Scott Sweetman - Six Golden Rules for Targeting a Big Carp

Experienced big fish angler Scott Sweetman bases most of his fishing around targeting those special carp we all dream about. Here are his six golden rules for targeting the kings and queens of your chosen water.

1 – Select the target and fish the venue

When selecting a target fish there are usually a few key factors that I try to look for when choosing where to fish and what for, the first being the carp itself. I try to find something that stands out about the fish; its age, its looks, its size or sometimes the lake it lives in, for example a low fished, low stocked lake, an old park lake or a big windswept pit. I’m after something that makes that particular fish or group of fish a bit different. 

For me it's not all about chasing the biggest carp I can, I am just as happy to fish for a stunning mid-30lb carp as I am chasing a colossal 50-pounder. As long as the lake and the carp keep me motivated, I’m happy.


2 – Swim Selection

Swim choice really can be so vital when targeting specific carp. Old carp can be creatures of habit, by looking back at their previous captures in some situations you are able to pin down a certain area to target at a certain time of year, which will massively swing the odds of you catching that particular carp in you favour. 

A prime example of this was when I was fishing a small, weedy, snaggy lake where the carp in the venue were heavily pressured and very difficult to catch, you were able to regularly see most of the lake’s stock, including the target fish in the snags. These old fish definitely had their favoured corner to be in and they rarely ever seemed to vacate this area.

It was quite a different lake in the sense that you could almost choose which one of the A team you were trying to target by fishing certain areas of the lake. One carp in particular I wanted to catch called ‘Shoulders’, would always be seen in a neglected corner. He was a rare visitor to the bank, but this end of the lake done pretty much all of his captures. Embarking on a mission in this corner of the lake, I was able to catch him just a few feet from the bank, at 40lb 10oz, almost a year to the day from his last capture, yet again from the same swim.

3 - Tackle

The right tackle is paramount when it comes to targeting big carp. I use the strongest kit I can get away with, choosing reliable components that never let me down. When targeting big carp, you need to put everything into your favour and landing each bite is a must.

For my mainline, whenever I can get away with it, I’ll use Sub Braid, giving me maximum strength, but also ensuring I am super accurate and can feel every ‘drop’. When braid is not allowed, as can be the case, I’ll use 20lb Touchdown, again, giving me plenty of strength.

If the venue allows, I will always use Kable Leadcore, of around 1 meter, providing yet again more strength and reliability, which I always fish alongside a Heli Safe.

Being able to fish rotary-style and drop the lead is such a huge advantage; getting rid of the lead sometimes can be the difference between losing or landing a fish and when you are targeting fish, you want to land everything you hook. One good thing that’s worth adding with the Heli-Safe, is that a simple sleeve that you can add that means you do not need to lose the lead, if it is not necessary, but in most situations, I like to know the lead can eject.

I favour light leads for minimal disturbance, often around 1.5oz, in which I fish nice long hooklinks and Kamakura X hooks, super sharp yet offering a really thick gauge that I have the upmost confidence in.

4 – Bait

Bait is a huge factor when targeting carp, it can play a major part in your angling and be one of the main reasons that you manage to finally make your target fish slip up. At certain times of the year, pre-baiting or consistently keeping bait going in the lake can really turn things in your favour, if you can manage to get a spot going. As long as you keep the bait going and in it can produce the goods consistently and you will often find, the bigger carp tend to slip up to this tactic.

Looking back through the last ten of so years, pretty much all of my target fish have slipped up to baited areas, often from neglected zones that others overlook.

In the summer of 2021, I had a spot rocking on Flint. It was an extremely weedy bay, that I knew had done plenty of bites in the past, but this particular summer, the area was getting completely left alone. Noticing carp rocking in the weed, I went about a little campaign in the area, beginning by raking a spot, just big enough to fish one rod. I baited it from the off with a bucket of hemp and kilo or so of 16mm Krill. I baited again later that week, noticing already the spot had grown.

Over the coming weeks, I took a number of fish, topped by a 45lb common, all fishing the one rod on this little spot amongst the weed. By baiting in this way, the fish were able to confidently feed with no lines in the water, then when I would drop in for a night to fish, bites were often instant.

Fishing in this way not only brings me a load of confidence as an angler, but importantly, builds the carp’s confidence in the spot. I’m always looking for opportunities like this in my angling. Finding them, baiting the zone for a week or two and then dropping in to snare one. The spots don’t always last for long spells, but you can often sneak half a dozen or so fish in a few trips when the spots really come good, even on low stocked pits.

5 – The Numbers Game

When targeting big carp, there are a couple approaches that I use; one being to sit it out in known big fish swims or areas that have produced the big fish in the past, even though this may mean you have to have accept you will not catch as many as you could, but you feel in the best position to catch your target fish. 

The other tactic, which I use predominantly, given my time and style, is to play the numbers game - by this I mean catch as many carp as I can. I personally feel that when you are catching, you will always feel that bit closer to catching the ones you want, you know everything like your rig and bait is working, your confidence is high and also you are putting the percentages in your favour. 

There will always be a time when you start getting through the stock, doubling up on captures with the main target availing you. When this happens, I’m more inclined to sit it out in the known big fish swims, waiting it out for that one bite, but for most of the time, especially starting out on a lake, I will always try and catch as many as I can.

By getting on the fish, moving swims and getting bites on lakes where 4 or 5 carp a year is a good season, if you can then catch that amount or more, your odds of catching the ones you want will increase drastically.

6 - Mindset

Mindset and mentality is a huge part of targeting big, tricky carp, as you are generally fishing lower stocked lakes where the bites can be few and far between.

Stick to what you know that works, the worst thing to do when going through spells of inactivity is to start changing things as it is part and parcel of fishing the lower stocked venues. 

It’s not always going to happen every time you go and that just drives you harder, having rigs and bait you are confident in and sticking to them is very important - It's all about putting them in the right place at the right time. Big carp hunting is a brilliant journey and when that special one finally goes over the net, there really is little else that compares.