Spring definitely seems to have showed its face over the last few days and with this brighter weather we’re having the fish will be responding and waking from their winter slumber.

It’s at this time of year that the fish will want to start feeding more heavily and will be looking for a rich supply of food with gusto. They will be on the hunt for high grade boilies and pellets to supplement their usual natural diet.

If you can locate the fish at this time of year they can be easier to catch. I would be looking for shallower water in this brighter weather, where the sun’s warmth will be most noticeable or areas that are abundant with reeds as it is often the case that the fish will have over wintered there, perhaps because they use the reed stems to help the stay upright and in a more comfortable position.

Hard Feed pellets come into their own as they have all the characteristics I am looking for in bait. They have a lower protein and fat content but a higher fibre content to a halibut pellet, and so they will help the fish’s digestion whilst also giving them the required food values including vitamins and minerals that they require.

If you couple this approach with a small amount of quality boilie, such as the new range of Action Boilies that are due to be released in the near future, then you will give the fish an easy, convenient meal, but one with a hook bait somewhere inside of it! And action is exactly what you will get!

I have been out this week to do a feature for Advanced Carp, and was lucky enough to have a fish very early on in the session. This was over a combination of 10mm boilies and whilst using a small bag of 4mm Hard Feed pellets. The proof was definitely in the pudding. I was fishing on the back of a cold westerly wind and had popped down the previous night for a walk round and to scatter a few baits around and just after first light a few bubbles could be seen over the pre baited area. Shortly after positioning two baits near to the feeding fish I had a jittery take from a lovely mirror of just over 20lbs.

As the water temperature warms up I would suggest changing over to the halibut pellets and/or using a larger size boilie approach as the fish will want to eat, and can digest more food, also, if you can get the fish feeding on large scattered baits then you will be guaranteed more success!

Til next time, tight lines.