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Weather or Not to go Carp Fishing
Wind One effect of the weather that many carp anglers are already aware of is the wind. The direction of the wind can have a big impact on where to fish for carp, which peg to choose, and sometimes how far out to fish. You will often hear that a West or South-Westerly wind is the ideal wind to fish into. A South-Westerly wind often brings in warm air which tends to improve carp feeding. A North or Easterly wind tends to bring in cold air. As the old wives tale goes: When the wind comes from the West the fish bite best. When winds come from the East the fish bite least!
The strength of the wind is also important. To a degree the stronger the
wind blows the better the carp seem to feed. The stronger the wind the more
food items will be pushed in the direction of the wind by the current. This
is one of the reasons why fishing with the wind into your face can be more
productive. It has been stated that an undertow current will carry suspended
food particles back in the opposite direction. I feel however, that this
will only cause it to travel back a little. Many
features within the lake
such as weeds, gravel bars, varying depths, etc, will help to hold food
items from travelling back with the undertow.
I
think one of the biggest influences for a carp to feed is the warmth of the
water. The optimum water temperature for feeding is around seven degrees
centigrade. The more the water temperature drops below this level the more
they tend to slow down and prefer to shoal up in warmer areas or any thermal
layers present in the water. For this reason location of carp is probably
the most important part when fishing for carp in the cold season.
Air
pressure is an important point to consider when thinking about fishing for
carp. The air pressure will ultimately affect the level of oxygen in the
water. Carp need oxygen to function properly, including searching for food.
If the water oxygen levels are low carp tend to become sluggish and lazy,
its like they cannot get enough energy to feed. High pressure usually means
a warm spell which doesnt replace enough oxygen that is being used up by
fish, plants, etc. Low pressure often means wind and rain, which will
oxygenate the water. This is why its much better to fish for carp on days
when air pressure is low. I will always try to go fishing when the pressure
drops, even if it means fishing in
heavy rain. I feel its worth being a
little cold and wet if it means a greater chance of catching bigger carp.
Look for an air pressure reading below 1000mb as this is considered low
pressure. A reading above 1010mb is considered high air pressure. The
problem with todays climate in the UK is that there seems to be many more
days with high pressure, even during rainy days!
The most important thing to remember is that all these conditions are inter-related wind, air pressure, temperature and oxygen levels. However, I think no matter how bad the weather can get it still needs to be stable a few days before going carp fishing. I feel the sudden chopping and changing of the British weather is causing problems for carp fishermen in the UK.
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