How to understand patrol routes & baiting patterns

01 How to read islands

Islands are a carp magnet, offering shelter, sanctuary and a way point as the carp travel round the lake, and one of the most obvious visual features to look out for. Often these are some of the most productive areas too, as they are an ideal point at which to intercept and lay a trap for the carp. ‘One bite’ tactics can be consistently successful, but getting the fish feeding always increases the chances of a pick-up.

Fishing tight to an island should be approached in the same way to fishing any margin. It is unlikely to be an area where you will have many fish feeding at the same time so don’t overdo the bait. A scattering of boilies to get the fish picking, or tight baiting with particle baits via accurate spodding or bait boat are both good methods. Alternatively, if the fish are passing by the island close but not tight to the margin, a much wider spread of bait may be needed to grab their attention.

By using the island to force the carp to swim past it you are effectively funnelling them in from quite a wide area and increasing the chances of your bait getting noticed.

02 Gravel bars: carp roadways

Bars are a natural patrol route and favourite feeding area for carp. Weed often grows on the top of the bar and at its base food is collected. Carp use bars like highways so they are great features to target.

How you bait very much depends on the size and shape of the feature, and the weather conditions. High pressure and sunshine will see the fish up in the water and patrolling the top of the bar, where they can be tempted to feed in the shallower water. In low pressure, wet and windy conditions will find the carp feeding hard at the base of the bars and in the silt gullies between them.

Presentation is often improved by fishing over the top of the bar, rather than on the near side as the line is better concealed, especially when the fish are approaching from the back. A good spread of bait on the back of the feature, either spodded or catapulted when the fish are feeding hard in low pressure, or alternatively light baiting on the top of the feature in high pressure are simple guidelines to follow.

03 Margins are like magnets to carp

The biggest feature on any lake is the margins, and surprisingly overlooked by many. Carp will regularly patrol the margins and this is the place to lay small traps rather than pile it in. A scattering of baits round the rig, or a handful of particle such as hemp and pellet should be enough to stop a carp in its tracks and occupy it long enough to get a bite.

Margins also offer us the opportunity to watch our quarry at close quarters, and these observations help us to decide where and how we should be baiting and where our rig needs to be to give us the best chance of a pick-up.

Margins allow a wide range of accurate baiting options and this ease of delivery allows us to be extremely precise with the placement of free offerings, even allowing us to choose exactly where each one goes in some circumstances. Baiting from the top to the bottom of the shelf ensures that we maximise the chances of attracting a passing carp.

04 Weed: it's a carp haven

Weed shapes a carp’s world, and can form a system of ‘roads’ that the carp use to travel round the lake. Holes and channels in the weed can be real hotspots. Generally, the larger the hole the more bait can be applied, and the mores rods fished in it.

While the fish will feed in the hole, they will feed more confidently round the edges so placing the hookbait(s) on the periphery will bring quicker bites. Holes can also be created by the careful application of particles using the fish themselves to help clear the weed.

The channels and tunnels between weedbeds are patrolled by the carp and are also great places to place baits. At the entrances to these channels, a patch of bait can prove hard to resist but these spots are best fished as you would a margin spot and baited and fished for one bite at a time.

05 Channels force fish to move

Channels between islands and the bank create bottlenecks forcing the fish to travel through a very specific area. We can take advantage by making the carp swim over our bait. If the channel is narrow then we can bait generously to form a ‘wall’ of bait stretching across which is impossible to avoid. If the channel is wider then it is likely the fish will hug the margin as they pass through. In this case, a trap on either point at the entrance to the channel gives two chances to intercept a fish.

06 Snags and reedbeds

Carp love snags, and will make visiting them part of their regular routine. At what time the fish visit will depend on when the sun hits the snags. In order to receive a bite, we either need to draw the carp out with bait, or intercept them on their way in and out. Obviously, care should be exercised when baiting, and it is better to try and draw the fish to the hookbait in an area where they can be landed safely. This can be done by leaving a ‘trail’ of bait from the snag to the rig.

Carp will often approach, enter and leave snags by a particular route, so again, observation can help determine where to intercept the fish en-route. A small trap might work best if it is a margin that the fish are using, whereas a larger spread of bait is a better option if the fish are travelling across open water.

With reedbeds there will be channels that the carp prefer to use regularly, and points where the reeds protrude and force the fish out into the open. These are the places to look first. The reeds twitching can be a giveaway as to these routes. Scattering bait tight to the reeds will get the fish picking up baits and less cautious. Tight patches of bait at the entrances to any channel make it difficult for passing carp to resist.