A quick chance of a fish?

free lined prawns were the winning
tactic for the carp today!

I had a couple of free hours this afternoon so I thought I'd go and have a try for one of the big Perch again at my local club water....I got down the pool around 2pm and set up 2 rods with freelined prawns dipped in CBS Krill and DMPT dip. I dropped the baits into a couple of likely spots and started to feed up the swims gently with a few handfuls of mixed maggots.

I fished these on one of our CBS Trident size 4 hooks. I sat for about 20 minutes before the first fish took the hook bait on the right hand rod. A good pull round and a quick fight saw a nice little half pound perch in the net. Send mummy or daddy back!

18lb 14oz of stonking mirror carp!

A few minutes later and the same rod was again torn around....I was really hoping it was a huge perch but to my surprise a large mirror had sucked up the bait meant for a stripey. I can't say I was disappointed with catching such a nice carp considering the cold weather. A really good scrap ensued as I was using only 6lb main line! A nice fish of 18lb 14oz ....I grabbed a few quick pics and put her back.

12lb 6oz bar of gold

Another take around half an hour later saw a 4lb bream in the net....It seemed that everything bar the perch liked my prawns! Amazing! I can almost imagine that had I gone out after the carp I probably wouldn't have caught one??? Typical! Next cast produced a missed take, but minutes later as the light was fading, a belting take on my left hand rod signaled.....yep, another carp!

This one a common, went 12lb 6oz. I couldn't believe my eyes. Everything other than perch! A few minutes later I was starting to pack away the odd and sods of kit ready to make a move home when the same rod belted off again. I knew it was a carp before I'd got hold of the rod. Off it went at silly miles an hour, leaving me hanging on for grim death! A few sharp lunges and a couple of minutes later and she was all mine. Another pristine common of 14lb 3oz.

It was starting to get quite dark and after a chat with another chap who was just leaving, I decided to call it a day. The perch hadn't showed like i'd hoped but the 3 carp, all doubles, had really made up for it! I went to pick up the left hand rod and as I grabbed the butt of the rod off she flew again with yet another chunky common on the end!

My final of the day at a tad over 16lbs!

This was really turning into a cracking little mini session, albeit not catching the intended species....but who cares when it goes off like this! A great scrap under the rod tip on lightweight kit and a feeder rod. The net was almost too small for the common. A brutish fish of 16lb 2oz!

Well, there you go.....Just goes to show that you don't need all the gear to catch some nice carp. You just need to be on the fish and use a bait they like....

Prawns wouldn't have been my first choice for catching winter carp by far, but it appears they rather like them.....A lot!