yonny

Christ, my typing is getting worse. That's supposed to read it'll NOT work on the same level........

Yeah the Kiana Carp Goo (distributed in Europe by Korda). It'll now work on the same level as the hookbaits I linked to, it's just flavouring as far as I'm aware, but I do believe it makes a difference.

Not cheap but you'll struggle to find a better garlic hookbait: http://specializedhookbaits.co.uk/products/gpb1/ An alternative would be to glug any old half decent hookbait in the Garlic Goo. I have a pal that swears by that stuff.

a million miles that should read 🙈

There's a few that bring back special memories but if I had to pick one it'd probably be a low 20 mirror I had 20+ years ago. It was from an 80 acre park lake which held very few carp. I was a million out of my depth at the time and fished it for a year with nothing to show for it but I had a take in the autumn and landed this amazing chocolate coloured mirror. Obviously not massive but to this day it's one of the most beautiful carp I've caught. It sticks in my memory because it was that year that taught me the difference between chucking a bait in the water and waiting, and proper angling (observing and acting on what is observed). I learnt that you could easily waste you life away "sitting it out" and that if you want to catch special carp you need to put the effort in. It was significant as that capture gave me the confidence to target harder waters with bigger fish so ultimately it set me on a path to catch all my other favourite carp. I used to have a snap of the fish off an old disposable camera but it got chucked out by my Mum in the late 00's.......😭😂

It'll be these little chaps giving you the indications. Get on the boiled baits, it's what they were invented for. Pop up over the top. Job done.

Whack a pop up out and just leave it until you get a full blown take 👍👍👍

Your approach. The rigs you're using are fine (assuming the spots you're fishing are suited to them). I don't think your issue is related to rigs or hookbaits. Changing from fluoro to coated braid achieves nothing imo, and there is not a carp that swims that wont eat dead maggots and pellets. It sounds like your issue relates to location. Carp always give themselves away if you look hard enough mate. It might be worth sacrificing some fishing time to really figure it out. Pop down without rods and and get round the lake, up any trees, just looking for those subtle signs (fizzing, tail patterns etc). Figure out where any weed or silt beds are. Have a lead about where the S/W winds blow. Ultimately you need to find the areas the carp like, else you're just guessing every time. Have you tried consistently introducing a little bait in an area? If not, maybe give that it a go.

I had one of those ages ago. I think it was even cheaper back then. Great rod for the money 👍

No, sorry. The Century is quite an old model and the heavier duty Century rods do tend to be quite beefy so I expect that might be heavy but very good quality. The Daiwa is a more modern blank so I'd expect that to be lighter. Also decent quality.

Nah but I have used the Greys GT Extreme Spod which I believe is similar but in 13 ft. Heavy, but puts the spod a long way.

Yes it has mate. I was fishing on Friday and had no idea all this stuff was going on. On Saturday I drove into town with the boy, did the shopping, and then went to fill up as my fuel light came on. Then spent an hour driving all over the local town only to find that NONE of the stations had any left. Got home with just fumes in the tank. Sunday I got up at 5am (not my idea of a nice Sunday morning) and took the Mrs car to fill a jerry can. Bought that back to put in my car so I could get back to town and fill it up. Absolutely ridiculous. I'm off to the coast with the family this weekend and a bit worried about it tbh.

Very nice Kev!

I used to use it a good while ago now. Never crimped it but found it was OK knotted. Can't recall any failures mate.