How to Find Carp on a New Lake | Carp Fishing Tips | Cypra

How to Find Carp When You Arrive at a New Lake
Turning up at a new lake is one of the best parts of carp fishing. New water, new challenges and no real idea where that first bite might come from.
It's tempting to find a nice-looking swim, get the rods out and start fishing straight away. But before I even think about setting up, there's one thing I want to do first: 

 

Find the carp.

It sounds obvious, but spending a little time looking before you start fishing can make a massive difference to your session.
Here are five things I look for when arriving at a lake.

   

1.Walk the Lake Before Setting Up.

Unless I've already seen something that gives me a good reason to stop, I'll have a walk around before choosing a swim.
I'm looking at the obvious features: islands, reed beds, lily pads, overhanging trees, snags, margins and quieter areas of the lake.
But I'm also looking at the water itself.
You can learn a lot in the first 20 or 30 minutes simply by keeping your eyes open rather than immediately getting the rods out.
If possible, leave the tackle in the car and just take a walk.
There's nothing worse than carrying everything into a swim, setting up the bivvy and getting comfortable, only to see carp showing at the opposite end of the lake an hour later.

2. Look for Signs of Carp

You don't necessarily need to see a carp jump completely out of the water to know they're there.
There are plenty of smaller signs worth watching for.
Bubbles appearing regularly in one area can indicate feeding fish. Clouded or coloured water in the margins can be another giveaway. You might see reeds moving, lily pads knocking or an unusual swirl on an otherwise calm surface.
And, of course, actually seeing a carp show is about as good a clue as you're going to get.
If I see something that looks promising, I'll spend a little longer watching that area before deciding what to do.
One small sign can sometimes be enough to completely change where I planned to fish.

3. Pay Attention to the Wind

Wind can have a big influence on where carp are located.
A fresh wind can push oxygenated water and natural food towards one end of a lake, and carp will often follow it.
That doesn't mean you should automatically fish the bank the wind is blowing towards every single time. Like most things in carp fishing, there isn't one rule that works on every lake.
But it's definitely something worth considering.
Look at the conditions, think about what the wind has been doing over the previous few days and combine that information with what you're actually seeing on the water.

4. Don't Ignore the Margins

One of the easiest mistakes to make is spending the entire time looking towards the middle of the lake.
Some of the best opportunities can be right underneath your feet.
Quiet margins, reed beds, overhanging trees and other areas of cover can all hold carp surprisingly close to the bank.
If the water is clear enough, a pair of polarised sunglasses can be incredibly useful.
Walk quietly and look for fish, cleaned-off areas of lakebed, coloured water or anything else that suggests carp have been visiting.
And if you do spot fish close in, don't immediately throw a lead on top of them.
Sometimes it's better to introduce a little bait, leave the area alone and come back later.

5. Don't Choose a Swim Just Because It's Comfortable

We've probably all done this.
You find a nice swim. There's plenty of room for the bivvy, the ground is flat and everything looks perfect.
The only problem is that the carp are somewhere else.
If I'm not seeing any signs after giving an area a reasonable amount of time, I'll seriously consider moving.
I'd rather spend a little extra effort packing up and getting onto fish than spend the whole session sitting comfortably in the wrong part of the lake.
Ultimately, the best swim on the lake is the one containing carp.
Location Comes Before Everything Else
You can have complete confidence in your rigs.
You can have the best bait in your bag.
You can cast perfectly and have everything sitting exactly how you want it.
But none of that matters much if the carp aren't there.
That's why I think location is one of the most important parts of carp fishing.
Walk the lake, watch the water and don't rush into setting up simply because you're eager to get the rods out.
The more time you spend observing what's happening around you, the better chance you give yourself of being in the right place when it matters.
Sometimes an extra 20 minutes spent looking at the start of a session can save you hours sitting behind motionless rods.
Tight lines,

Cypra Carp Fishing Apparel

Built for the bank.