With limited time available to me for the rest of May, I really need each trip to count.

After a few hours of gardening this morning, I arrived at the lake in the early afternoon. The conditions weren’t ideal—there was a fresh northeasterly wind blowing across the water, bringing a chill with it. Still, I’d seen no signs of spawning since Sunday, and that continued today. Unfortunately, visible signs of carp were scarce too, aside from a few indications in the area I’ve chosen—though not in any great numbers.

The swim I settled in is extremely shallow unless you’re prepared to wade out and punch a cast 30 wraps into the distance—definitely not my approach these days. Instead, I got the marker rod out and found the silty areas I was hoping for closer in. Once located, I put out four generous Nash Dot Spombs of a Nutrabaits boilie mix across the spot.

One rod went out with a PVA bag and a Trigga Pineapple & N-Butyric Acid 12mm pop-up—the same combo that scored last week. The other rod I started off with a white Blank Saver hookbait, but no PVA bag this time. Accuracy was key, and with a strong crosswind blowing across me, I needed all the control I could get.

What followed over the next 24 hours wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for—but that’s fishing. It’s got me wondering if I should have targeted deeper water instead. I’ve seen a few signs of carp moving about—fewer than last week—and they’re clearly not in feeding mode. I get the sense they’ve gone off the munch a bit with the drop in temperature. Still, with slightly warmer weather forecast today, things might shift.

By midday, it was time to recast. I decided to keep both rods on the same spots, sticking with the plan. I swapped the white Blank Saver for a white Co-De pop-up—keeping the visual element but changing up the flavour and presentation slightly. I’ve also realised I need to carry a tub with a wider selection of hookbaits in the coming weeks, just until the carp show a clearer preference.

To my right, a couple of anglers are fishing into the northeast bay. At this time of year, it can be a productive area, especially if the wind pushes the warmth into that corner.

Despite the lack of action, it wasn’t a wasted session. I learned a few things, and I’ll be back in just over 24 hours for another go. It’s important to remember—it’s called fishing, not catching. Carp can be moody, especially around spawn time and in unsettled weather.

I’m still after that elusive monster, and who knows—maybe this lull in feeding is working in my favour. With fewer fish on the move and fewer getting caught, perhaps the odds have quietly tilted towards me. Here’s hoping the big one hasn’t got the grumps and is still out there, having a sly feed somewhere in reach.

Until next time,
Richard

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