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Carp in April

Q. Margin Carp in April, when in a session would you have a look in the margin?

Match Angler 1;- Yes, looking at fishing the margins is worth a shot. However, at this time of year, I tend to find the edge better for F1s than it is for carp. I look for 3ft of water, no less, and feed is kept to a minimum with small potfuls introduced throughout the day - there's definitely no place for big pots!

Match Angler 2;- Yes definitely! But I would probably leave fishing down the edge until the last hour. In terms of feeding, I wouldn't be putting more bait in here than elsewhere in the swim, opting to just trickle in a bit of feed. I'd also choose deeper water than what you'd pick in summer, ideally around 3ft.

Match Angler 3;- Yes, the margins are worth a look, because the sooner it gets light (currently around 6am), the sooner the carp will venture into the margins. I would look to try the edge an hour from the end of the match, but I would have fed it very lightly every 40 minutes with just a few pellets and pieces of corn.

Match Angler 4;- Definitely! But start in water 2ft 6ins to 3ft deep, as the carp won't be in the shallowest water until late in the day. If you start to get liners you can always move closer in to the bank.

Q. Shallow in April?

Match Angler 1;- As soon as I get signs that fish are off bottom, for example, liners when fishing at full depth, I'll think about trying to catch off bottom. That doesn't mean slapping in a rig just a few inches deep. You need to search the swim anywhere from half depth to 10ins under the surface to cover all water levels.

Match Angler2;- I've caught shallow in midwinter for an hour at midday when the sun was warming the upper layers. A waggler fished shallow can work at any time, so set a shallow rig up and if you see signs of fish on the surface, give it a go.

Match Angler 3;- Normally I'd feed a shallow line for half an hour before going on it. I always fish with an eye to catching shallow because I don't want to be caught out if the fish decide to come up in the water. It's a good idea to see if anyone around you is catching or getting bites fishing shallow - if they are, try it yourself.

Match Angler 4;- My thinking is that if you can see fish swimming about in the upper layers, then you have a very good chance of catching them, so set up a rig and keep your eyes peeled. A warm day is often all that's needed for the carp to come up off the bottom and even start topping regularly.

Q. Fishing Meat in April?

Match Angler 1;- I'll feed via a small pot with just a few cubes at a time. I favour 4mm pieces with the odd 6mm piece. There is a danger when feeding more bait of carp coming off bottom, so keeping the feeding on the meagre side helps prevent this.

Match Angler 2;- When meat starts coming into play you want to be feeding it little and often, around five or six cubes at a time from the off. However, meat often works later in the day, fished on a short line, so I'd plan on fishing it in the later stages of a session.

Match Angler 3;- For the initial feed I pot in 250ml of cubed meat and hemp, then I throw in by hand six to eight cubes on a regular basis, typically every couple of minutes.

Match Angler 4;- I like to feed small amounts of bait little and often at this time of year to ease my way in. The water is still cool, so I don't think that the fish will take lots of bait being thrown at them yet. As ever, if things are going well you can always up the ante and feed more meat later in the day.

Q. How much feed during an April session?

Match Angler 1;- If there are enough fish feeding in the swim, you can feed more bait. I always feel my way in with minimal amounts via a small pot. If things are steady, maintain this so as not to kill the swim. When I begin to catch well, experimenting with a bit more bait in the pot will tell me if the carp want this. Once again, I don't use a big pot to kick off with.

Match Angler 2;- You can feed a bit more bait in April, but I still always feel my way in. I may start a session Kinder potting a few pellets in, but later I might ping a few pellets in to gauge the response - the fish will always tell you what they want.

Match Angler 3;- For me, the amount I feed for carp in April is governed by how warm it is, and if the fish are responding in the correct manner when I feed. Begin by feeding little and often, and if you are getting regular bites and catching well, this is the time to think about feeding more to see if you can catch even better! Always beware of overfeeding, however.

Match Angler 4;- My feeding regime is governed entirely by the reaction of the fish, so there's no hard-and-fast rule. If you catch fish by feeding little and often, then stick with it - I see no reason to change what's working. If you find that the peg slows down and you're getting less of a response, feed more to draw the fish in.