I have just started fishing a low stocked park lake which has very spooky carp. There are about 35 of them in one acre. How can I track down the carp and catch them?

Scott Lloyd

One of my most valuable tools when angling is my eyes. Location is everything when it comes to angling, if the fish aren’t there, it doesn’t matter what rig or bait you put out in the pond, you can’t catch what’s not there. It’s that simple. Keep mobile, travel light and keep on your toes and react to the signs from the carp.

You might feel like you’re chasing them around, but inevitably, you’ve got to be on the fish. Secondly, learn as much as you can about the lakebed and what the general feel of it is like. You can then choose the most suitable rig for the job.

If it’s quite choddy and silty, which most park lakes are due to the surroundings, then I’d be opting for a hinge rig which will pretty much be presented effectively on all manner of lakebeds.