Carp Fishing on Big Waters: The Key to Success
When you’re fishing a big, challenging venue – like the 80-acre gravel pit I’ve been targeting this year – location and bait preparation are everything. As with most lakes across the country, the carp here spawned several times through May, June, and July, and for a long while, it felt like they’d never really get their heads down for a proper feed.
That said, I’ve still managed to get amongst a few, and I firmly believe that time spent finding the fish is the single biggest key to success when carp fishing large, weedy waters.
A stunning mirror carp from a large, weedy water
Finding the Fish: The Power of Observation
When you’re faced with an 80-acre pit full of islands, bays, snags and out-of-bounds areas, you can’t just chuck the rods out and hope for the best. I spend a lot of time riding around the lake on my mountain bike, checking likely areas, watching how the wind and weather are moving, and, most importantly, keeping my eyes open for signs of carp.
It’s all about building a picture of where the fish want to be. Once I’ve located them, it’s then down to finding a presentable area. Through the summer and into early autumn, weed growth is at its thickest, with huge beds stretching from the lakebed right up to the surface – even in deep water.
That means you need to lead around carefully every time you fish. Spots that were clear a few weeks ago might now be choked, so confidence in your presentation is vital.
Watercraft was the key to the capture of this common
Baiting Strategy: Reading the Swim
Even on lakes with a good head of fish, you can be miles off if your location or baiting plan isn’t right. Once I’ve found the fish, I judge how much bait to introduce based on the activity I’m seeing in the swim.
If the carp are showing regularly and feeding confidently, I’ll put out a decent amount of bait to keep them there for as long as possible. However, if activity is sporadic or limited, I’ll scale back the feed and build the swim gradually – that way, I can create a situation where the bites start to come more consistently.
Reading the swim correctly resulted in the capture of this stunning mirror carp
My Go-To Bait: The S7
Throughout all seasons, my go-to bait has been DNA Baits’ Secret 7. It’s never let me down and performs brilliantly in both summer and autumn conditions. My mix doesn’t stray too far from five key DNA Baits products, all of which complement each other perfectly:
1. Boilies – Variety is Key
I like to use a mix of 12mm, 15mm, and mini dumbbells. Carp love variety, and mixing sizes keeps them grubbing around for longer.
2. Liquid Food – Extra Attraction
Coating the boilies in Liquid Food adds scent and attraction throughout the water column, while also making them tacky – perfect for binding smaller particles to them.
3. Stick Mix – Soluble Attraction
Adding S7 Stick Mix introduces soluble attractors that work in harmony with the Liquid Food, creating an irresistible cloud of attraction.
S7 Stick Mix works in harmony with the Liquid Food
4. Crayfish Mini Mix – Texture and Crunch
A handful of Crayfish Mini Mix pellets adds crunch and texture, sticking beautifully to the coated boilies and further boosting their pulling power.
Adding Crayfish Mini Mix pellets to my boilies creates extra crunch and texture
5. Amino Smoke – The Finishing Touch
To top it all off, I add Amino Smoke. The smoke effect and amino acids create a powerful, long-lasting cloud of attraction that draws carp from every layer of the water.
How I Prepare My Bait Mix
Preparation is everything. Here’s my step-by-step method that’s helped me land some cracking carp through the summer and autumn months:
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48 Hours Before the Session:
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Thaw your S7 freezer boilies in a bucket.
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12–14 Hours Later:
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Add S7 Liquid Food and give them a thorough coating. Leave to soak overnight.
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24 Hours Before the Trip:
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Add another splash of S7 Liquid Food, then coat the boilies in a light mix of S7 Stick Mix and Crayfish Mini Mix.
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Do this in smaller batches across a few buckets to get even coverage.
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On the Bank:
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Add more Crayfish Mini Mix and a generous helping of Amino Smoke over the top.
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This gives you a fully loaded mix ready to deploy – packed with attraction and texture.
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The finished mix, ready to go!
The Results
This preparation has played a vital part in my success, helping me land some incredible fish over recent months. The S7 bait system, combined with careful observation, location work, and a measured baiting approach, has kept the bites coming even when the lake has been at its toughest.
If you’re planning your next carp fishing session on a large, weedy venue, give this mix a go – it might just be the edge you need this autumn.
