Rob Hughes details how lockdown has changed the underwater landscape
Underwater expert Rob Hughes takes a look at the changes that have taken place under the surface and what they mean to your fishing
THE last time most of us went fishing, it felt like winter. But what a difference eight weeks make.
The landscape has undergone a huge transformation, and you could be forgiven for thinking that summer is already here.
As anglers, each year we normally have a transition period that we can work with, adjusting our tactics to reflect the changing nature of the seasons. But having missed out on spring sport this year, the first few weeks of being back on the banks are going to feel a little bit like the olden days, when the closed season was in force and no angling was allowed between mid-March and mid-June. Back then, the lake we’d come back to was very different to the one that we left, and this year it’s no different.
For a start, the water will now have warmed up significantly and the fish will be moving around a lot more. They can be very active at this time of year, but cold nights and hot days mean that they will be looking for the rapidly warming spots, rather than those offering a more constant temperature.
They’ll be up in the water layers during the day when the sun is out, so the zig and floater gear, pellet waggler kit or even shallow pole fishing set-ups should be prepped and ready to go. At night be prepared to drop back down again, but don’t go for the coldest areas. Hunt around for spots on top of bars or ledges.
Find the fresh silt pockets
We’ve missed the turning point this year, when the heat and light of the sun gets to the bottom of the lake, the gases warm up the bottom and a load of decaying rubbish lift up and pop to the surface. The silt below these areas is usually very fresh, so find this and you’ll find some cracking areas to present your baits over the top of.
Even though there’s a lot more natural food around right now, most
fisheries have a stock level that can’t survive on naturals alone. As a result, the fish will want grub. If you’re after a big hit, see if you can find out what pellets the fishery manager has been feeding during lockdown and grab a bag or two of these. They’ve basically been prebaiting for you.
If not, I’d be tempted to go in with something that will be pretty digestible but also fairly visible and smelly. Everything that swims will be hungry right now so don’t be shy, give them a feast.
With anglers absent and less bait going into the water there will have been fewer fish grubbing around on the bottom, so the water at your venue should be clearer now than you’d normally expect and the fish easier to find.
The pH level will also be more natural, especially on heavilyfished commercials, so smells will stand out more. A splash of liquid in your bait could have a big effect, and sometimes a cloud in the water will draw the fish in to feed more comfortably.
Investigate new areas
These days most stocked fish, and particularly carp, tend to display behaviour that’s a direct result of our actions. They’re conditioned that way, and will go wherever the food is, while also avoiding danger signs.
Having not seen much food and probably no danger over the past couple of months, they are currently venturing into places where we wouldn’t necessarily find them and behaving in a really relaxed manner.
My advice would be not to head for your usual spots. It really will pay to keep your eyes open and look in all manner of places that you wouldn’t normally expect to find fish.
I wandered down to my local lake for my daily exercise and there were loads of carp in the shallows. The water is normally cloudy, so we can’t usually see them, and they’re more often than not out in the middle avoiding the lines, but not now! I daresay that it’s the same story at your local too, so be brave and investigate areas you wouldn’t normally bother with.
The fish, by and large, will have let their guard down during lockdown, just as they do if the lake has a long closed season. There will be fish to be caught for sure, but don’t for one minute think they will be easy. We all know they learn very quickly once we smash a load of leads at them and fill it in with bait.
Typically, one or two fish will be caught very quickly, and then the lake shuts up shop sharpish as the fish realise that they are being fished for again.
A lead crashing into the surface makes a lot of noise, the splash of a groundbait ball is very visible, and tight lines down to the rig can set the carp on edge.
Clever and consistent anglers unquestionably know this and will be adopting a stealthy approach over a gung-ho one. I advise you to do the same if you are to make the most of your long-awaited return to the bank!
“The first few weeks of being back on the banks are going to feel a little bit like the olden days, when the closed season was in force and no angling was allowed”