Mat Woods' five steps to success this November

Step 1

“Keep going. So many anglers fizzle out in the summer. They start flitting from venue to venue and getting nowhere. Narrow your focus. Target one venue and make time to be there as often as you can – baiting, watching or fishing.”

Step 2

“Watch the weather. Winds will still affect the carp’s movements in cooler conditions and so will sunny conditions. I’ve done really well targeting shallower areas with lightly baited spots in autumn, especially on brighter days. Equally, a big wind on a deep spot will get them really moving so you can fill it in. I’ve caught in depths over 30ft on windy autumn days.”

Step 3

“Think about presentation. As leaves start to fall, the nature of the lakebed will change. Think about how your bait is presented – not just your hookbait. I often think that larger baited areas work better in autumn, simply because the fish can locate more bait more easily on a lakebed that is becoming less familiar to them. Imagine if somebody came and re-arranged your lounge every day and chucked leaves everywhere. It’d be hard to find stuff.”

Step 4

“Bait spots, not areas. I always bait spots, putting bait down the same hole. I’ll even use small baits and get the silvers to clear the spots first. Being really accurate with your baiting will give you spots to fish that nobody else knows about. Give them a larder to feed from – most of the natural food spots will be dying off. Leave the throwing stick at home.”

Step 5

“Bright is still best. I will usually always have something colourful on my rigs, but I extend this to my bait. One trick I love is using mini bright boilies through my hemp, or just banging a few Tutties or pineapples out with my foodbait boilies. Don’t be too concerned with blending everything in for big fish – in my experience it’s a total myth.”