Spring Tactics for Big Carp by Jack Stutely

Spring is an exceptional time of year for getting out and angling. Not only is Mother Nature waking up, but most importantly, our quarry is too. After a long, bleak winter of cold water and slow fishing, things finally begin to change and the carp start showing signs of life again.

Now we all know how deadly a Zig can be when fish are feeding in the upper layers and, honestly, I was never really sure why I didn’t use them more. They’re clearly an effective tactic, but they just never really felt like my approach. I held very little confidence in Zigs if I’m being totally honest, and I suppose I could be a bit lazy when it came to constantly adjusting depths and tactics. That said, maybe one day I’ll finally give in and use them properly.

For me, spring fishing has always been about finding carp on the deck and in the margins. After the winter months, I preferred to keep things simple, fishing singles or very small amounts of bait while searching for signs of fish. It’s one of the best times of year to reconnect with the lake, start spotting carp again, and build confidence as their behaviour changes almost daily with rising temperatures.

As spring progresses, I like to slowly introduce bait through light pre-baiting campaigns, as well as fishing over small, controlled amounts while actually on the bank. This helps build confidence in an area without overdoing it too early in the season. I also like to heavily glug my boilies in a liquid liver or other high amino-based attractors depending on the venue. In my experience, this really helps send out strong feeding signals and encourages the carp to feed more confidently.

One particular memory from spring 2020 stands out clearly. On a local Essex club lake, tadpoles had gathered in huge numbers around the margins and fishing literally a foot off the bank proved incredibly productive — but strangely only for that day. Everything just seemed to line up perfectly and the carp were right there feeding confidently in the edge.

A week or so later, the bream were seen spawning and the carp were loving the activity. Whether the silver fish had spawned too and natural food suddenly became abundant in the margins, I was never entirely sure, but it was a great reminder of just how quickly things could change during spring.

A few years later, during a spring campaign in 2023, I banked an impressive carp known as “The Grey Fish” from an Essex club water at over 45lb. The fish was caught using Proper Carp Baits Mulberry pop-ups fished over Hot Squid boilies, heavily laced with the new Shottsuru liquid attractor — a setup that clearly did the business.

One thing I’ve always found with my fishing is that the same approach can work just as well whether I’m fishing a small UK club lake or out abroad on carp fishing holidays in France and across Europe. The fundamentals never really change — observation, location, subtle baiting, and reacting to what’s happening in front of you. In spring especially, I genuinely believe less is often more. Rather than piling in loads of bait too early, I’ve always preferred introducing smaller amounts of high-attract feed in the right areas and letting the carp build confidence naturally as the water starts warming up after winter.

Ultimately, spring carp fishing has always been about adapting to what’s happening in front of you and enjoying your time on the bank. Some days the fish cruise high in the water and a Zig just under the surface can be the winning tactic, while on other occasions a bait fished hard on the deck in the margins is all that’s needed. There’s never an exact science to it, and that’s what makes spring such an exciting time of year to fish. Getting out, observing the water, and learning as the season develops is all part of the experience.

Be Lucky,

Jack Stutely