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How To Catch More Carp In Spring - With Phil Spinks
In this carp fishing guide, Angling Direct’s very own Phil Spinks runs through some great fishing tips to catch you more carp this spring.
As winter turns into spring, many anglers will be heading out trying to catch the carp as spring can be the best time of year to target carp! Although Phil is an all-around angler, he certainly enjoys targeting carp during springtime. With Phil’s plentiful experience, he shares his top tips that can put more carp in your landing nets.
1. How the Weather Affects Locating Carp
One of the most important aspects of all fishing, especially in the spring is the location. After a cold, long winter, the fish are going to start coming out from their hiding spots, looking for some sunshine. Be sure to head to the bankside when the sun is shining as the carp will definitely be out enjoying the most out of the sun.
With the warm sun in mind, shallow waters will be warming up the quickest. So be on the lookout for shallow bays on your chosen lake as these can be a magnet for carp in spring.
The wind can also play a huge part in the location of springtime carp. Carp will follow the western and southwestern winds, so be sure to check out your weather forecast prior to a fishing session so that you can have more of an idea of where to head to on the day of your session.
2. Getting Carp to Bite in Spring
Phil uses bright, high attract hook baits for his carp spring fishing. Highly visible baits really grab the carp's attention. The waters are still quite clear in spring so having something bright and over flavoured can get you some quick bites.
Early on into spring, fishing high attractive hookbaits as singles can be great if you see any signs of the carp showing, casting a single hookbait to it can lead to a quick bite. As the weather improves, the carp become more active so you can increase the amount of bait you feed. By the time it reaches the end of spring, you can start to feed quite heavy.
Phil suggests targeting one bite at a time and reading how active the fish are to know how much you need to feed.
3. Zig Fishing for Carp in Spring
Zig fishing in spring can be deadly when targeting carp. As mentioned above, carp are attracted to that warmer water in the spring sunshine. This does not always have to be the shallow water. Quite often, carp will sit in the surface layers of deeper waters. This is a great location for position zigs.
By putting your bait up in that top third of the water column, you can definitely a few bites. Although Phil is aware that many anglers out there catch plenty of carp on little pieces of foam, Phil uses little 10ml pop-ups that are bright yellow or pink as they have been winners for him.
4. Surface Fishing for Carp in Spring
When the spring weather really warms up, Phil’s favourite way to catch carp is surface fishing. Using floater fishing gear on those warmer spring days is a must. You can read more about surface fishing in our dedicated guides.
5. Keeping Mobile when fishing for Carp in Spring
Phils stresses the importance of keeping mobile when fishing for carp in spring. The carp will be on the move this time of year, especially when reacting to all the different weather conditions that you get during the spring. You need to make sure you are near these fish.
If you bring a mountain of fishing tackle with you and just sit in the same spot or swim for your springtime session, it can turn more into a camping session! Phil uses minimal kit on the bank so that if he sees any signs of the carp moving around the lake, he can react and get straight onto them.