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Carp Fishing February 27, 2020

Our first (windy) carp fishing in 2020

Well, we’re going fishing, fishing gear and food packed……….

This year’s winter temperatures are quite high but also very windy and rainy in my country. When I was planning to go fishing the weather got worse (as usual with a strong wind) and I had to postpone fishing several times. The forecast for Sunday was 16 degrees and sunny, the perfect day to go for my first winter fishing this year. Finally, I go fishing.

And Saturday came and with it the change of weather for Sunday (again a strong wind and showers). my boyfriend and I quickly decided to go fishing Saturday. Better a few hours fishing than nothing. We get our fishing gear quickly in the car and go fishing, finally.

When we got to the fishing spot I first prepared a groundbait for carp fishing. I have already prepared a groundbait dry mix at home (a combination of different ready-made mixes and other ingredients). I added some pellets and a little amount liquid krill additive to the mix. I slowly added lake water to the mix (mix thoroughly until a nice consistency and texture is achieved).

When you add water to the mix, you should always use the water from your fishery . Due to the different chemicals, I do not recommend that you use tap water or at least boil it before use.

While the groundbait was slowly getting wet, we prepared fishing rods and everything else needed to finally start fishing.

When we started fishing, the wind started to blow more and more. Hoping that the wind won’t affect the carp appetite too much and that at least one will be on the fishing mat.

I used pop ups of my own making (testing) and bought at the fishing store.

I used a naked helicopter system on both fishing rods. Instead of carp fishing lead I used a light method feeder lead (30gr or 1oz) filled with groundbait. I had already modified the feeder lead at home so that I could use it as a normal carp lead with a swivel.

Gusts of wind became more and more frequent and stronger. Hmmm , the wind forecast was for tomorrow. But maybe the weather scientists were wrong again.

Later I added some sweet corn to the groundbait and then fed each fishing spot with two groundbait ball and every half hour one smaller ball with fishing catapult. Carp and similar related fish eat very little in the winter, so I adjusted the amount of food accordingly. Hoping that the food will tempted any carp or fish of any kind ?.

Hoping that the sun’s rays will awaken some carp to feed.

My boyfriend and my best fishing companion put some food around the lead, which later turned out to be a great decision. After 20 minutes the top of the fishing rod bent and a bite alarm sounded…..fish on ?. After a short fight, the mirror carp showed up ( heavy between 4 to 5kg or 8 to 11 pound), but luck didn’t last long as just before the landing net the hook got rid of it ?. Let’s try to catch another one…

When the sun hid behind the clouds it became cold.

Except for a few slight beeps, there were no more bites that day. It was getting dark and it was time to pack the fishing gear and go home.

A wonderful day was spent by the lake and the view of the beautiful sunset at the end of the fishing day is invaluable to me.

Till next time …

… tight lines and wet landing nets!

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Carp Fishing January 24, 2020

How to make pop up boilie, home made

Nowadays when fishing shop are more or less very stocked with a variety of carp fishing bait (pop up boilie, wafters, ready made boilies, hook pellet, frozen boilies, dumbell,…) today many people do not even think about doing the bait themselves.

Are we always satisfied with the carp fishing bait purchased at the fishing shop? My opinion and answer is no.

In my test I used a basic pop up mix to make pop – up boilies. But I added quite a few other ingredients to this basic mix. I can’t write recipe for this pop – up boilie mix, because unfortunately i just tried something without measuring the exact weight in grams. I know my mistake, which I will correct and write in the near future.

But I can write the names of the dry ingredients I added to the basic mix and you can try it for yourself:

krill powder (additional buoyancy), squid extrat, strawberry flavour powder, cork granules, betaine powder, Green Lipped Mussel Extract ( GLM ), blood powder, robin red , kelp powder

I’ve added quite a few ingredients, but you don’t have to use everything in your mix. I like to try different ingredients so my mixes are sometimes very extreme.

Video How to make pop up boilie on my YouTube channel, to watch the video click below ??????:

Equipment for making pop up boilies:

fork, mixing bowl, towel or kitchen cloth, saucepan, kitchen mesh strainers or similar to capture boilies from boiling water, boilie rolling table or your hands ?

The first step is to crack one egg (or more, depending on the amount of pop up mix).

Mix the egg well. Air bubbles improve the buoyancy of a pop up boilies.

Liquid additives (flavour, sweetener, preservative, …) are added to the egg. In my egg I added the liquid flavor of pineapple.

Mix all the liquid ingredients together.

Slowly add the dry mix, but not all at once.

I added too little mix so it looks liquid, so i add some dry mix.

Better to slowly add the mix until the paste is compact and no longer sticks to your hands.

The pop up boilie paste is made and I left the paste for about 24 hours. Otherwise, about 30 minutes is sufficient for the ingredients to bind and absorb the liquid.

