Scott Lloyd’s particle secrets
Scott Lloyd reveals his ‘bits and pieces’ approach to catching summer carp that won’t break the bank
WE’RE IN that really hot period – the carp have spawned, and it’s definitely time to give them some feed. They’ll thank you for it too!
Particles always play a big part in my mix throughout the year, other than in the depths of winter.
In spring, I’m usually on the tiger nuts both whole and crushed. But postspawning is the time when I really mix up my offerings, bringing hemp and pretty much any other seed to the party with the tigers. Everything’s hungry at this time of year, not just the carp, but the birdlife too, and applying the high quantities of boilies required to keep the fish interested costs a fortune. Bulking your mix out with particles will help those special carp baits, like the Krill Active, go that little bit further and wash everything out for peak digestibility.
ESSENTIAL TIGERS
Tiger nuts are my number one ingredient in the mix. I’ve tested them so much in the edge and they outscore all other particles by a mile. Their flavour, texture and consistency are something that the carp seem to love, and are something no man-made boilie can replicate. My real edge, however, is crushed tigers. These white flecks are a natural contrasting colour on the bottom, and replicate snail shells really well. Whether it be looking from a boat or up a tree, I’ve seen carp drop instantly on these kinds of baited spots.
THE BAITING ON EXIT STRATEGY
A whole host of variables come with the question of how much you should feed when fishing particles in the summer, and it really does depend on your venue. As a rule, however, if they’re eating it, keep putting it in.
For my more syndicate-style fishing, I use my mix to bait up and prepare spots for future trips. This “baiting on exit” strategy sees the rest of my knocked-up mix going in at the end of the session – anything up to a 20-litre bucket. This “freebie” creates a dinner plate for the fish and you’ll notice spots get better and better.
When it comes to actually fishing over particles, I like the spots to be clean and presentable, but baiting up, I’m happy to do on top of 2ft-3ft of weed. Eventually the small fish, carp and birdlife will clean the area of weed for me. I always find it’s better to create my own spots like this, and I will have several around the lake based on where I have seen carp, usually on the ends of winds.
HOW MUCH BOILIE?
At some point you’re going to want to add some boilie to your mix, as the carp will become more switched on to the nutritional benefits of a high-quality boilie as the year progresses.
Around two weeks after spawning, my mix will be roughly 80 per cent particle to 20 per cent boilie. Then almost the complete reverse come autumn.
MIX IT UP WITH HOOKBAITS
I never just fish a nut over nuts or a boilie over boilies. I like to keep the fish guessing with random bits and bobs, so when they pick up the hookbait they do so without caution. That way, if the rig is working effectively, they are pricked and it’s too late. I always opt for a balanced bait over particles, whether that be a balanced nut drilled out and corked or a wafter boilie. The fish move slowly over beds of particles, and are constantly sucking or blowing. A balanced hookbait helps the rig reset properly should it be ejected by the carp.
THE BUSINESS END
Everyone who knows or follows me will be aware my go-to rig for clear areas is my ever-faithful ‘Noodle’. And that doesn’t change when I’m fishing over particles. One thing I will do, however, is vary the length of the rig to suit not only the bottom, but the amount of feed on the deck, as well as how I’m placing it.
When dropping on a firm spot from a boat, I go right down to 2ins-3ins. The shorter the better really for tight beds of particles. When casting it’ll be anywhere from 5ins in length up.
I’ll also fish all three of my rigs on the edges of the spot, never bang it the middle. This might mean having them clipped up at all different distances, depending on the spot – they aren’t all round circles, you know! If you have observed carp working a spot you will notice they often pick off the edges to see what they can get away with.
So, there you go, that’s pretty much my essential advice for the fish this summer. Get baiting, get them hoovering and get catching!