CARP TACTICS Maximise your chances on shallow lakes – advice from Bowie Duffield
Bowie Duffield shows how you can outsmart big fish in shallow venues
REALLY shallow lakes offer the chance to get up close and observe the carp as they go about their business.
These waters lend themselves to a mobile style of angling, fishing for what you can see and keeping on the move.
One of my favourite lakes is around five acres with an average depth of 2ft-4ft. So, I’m going to run through a few things I’ve discovered when tackling venues of this nature…
Find the best spots
When fishing lakes less than 4ft deep, feeling for a drop can be difficult, as the lead hits the bottom almost instantly. Getting to know the lake before you start fishing is key. Have a good lead about in all the swims to find out if they are silty, firm, clear or weedy. Doing this will allow you to capitalise on any signs of carp without having to have a lead about first, as you will already know the lakebed.
Carp definitely spook off the cast more frequently in shallower water, so the least disturbance you cause on the session, the better. Don’t be put off by how shallow a spot is – I have caught big carp in 2ft of water, it’s their home.
Location is key
As always, finding the fish is the most important part. Time spent walking and looking is time well spent. Apart from the obvious
“Plumes of sediment are a sure sign there are fish in the area”
signs of fish jumping and fizzing, there are a few more things to look out for.
If the lakebed is clay or silt, with a good pair of polarised glasses you should be able to spot them “clouding up” as they disturb the bottom during feeding. In this scenario, plumes of sediment colour the water, a sure sign that there are fish in the area. You might struggle to see this in deeper water.
Tail patterns and boils disturbing the surface layer are also a more common sight on shallow venues, as decent-sized fish move the water behind them as they feed and mooch around. Keep an eye on the birds, especially in the spring when there are plenty of geese around. Low-flying birds will spook the carp as they pass over them in the shallow water, giving away their whereabouts.
Keep it subtle with bait
With little depth to play with, the carp are never far away from your baits. They’ll instantly know it is there, so be discreet.
On my shallow syndicate, using ‘match the hatch’ bottom baits and wafters has accounted for most of the bites. Making the change from bright pop-ups to dull baits fished on the deck was a massive turning point for me, significantly increasing my catch rate. It’s something that’s definitely worth a try.
Don’t go too heavy with the loosefeed either – disturbance should be minimal when fishing shallow water.
I like to use a small PVA mesh bag of boilie crumb nicked on to the hook, not only for the added attraction but also to slow the lead down in the water and stop it plugging in the lakebed. This, along with a light scattering of freebies, should be more than enough to tempt a bite.
Stay mobile
Keeping on the move and travelling light is my preferred style on shallow venues.
I’ll often move multiple times in the day if it’s not happening for me, because there is usually a chance to be found elsewhere if you use your eyes. The carp can’t hide as easily on these types of waters.
You can give yourself that extra chance in advance, too, by priming spots in the edge with handfuls of bait and checking them regularly. If one of the spots appears disturbed, it’s time to lower in a rig!