Claudia Darga: Lucky Timing
German team member Claudia Darga shares her latest fishing adventure where she banked a number of big carp on Peppered Squid and Source boilies to 15kg in weight!
Claudia says…
Lucky Timing
Summer came suddenly and intensely. The trees were full of green, the flowers were in bloom and the temperatures climbed above 25 degrees. It felt like summer had finally arrived! With a few child-free days ahead of me, I decided to make the most of this time – to go fishing.
I packed up my equipment with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was really looking forward to my time on the water, but on the other, I was worried that the carp might spawn soon. Should this be the case, I would of course not fish actively. Fortunately, it wasn’t that time yet and I hoped that the spawning season wouldn’t start until after my session.
So I set to work preparing my three rods and, as always, chose three different boilies with different tactics. The first rod is what I call the ‘standard rod’ : a single 20mm hookbait with The Source. The second is my ‘feel rod’: here I usually decide spontaneously and by gut feeling. This time I chose a Snowman combination of Peppered Squid and a Source pop-up. The third rod is my ‘teaser rod’- I usually rig this with a single pop-up in bright colours during the day and sometimes I change it in the evening.
After the first five hours I had my first run and was extremely happy that my tactics seemed to work so quickly. Which rod do you think went first? It was the standard rod. But I have to admit that it had the best spot: at a depth of 2.5 meters, on a hard bottom, just before a dam and right in front of a tree – a top spot for carp.
Unfortunately, the joy didn’t last long, as the carp escaped the hook. No matter, I thought to myself, I was pleased with the action and quickly put the rod out again. A few hours passed without any further action. Towards evening, I changed the teaser rod to the safer rod and used two double 20mm Peppered Squid boilies.

Double 20mm Peppered Squid boilies for BIG fish
By the way, I use a simple hair rig with all my rods. I’ve always preferred the simplest methods and I’m not a fan of making things unnecessarily complicated.
Then finally the first fish I had been waiting for. This one went on my middle rod, the feeling rod with the Snowman. A really nice, decent scaly carp. The fight took some time, as I always tend to drill much more carefully and slowly after the first loss.

A great response after losing the first one!
The carp was magnificent. Its scales shone like a rainbow, from golden tones to deep bronze. Every single scale seemed perfectly placed and its powerful body was a testament to its health and strength. I estimated its weight at around 15 kilograms, but I haven’t weighed my fish for a long time. So I can’t say for sure!
Over the next two days I had repeated action, especially on my standard and feel rods.
Surprisingly, I didn’t have a single action during the night. Normally there is always at least one fish on the water at night, usually from three or four in the morning. But this time was different. The fish didn’t seem to be very hungry. I spent the whole day wondering what the reason could be. It was so warm that they could actually start spawning, but the feeding phase would have to start now!
Well, I carried on and tried not to worry too much. As soon as I had a bite, I tried to put the rod on the spot again as quickly as possible. Each time I fed between three and five handfuls of boilies.
Then it suddenly became completely calm. No activity on the surface of the water. No bites, simply nothing.
I hadn’t actually checked the weather. So it came as a surprise to me when it suddenly got very cold and we actually had several hail showers. This explains the sudden calm on the lake. No angler caught a single fish. No carp, no bream or tench. The fish certainly noticed this extreme change in weather. From what felt like 25 degrees, where you’d think the fish would soon start spawning, to daytime temperatures in the single digits.
A shame, but I was pleased that I could at least make the most of the few good days on the water and land a few great fish.
Those days on the lake reminded me why I love fishing so much. The peace, the nature and the feeling of happiness when you finally have a fish on the line are incomparable. Every fishing day is different and has its own surprises in store, and that’s what makes this hobby so passionate.
The stillness of the lake, the chirping of the birds and the gentle lapping of the water all contributed to the peaceful atmosphere. Experiencing nature in all its glory allows you to forget everyday life and immerse yourself in a world where time is irrelevant. The sight of the glistening water in the sunlight and the gentle waves lapping against the shore is balm for the soul.
As I packed up my gear on the last day and looked out over the lake one last time, I knew I need some more days for fishing. Fishing is not just a hobby, it’s a passion that draws me back to nature time and time again. The experiences and the fish I catch are what make this passion what it is.
And so I’m already looking forward to the next adventure on the water, to the next fish that will be tempted by my boilies and to the unforgettable moments that nature gives me!
-Claudia
Check out more of Claudia’s fishing adventures here on YouTube!
The post Claudia Darga: Lucky Timing first appeared on Dynamite Baits.
The post Claudia Darga: Lucky Timing appeared first on Dynamite Baits.
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