Fishing Three Rods On A Spot

CARPOLOGY: What are the key elements when fishing three rods tight on a spot? 
ROB BURGESS: “Firstly, it’s important to know how big the spot is. Use just a bare lead on your marker set-up to gauge whether the spot is big enough for three rods. If it is, then make sure your casting is super accurate and that you land your bait on the spot every time. If you feel the spot’s big enough for only two rods, then drop down to two.”

Q: Any tips when it comes to positioning three rigs mega-tightly and baiting up over the top?
A: “Once you’ve got three rods positioned, make sure all the lines are going out perfectly parallel, i.e. with no lines crossed!”

Q: How do you handle getting two bites at the same time?
A: “The important thing is to stay calm. I simply tighten the clutch on the rod that’s still on the buzzer, before continuing to play the first fish. If you have anglers around you, you can ask them for a hand.”

Q: How do you avoid picking up another line when bringing a fish in?
A: “I like to have tight lines when fishing three rods very close to each other. By keeping a close eye on where a fish is kiting, you should be able to decide whether to go over, or under the remaining rod(s). Getting your line-lay perfect in the first place will help you avoid picking up other lines.”

Q: Any tips on how to be efficient on the bank - such as clipping up when you’re bringing fish in, rig preparation, etc. - so you can maximise the time that your rods are in the water?
A: “I like to use marker elastic when initially wrapping up my rods and set it at my tip ring. When playing fish, I’ll wait for it to come back to the tip ring before then clipping up once again. This procedure saves so much time once the fish is landed, and ultimately results in more fish being banked during a session.”

Q: Your Mainline’s Essential Cell mix is quite bright. Do you vary it as the year goes on and the fish come under increasing pressure? 
A: “Because I’m not fishing over too much at this time of year, I want my bait and hookbaits to stand out. Essential Cell is really good all year round, but in early spring it’s my go-to bait. When I’m fishing over bigger beds of bait, I’ll opt to fish the same mix, but with some added tiger nuts where possible.”

Q: What about hookbait choice? 
A: “Hookbait choice is something I’ll vary every session. Even when I’m catching, I’ll still chop and change, just to see if I can get a quicker reaction or bigger fish. Often, bright hookbaits will be too effective, with the smaller, shoal fish finding them before the bigger carp. ‘Matching the hatch’ though, can sometimes pick out that lump.”