Weed beds and lily pads are always great places to assume carp hold up or patrol, especially in the summer as natural food supplies, like crustaceans, are at higher levels.

Carp love shelter and security so try fishing close to any visual features in the lake such as overhanging trees, islands or reed bushes. These are often the areas where carp love to patrol regularly.

Water outlets may be frequented by carp most days. These are a common holding area for carp.

Aerators or fountains that spray out water are good places to find carp during difficult hot days as these provide oxygen in the vicinity of the water.

Large sunken items such as fallen tree trunks or even large, heavy rubbish (wheels, shopping trolleys, etc) are great places to find carp without seeing them first.

The margins of pier-type banks that protrude out into the lake are another good place where carp often patrol daily at various times of the day. These are always good places to target carp.

Find out if there are any shelves or underwater drop-offs present and which swims they’re in. Carp often patrol different water depths or rapid slopes as this can be where food items hold up.

Find the areas where their natural food supplies are likely to be high. Therefore, as a general rule you could fish the silt more in the spring and the weed or pads more in the summer months. This is because bloodworms are in good supply in spring, and crustaceans are more abundant during the summer.

Shallow water is often best on warm days and deeper water when it’s cold or likely to become cold during your session. So you may need to factor in general conditions where trying to find carp.