Boilie I made by hand, without the use of bait rolling table and extrusion guns (even with such a small amount, this is not necessary).

The water is already boiling and the boilies are ready for cooking.

Pop up boilies should be placed in boiling water and in such a quantity that the water does not cool when placed in boiling water (that the water is still hot and quickly starts to boil again).

Boil for 1 – 3 min, depending on the size of the boilies (the larger the diameter of the boilies, the longer they boil). In my case they boiling for 1 – 2 min.

Place cooked on towel to cool and dry. Do not load boilies on top of each other, it is very important to cool them as soon as possible.

The pop up boilies will now dry about 3 – 4 days. Because there are no preservatives in boilies they will be stored in the freezer.
If you want harder pop – up boilies they need to be dried longer (at least 3 – 8 days). The drying time of the boilies also depends on the mix itself, the cooking time, the air temperature, egg size, moisture, … .

There is something special about catching carp on a boilie of your own making. It is true that it takes quite a bit of research and search for ingredients in different stores (fishing and grocery stores), but when you hear that beep and see the curved tip of the fishing rod, at that moment all the effort is paid off.

Till next time …

… tight lines and wet landing nets!

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This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. As an Amazon UK Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.

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Carp Fishing November 2, 2019

Beginner simple Carp knotless knot rig

Which rig to use to make fishing successful? My personal opinion is the rig I confidencet the most. I know this is quite challenging for beginners, as we need experience to get that feeling and knowledge.

Today there are quite a lot of different rigs that can be learned through the Internet, fishing magazines, fishing friends, fishing shops, … We can also buy ready tied rigs if we do not want to make our own.

With photos I will show below the step by step tying simple carp rig. This is my way of tying rig that I use successfully.

Step 1: Rig Components

We just need to get started tying our own carp rigs: hook (barbed or barbless), swivel, anti tangle sleeve, hook link (braid, fluorocarbon or mono), hair boilie stopper, bait (boilie, corn, tiger nuts, …) and boilie baiting needle.

Step 2: Put Boilie on a Hair

Make a loop of suitable length (longer loop for larger boilies) for the boilies.

Insert boilies with a needle.

At the end, add a boilie stopper so that the boilies do not fall off the hair.

The knot on the loop also serves as a stopper to prevent the boilies from approaching the hook.

Step 3: The Knotless Knot rig

4x to 8x around the hook (depending on the hook size).

Step 4: The last step

Before I make the last knot I add anti tangle sleeve.

The knot on the swivel I use is Grinner knot (2x around the ear). A very strong knot that has never disappointed me. But of course you can use any knot you want.

5x to 8x around the braid link.

Always moisten the link before completing the knot.

Final we add to the swivel anti tangle sleeve ………

……….and you’re ready to go fishing.

Till next time …

… tight lines and wet landing nets!

If you would like to use content from the Fishing Religion website (in whole or in part), please add a link to the contribution on our site in your post.

Disclosure

Some of the links in this blog and in our videos may be affiliate links, and pay us a small commission if you use them. We really appreciate the support. Thank you for your support.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. As an Amazon UK Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.

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Carp Fishing September 23, 2019

Boilie fishing with waggler

I have often read the topic on the internet if it is possible to catch a carp with a waggler on a hair rig for carp fishing. In fact, it is very similar to carp fishing, except that they are much easier to use instead of heavy lead and that a waggler serves as the bite indicator.

We can use the same carp rigs as for heavy lead bottom carp fishing. I use hooks from size 6 up for this fishing technique, depending on the average size of the carp in the lake.

For bait I use smaller diameters of boilies (8mm to 14 mm), pop up, corn (maize, sweetcorn), artificial – fake bait or hook pellets.

Most often I use particles mix for baiting my fishing spot. I feed with a small amount of particles every 20 minutes with small baiting spoon. When I catch a fish I increase the 3x amount of particle for baiting fishing spot.

With the right tactics and some fishing luck :), bigger carp can be caught.

Till next time …

… tight lines and wet landing nets!

If you would like to use content from the Fishing Religion website (in whole or in part), please add a link to the contribution on our site in your post.

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Some of the links in this blog and in our videos may be affiliate links, and pay us a small commission if you use them. We really appreciate the support. Thank you for your support.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. As an Amazon UK Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.

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Carp Fishing September 20, 2019

Carp fly fishing with my flies

In the summer time we often see carp moving under the surface of the water. Sometimes carp move very slowly or just stand still so it is very important not to scare them. Anything that splashes loudly into the water would easily scare them away.

Fly fishing for carp in the summer when carp not eating much can be successful in the hot part of the day. I advise using Polaroid glasses because the carp can be seen more easily at the water surface.

Hmmm which fly to use?

Anyone who does not have a fly fishing rod can use a surface float for cast fly.

I tied all the flies by myself, so I was especially happy for every carp I caught.

I use 5/6 weight fly fishing rod.

