How to get more bites as the longer, warmer days arrive

Rich Wilby: 'Keep mobile'

“I’m far more mobile as soon as the weather warms up. In the colder months I have found on most venues you can find two or three areas where the carp will hold up regularly depending on the conditions (wind direction is usually the biggest factor).

But as soon as we get some warm conditions coupled with longer days, carp can be far more nomadic and the keeping on the move with the fish is the best way to make the most of it. I can fish five or more swims in a single day session at this time of the year. Even moving during the night is a massive advantage if you hear fish jumping out further down the pond. Too many anglers I see on the bank are far too quick to put their bivvy up or they don’t even look around the venue before jumping into a swim. To catch fish consistently through the spring and summer you need to keep on the fish and sometimes be a step ahead of them.”

Simon Crow: 'Get walking'

“The main thing I will be doing is walking the banks a lot more. With the arrival of late spring, it’s likely that most of the fish in our lakes will have made an appearance on the bank so they start to get a bit more finicky. They are likely to start hiding themselves away in the quieter areas of the lake, looking for areas to try and escape angling pressure. Once the sun starts to get up and the warmth of the day takes over, I rarely sit behind static lines and buzzers. I much prefer to get my stalking bag and small Scope rod and go looking for places to stalk the fish up close. I’ve had some brilliant catches whilst fishing in this way, I banked my target fish Arnie from Manton’s Old Lake at 45lb 12oz off the top from a very close-in area.”

James Armstrong: 'Don't fish on the gravel'

“Carp will be looking for food so I’ll be targeting areas that are likely to hold this – natural larders such as fresh weed growth and silt that’s likely to contain bloodworm. Many anglers seem fixated with polished gravel; they associate it with a feeding spot. Fine, yes you will catch on such areas, but experiences have taught me that they’re far harder to catch on machine-gun gravel and they definitely don’t take preference feeding on there. As a result, I’ll be looking for the softer stuff. Not only does it contain the natural food, it also helps to camouflage your rig. Your rig is so easy to spot on a clear bottom, yet in silt and weed it’s often camouflaged and they’re happier to get their heads down without caution.”

Mike Hamer: 'Switch to fishmeals'

“With warmer weather on the cards, I will be swapping my winter boilies for a good fishmeal boilie, such as Dynamite’s ‘The Crave.’ I will also start looking for shallow areas to bait, as these will become havens for the carp to warm up in and be more frequented than the deeper areas With spawning coming soon, my baiting rate will increase to attract the carp with much needed and sought after nutrients and proteins. I will be increasing the quantity and frequency of baiting, this will be increased gradually as spawning gets closer. Finally, the hot water bottle will be resigned to the cupboard till next winter!”

Oli Davies: 'Get them off the top!

“I love the long days that May and June brings, as it gives me the maximum amount of time to pursue the carp on top and in the edge. Without doubt, sight fishing for carp is THE most exciting way of catching them and with extended daylight you get so many more chances. This is where all the preparation and baiting that I have done throughout the spring comes to fruition. I will have several spots going that the fish visit regularly and over the course of the day I will trickle bait on each and try and create an opportunity or two. I will rarely leave the rods out for long – when you find the fish often the bites will come quickly so I won’t waste my time fishing where there are no fish!”

Iain Macmillan: 'Go for mass baiting'

“May and June can be fantastic months for catching. First and foremost the majority of the fish (weather depending) will have spawned and are ravenous for a bit of grubbage. Yes, they will be down in weight after the spawning ritual, but they can be easily caught at times and will actively seek out as much food as possible, so mass baiting at this time of year can, and will, pay dividends.

“There’s also nothing like a spot of evening floater fishing too. Now I’ve openly said before I’m no Brian Skoyles when it comes to floater fishing, but I love to have a good go. What I am good at is feeding the swim to the point that the fish are going mental, it’s only then that it normally all goes wrong! Don’t get me wrong, I can catch a few off the top, but nine-times-out-of-ten I’ll either cast the controller right on the heads of feeding fish or alternatively up the nearest tree, but you simply can’t beat the excitement of watching big fish feed off the surface.”