How to tackle a new lake – Matt Powell

Matt Powell shows how to successfully fish unfamiliar venues on your first visit

MANY anglers are creatures of habit. When the pressures of everyday life limit the time you can spend on the bank it is easy to fall in to the routine of revisiting the same venue time after time. It’s like slipping on an old comfortable pair of slippers. You know the best pegs, baits and tactics.

When your float or feeder plops into the water, you have the utmost confidence that a bite will not be long in coming. But with literally thousands of commercials dotted across the country, it’s a shame not to do a little exploring and try somewhere new from time to time.

I bet if we told you that you could hit the ground running at any venue and didn’t have to worry about wasting your precious time on the bank and struggling for bites, you’d be much more like to try a new lake for the first time. To ensure this happens, we met up with Matt Powell. The Cresta and Gamakatsu-backed angler has fished dozens of different waters this year and his results haven’t suffered one bit.

“It can be hard to find the really detailed information you think you need about a water you have never fished but analyse a few factors before fishing and you’ll put yourself in a great position to bag up,” explained Matt. “Fishing new waters needn’t be intimidating and your results needn’t suffer as a result of trying somewhere you have minimal knowledge about.”

The short pole line is the ideal place to pick up quality silvers