Claudia Darga: The Island Lake

The full report from Claudia Darga’s latest trip to a public lake in search of carp. Can she produce a result on a lake she’s never fished before? Read on to find out…

Claudia says…

Another public water and another lake I had never fished before.

When I arrived at the spot, the first thing I saw was a small island to my left. The water around it was clean and clear and the beautiful blue water reflected the sky and the green trees of the island.

“The perfect spot,” I thought to myself, feeling excited.

From what local fishermen had told me, this 60-hectare gravel pit was quite deep, usually around 6 to 7 meters, with a mostly flat bottom. On a lake like this, an island was a great opportunity for a good fishing spot. It was my top choice for the first rod.

The sun was shining brightly, making the clear water look even more inviting.

I took out my boat, set up my tripod, and started preparing my rods. My plan was simple like always: one rig with a snowman setup and the other on the bottom. For the snowman, I chose a Sweet Tiger & Corn 15mm pop-up paired with a Sweet Tiger & Corn 20mm boilie. The locals had said that the fish liked sweet flavours, and since the lake had a lot of grass carp, my choice was clear.

With my rig ready, I headed towards the island.

The water was so clear that I could see the bottom as I navigated, the greens and blues mixing beautifully.

After a few minutes, I found a good spot in 4 meters of water at the base of a steep climb leading to the island’s shore. The sunlight shining through the water made it look like the perfect place to set my rig. I scattered about 2 kilograms of Sweet Tiger & Corn boilies around the area, creating a tempting feast for any nearby carp.

For my second rod, I wanted to try a different area. Instead of just putting it on the other side of the island, I went out into the open water looking for an interesting spot.

The clear water made this exploration fun, revealing a flat bottom at a consistent depth of 7 meters. After a while, I found a spot with a series of small bumps rising from 7 to 6 meters, a nice spot far from the shore.

For this spot, I decided to use something new that the local fish hadn’t seen before: a Peppered Squid 26mm boilie, dipped in Peppered Squid liquid.

With both rigs in the water, I settled down to wait for the first bite.

The excitement was high, and it didn’t take long. Soon, I was in a brief but intense fight with a carp. The water splashed as the fish moved powerfully, creating ripples that sparkled in the sunlight. I finally landed a beautiful common carp, weighing nearly 13 kilos. Not a bad start at all.

Over the next few hours, I had two more bites from the island and managed to catch a smaller common around 10 kilos.

As evening came, the fish started to bite from the deeper water. The changing light painted the sky in orange and pink, reflecting off the calm lake.

I caught several smaller carp, all drawn to the new Peppered Squid flavoured boilie. Each catch was exciting, making the day very productive.

Unfortunately, the weather suddenly changed, and over the next two days, the activity slowed down.

The sky became cloudy, and the water got colder. Despite the bad conditions, I still managed to catch a few smaller fish. The Dynamite boilies had proven their worth, ensuring I didn’t leave empty-handed!

In the end, it was a fantastic fishing trip. The clean, clear water of the lake, the beautiful island, and the thrill of each catch made it memorable. Even with the challenging weather, the right bait and a good strategy made all the difference.

-Claudia

How to fish public carp lakes