads to quick bites.

My D Rigs are made with size 4 Kamakura Wide Gape X on nice long IQ2 booms of 9-inches or more. I whip the hook on with 21 turns of the IQ2, this helps extend the D giving me a nice long loop, offering the hookbait plenty of movement up and down the rear of the hook, and helps the hook move to catch hold.

When I say give them loads of bait, it still has to be the right situation. I’m looking to bait areas I’m seeing them at dawn, areas they are showing and fizzing, often in the open water between the weed. They’ll often feed here through the night and at dawn, then in the warm days, they’ll retreat into the safety of snags and shallow bays, which are areas you can stalk them.

Taking the staking or floater kit is imperative through the summer. In those long, hot days, the main spots can be devoid of fish and often, the carp won’t be looking to feed on these areas. Instead, I’ll quietly lap the lake and look for opportunities in the edge. By baiting close in spots with just a handful or two of bait, I can often create a chance for a quick bite, where it is just a case of lowering a rig into position and stealing a quick bite.

If you bait several spots around the lake, you can often catch multiple fish in the day, when other anglers are sat in their bivvies blanking. Then, in the evening, I’ll look to get the rods out into the main body of water over my baited spots. Fishing in this way and being active, can be extremely rewarding.

Of course, when fishing in the summer, you’ve got to look after yourself and make sure you are kitted out. The last few years, the weather has been insane, so plenty of water, good food, sun cream and efficient clothing such as hats and polaroids will help keep you going. The sun is no joke, and it’s easy to burn yourself out (no pin intended) so respecting the sun and looking after yourself will keep you going for longer and will literally lead to more fish.