Elliott Gray's five steps to success this November

Step 1

“Pre bait. Firstly, you need to pick the area you want to bait-up. Ideally you’re looking for somewhere that gets visited regularly by the carp but isn’t the most popular swim on the venue. The last thing you want is to bait an area you can’t get back into once it’s prepped.”

Step 2

“Prepare the rods. Once you have chosen the area you are going to bait, get your rods clipped-up, this will reduce disturbance when it comes to fishing the area. The carp will feel confident in feeding over the spot, but not if you smash it to pieces whilst fishing.”

Step 3

“Prepare the bait. Choose your bait carefully, the stock of carp, the nuisance species such as bream, tench and the birds must all be taken into account. Applying a good few kilos of mixed bait is ideal - particles, pellet, boilies and nuts will ensure that there’s always something left out there for the carp.”

Step 4

“Apply the bait. When it comes to actually putting the bait in, I would try to do it when other anglers cannot see you, the less people that know, the better. Baiting up in the early hours of the morning is the best way and making the extra effort to do so is worth it.”

Step 5

“Fish the area. Timing is key, as a general rule, I would leave the bait for between 48 and 72hrs before going back to fish. This will give the carp time to move in and eat it all, but isn’t so long that they forget it was there. The more times you can bait the area before fishing the better – three bait-ups prior to fishing is ideal, if you’re patient enough!”