Spring Catches and Fishing Tactics
Find out what carp were caught and what fishing tactics worked best in changeable weather conditions of early spring
Dry weather in March gave way to a mix of warm sunshine and heavy storms in April. Anglers coped well with the sudden changes by using a flexible approach to their fishing tactics.
Early Season Fishing Results
- 8 anglers
- 6 PBs broken
- 36 carp caught
- Carp catches: 6 x 40s, 18 x 30s, 11 x 20s and 1 under 20
First 40lb Carp of the Year
Phil Palmer claimed the year's first 40 during the last week of March with a personal best carp weighing 45lb 3oz. Phil and his son Darren caught a total of 20 carp during a week that was interrupted by Storm Katie. Darren just missed out on a 40 this trip, catching lots of 30s up to 39lb 8oz. He's not worried, he has a couple of Oakview 40s already in the bag from his previous visits.
Biggest Carp Caught This Spring
Tim Strange caught the biggest carp of the year so far with this 46lb 4oz mirror. It was the 6th carp weighing over 40lb seen on the bank this spring and the second biggest carp ever caught at Oakview Lake. Tim has to take care of his back nowadays and his son Hugh does a brilliant job of presenting his fish for the photo.
Most Big Carp Caught This Spring
Graham Burn landed 3 carp over 40lb during the first week in April, beating his personal best several times in the process. Graham had been waiting a number of years to catch his first Oakview 40, then 3 came along at once. Graham's son David added another 40 to the week's total.
Flexible Tactics for Changing Conditions
After a warm winter, the water temperature was much milder than it normally would be at the start of the fishing season. Anglers took advantage of this by using beds of bait to attract fish into margin spots. They also used fish-based boilies over high-protein pellet as the carp came on the feed. The sudden onset of changeable weather is typical for the time of year, so anglers switched tactics. When the bites stopped coming, they moved one or two rods to open water with very little baiting. This flexible approach resulted in more big carp on the bank.
