August 2026 – A Month of Carp Fishing

August turned out to be a very enjoyable month of carp fishing, especially after an incredibly difficult period of hot weather through June and July. The temperatures finally began to fall, the winds picked up and, importantly, the carp started behaving more like I would expect at this time of year.
After struggling through the heat, it was a welcome change to finally feel that the conditions were working in my favour.

A Change in Conditions

The difference in the weather was noticeable almost immediately. Rather than the oppressive heat we had experienced for much of the summer, I was finally getting some decent winds and cooler conditions.

One session saw a strong westerly wind of around 24mph, and I was much happier fishing in those conditions. I had also noticed that the water level had dropped by roughly a foot, which made accurate knowledge of the lakebed and depths even more important.
The lake I fish is incredibly shallow in places, and some areas are only around 3½ feet deep. It’s easy to overlook these shallow areas, but the carp continue to use them, and this month provided further evidence of just how important they can be.

Location First

As always, location was at the heart of my approach.
I spent time using my Deeper CHIRP 3 and Maps+ to understand the areas I wanted to fish, although on some occasions I reverted to the marker rod once I had established the information I needed.
One of the advantages of Maps+ is being able to do some of the preparation away from the bank. I can sit at home and study the lake, measure distances and work out how many wraps I need to reach particular areas.

In one session, I used Maps+ to measure from the swim to a horizon marker and calculate the distance to the spot. This gave me the confidence to fish accurately, particularly when dealing with a lake containing numerous islands, shallow areas and underwater boulders.
Finding softer, silty areas was particularly important. Rather than simply fishing to obvious features, I wanted to find areas where I believed the carp would naturally feed.

The Fishing Finally Came Good

The catches during August reflected the improvement in conditions.
After the struggles of the previous couple of months, it was great to start putting carp on the bank again.
A particularly productive session produced four carp, including several good commons. The first night produced a 10lb carp along with a tench, but things improved considerably afterwards, with two further carp including fish to 25lb 13oz.
The session was eventually rounded off by an 18lb 8oz common, which arrived at around 6:30 in the morning.

It was one of those mornings where everything came together, and after the difficulties I had experienced earlier in the summer, catching four carp made the session feel even more rewarding.

The Importance of the Right Bait

My bait approach remained deliberately straightforward.
I used Jurassic Particles to introduce a small amount of food onto the chosen areas, complemented with Nutrabaits boilies. On one session, I used 24mm Cream Cajouser Shelf boilies, catapulting them accurately around the target area rather than putting large quantities directly over the hookbait.
I prefer this measured approach, particularly in shallow water. I want the carp to have to move around and search for the food rather than arrive over a heavily baited area.
The hookbaits also remained familiar, with Nutrabaits EnerGize corkie wafters and Trigga Ice hardened bottom baits featuring in my fishing.

The Results

August produced some excellent fish and, more importantly, restored a lot of confidence after a frustrating summer.
There were multiple 20lb-plus carp, with the best fish reaching 25lb 13oz, along with several other good commons and mirrors.

The fish were also giving me plenty of encouragement through their behaviour. Watching carp moving around the islands and seeing them confidently using incredibly shallow water reinforced what I had already learned from previous sessions.

It’s easy to assume that carp need significant depth, particularly during warmer weather, but this lake continues to prove otherwise.

Looking Back

August reminded me why I enjoy carp fishing so much.
After weeks of battling extreme temperatures, conditions finally changed. The wind returned, temperatures became much more comfortable, and the carp started feeding again.
The fishing wasn’t simply about catching fish, though. A big part of the enjoyment came from working out where they were likely to be, using the Deeper Maps+ information I had gathered, finding the right areas of lakebed and then putting together a simple, accurate approach.

The combination of location, observation, minimal baiting and accurate presentation produced some excellent results.

Most importantly, August finished with me feeling confident about the fishing again.
After the heat and frustration of early summer, getting several good carp on the bank—including a 25lb 13oz common—was exactly what I needed.

And with the temperatures finally becoming more favourable, I’m looking forward to seeing what September brings.

Until Next Time

Richard

P.s. I’d written this review before coming out for one last trip, which was planned. It turned out to be one of the best I’ve had on the Airfield Lake.

Read the Catch Report here.

An amazing 20 carp landed over 3 nights, by far my best session on the Airfield Lake.

Get 10% off Deeper with Code – RICHARD10