Average weight of carp in this lake is 7 pound.

It was a great pleasure to catch a carp on a fly rod.

The thin monofilament was invisible to the careful carp.

A gentle cast and a carp picked up the fly. Catching this carp was also the last catch of this wonderful fly fishing day.

Till next time …

… tight lines and wet landing nets!

If you would like to use content from the Fishing Religion website (in whole or in part), please add a link to the contribution on our site in your post.

Disclosure

Some of the links in this blog and in our videos may be affiliate links, and pay us a small commission if you use them. We really appreciate the support. Thank you for your support.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. As an Amazon UK Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.

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Carp Fishing September 13, 2019

Fox Carpmaster Cradle XL

Hmmmmmm… Which fishing cradle to buy was a big question for me. I was looking for one that would be low and long for bigger fish like grass carp and carp.

I’ve only used a unhooking mat in recent years, but since the rules at the lakes are changing (which I really like) it was time to buy a cradle.

And finally…. I found a Fox Carpmaster Cradle XL on the internet that came on the market this year. There are two sizes available: standard and XL.

After some thought, I decided to buy one. My choice was the Fox Carpmaster Cradle XL version.

Big care for Bigger fish

On the first fishing trip with this cradle I took a picture of it.

So far, I am very excited about it and it has proven to be more than excellent and worth buying despite its high price (around 170€).

**Supplied in large, heavy-duty 500Denier carry bag .**

*fox bucket added for presentation purposes only

**Camo retention flap with Velcro securing tabs .**

**Four adjustable legs to level use on uneven ground.**

**Low to ground frame allows you to lift the carp easy.**

Happy days 🙂

Till next time …

… tight lines and wet landing nets!

If you would like to use content from the Fishing Religion website (in whole or in part), please add a link to the contribution on our site in your post.

Disclosure

Some of the links in this blog and in our videos may be affiliate links, and pay us a small commission if you use them. We really appreciate the support. Thank you for your support.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. As an Amazon UK Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.

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Carp Fishing September 9, 2019

How to take care with fish? Catch and release

In my first blog about the basics of safe fish handling. All species deserve respect no matter the size or weight. Considering that I carp fishing the most, this blog of safe handling of fish will relate to it, which does not mean that we cannot treat other types of fish in the same or similar way (especially I am talking about cyprinid fish species, salmonids are another topic for new blog).

1. Unhooking mat or cradle

A must-have equipment for every angler. It is designed to safely place the carp on, protecting them from damage, mud and the various dirt that is on the ground. Before putting fish on unhooking mat or cradle, it is obligatory to pour it with fresh lake water.

Never put fish on a dry unhooking mat.

2. A bucket of water

We always have a fresh lake water bucket ready by the unhooking mat or cradle. Fresh water moistens the fish during photography and weighing. It is very important that we never pour our catch with water that has been in the bucket for several hours, preferably in the sun!

We always capture fresh cold water!

3. Antiseptic

I notice that we spend a lot of money on baits and equipment, but many people forget about the antiseptic. It is very important to use it not only to carry it because of the rules that apply to individual water. Before letting the fish back into the water, it is carefully inspected and treated with antiseptic (stab wounds, various injuries, etc.).

We stick to the instructions given by the individual manufacturer on the packaging, as improper use can cause more harm than good.

I’ve been using antiseptic Korda Propolis two years and I’m very happy with it. The only downside is that it leaves traces on the cradle or mats, but it doesn’t bother me as long as it’s good for the fish.

4. Fishing Weight Sling

Designed to weigh the catch safely and then safely released into the water.

When our catch is big (relative to each individual) – over 14kg or 30 pounds it is highly recommended (in some places it is obligatory) to put it in a sling together with a landing net and place it on a mat.

Please check that the fins of the carp are folded flat against its body, otherwise they can be damaged by the weight of the fish.

5. Wet hands

Always get our hands wet before handling a fish. Dry hands damage the fish slime (protect it from various injuries and parasites).

6. Landing net

A large landing net with a minimum length of 90 cm is used for the carp fishing. For the health of the fish I recommend a good fine knit net with as small holes as possible to prevent damage to the fin. Always catch the fish with a wet pad.

The same as with the weight sling, it is necessary to check that the fins of the carp are folded flat against its body before going to lift them from the water.

7. Photography

Fish are never photographed standing and of course we do not even carry fish around. We always take pictures in a crouching stance above the mat.

We keep the fish out of the water for as short a time as possible. If you want to take pictures in hot summer, this is best done in the water and we refresh ourselves as well.

Till next time …

… tight lines and wet landing nets!

If you would like to use content from the Fishing Religion website (in whole or in part), please add a link to the contribution on our site in your post.

Disclosure

Some of the links in this blog and in our videos may be affiliate links, and pay us a small commission if you use them. We really appreciate the support. Thank you for your support.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. As an Amazon UK Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.

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