Dear Spug

I usually go fishing most weekends, to Frant Lakes, or in a secluded lake behind the industrial estate in Tunbridge Wells. I catch a lot of carp but they are always small. I can never seem to hook a 15lb+ carp! I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong, maybe it’s just my tactics! Can you suggest any top tips to help me increase my PB?

Thanks,
Oliver Millson, Kent.

Hi Oliver, and thanks for the question

The first thing I would like to say is, do you know the stocking levels of your lakes, and are there plenty of carp over 15lb in them? If you do know and there are plenty of carp over 15lb, then you have probably just been unlucky. If, however, you don’t know, then I would suggest that you try to find out exactly the average size of the carp in your lakes, and if the 15lb+ carp are few and far between then you have two options.

Make sure you are fishing a lake that has plenty of carp over 15lb in it!

One is to relocate from where you are fishing to a better-stocked lake, and the other is to just keep getting the bites and sooner or later the better ones will come – that’s just the law of averages. If you do know the stocking levels of your lakes and you are happy with them, then really it’s pretty much the same – get the bites and the better ones will follow, or completely change what you do. This can be risky if you are getting the bites in the first place, but sometimes a change of bait, where you position the bait, or how you bait up, can make a difference. If you always spod out particle, then don’t do it on one rod; try just popping out boilies as freebies; if you are using a sweet/birdfood-type boilie, try a more fishy/savoury one; if you always fish out in the middle, try one in the edge, etc.

Caught from a lake where the average size is well over 15lb.

There are plenty of changes you can bring in, I am sure. Always be prepared to adapt and change your style of fishing.

I hope this helps, and be lucky.

Spug