The key to getting bites in the heat of the day

Simon Crow

“There are various ways I can answer this as it depends on the venue. Some respond well to Zigs in warm weather, others fish well on the bottom whilst others do on top, so I’ll always be versatile with my approach. One thing I will never do is just sit there and zonk out, sticking to one tactic unless there is a justified reason for doing so.

“Generally speaking, I tend to leave my bottom baits out until late morning and then reel them in. So long as I’m not interfering with other anglers and it complies with the lake’s rules, I’ll then go for a wander armed with a little bag with all sorts of bits and pieces in, the aim being to find a few close enough to stalk. I’ll have float fishing gear, surface stuff and a variety of different baits ranging from sweetcorn to Mixers.

“The key is to be patient and persistent because the warmth does make the fish very lethargic. However, if you look for long enough, somewhere around the water I guarantee there will be carp that are catchable. Very often you’ll come across a few really close in, either basking in the warmth or picking off food from the margins. I’ve had some great catches by fishing like this.”

Harry Charrington

“Quite simply: don’t sit on your hands! Often during the heat of the day can be real scratching time and the carp are not particularly active, but this doesn’t mean that you should be inactive too. I will always reel in from my night time area and go in search of the fish. This serves two purposes, one: my swim will have a rest and if there are carp in the area they can swim about with no lines in the water, and two: it gives me the chance to create another opportunity to catch.

“Firstly, I will lightly scatter some hemp, pellet and a few 10mm boilies or tiger nuts on a number of shallow areas where the fish don’t have far to drop down and have a feed. Also, areas that offer cover, such as lily pads, snags, overhanging bushes etc. are good areas to bait up. Once this has been done, I will grab my floater kit and walk around the lake, looking for an opportunity on the surface. Whilst walking round I will be checking my baited areas regularly and constantly looking for signs of fish.

“By working like this I can create at least one chance and often I will get a chance both on the top and on one of the baited spots. Fishing in this manner on a hot day can be quite dehydrating so remember to carry some water with you at all times, it really will help you concentrate.”

Martin Skoyles

“My likely approach would be trying to get maximum attraction from the minimum amount of bait. The fish are unlikely to be feeding hard and competing with each other so I want something that will hopefully encourage them into having a few mouthfuls while giving me the best chance of getting a bite.

“One of my favourite ways of doing this is using groundbait, especially as it’s a tactic I don’t see used very much on a lot of waters. I usually add a few free offerings to the groundbait mix such as chopped boilies, hemp and sweetcorn and then mix to the desired consistency using lake water along with liquid boosters such as Corn Steep Liquor, Nutramino or Multimino. Lastly, I also always make sure to add a few handfuls of crushed floating pellets, which will slowly break away and rise through the surface column. This makes a massive difference and definitely helps draw fish into the area and drop down to feed when they are not really in the mood. I usually fish the groundbait using a Method feeder or mixed up very wet as a sloppy cloud which can either be thrown in by hand in the margins or used in a spod at longer range.

“It’s worth putting some thought into the spots that you cast to. Shallower water, the tops of bars and weedbeds have all proved particularly productive for me, and often allow you to present a bait closer to the fish than targeting deeper areas.”

Ian Poole

“For me, the key to keeping the action coming at this time of the year is to simply stay flexible in my approach. Whilst sit-and-wait tactics will still produce action, on the waters I fish there might only be 10 out of every 24hrs when it’s really worth having the bottom rods out. Even allowing a few hours for baiting up and other preparation, it still leaves a lot of time to find other opportunities.

“With the carp well spread out and active in the higher water temperatures, conditions really do lend themselves to plenty of stalking and floater fishing chances – if you’re willing to go and look for them that is, as they will rarely just drop into your lap.

“To maximize my chances I like to plan out my days and get to know the spots where the carp like to be at certain times. The carps’ preferred gathering point in the morning might be a spot that lends itself to few hours floater fishing, whilst for their favourite afternoon spots, some baiting up might be in order in an attempt to catch one off the deck. If you look hard enough, it’s amazing how often you will find something to go for and get to a stage where you can be ready and waiting for the fish to arrive.

“On a different note, make sure you have plenty of liquids with you at all times – getting dehydrated can make it hard to concentrate.”