A close look BELOW the surface of a carp lake

[@robbiecragg586]

Absolutely brilliant video matt, I remember having a conversation with you a few years back and your lake just keeps getting better and better. For me it is really the perfect lake, perfect setting and very natural. Keep doing what you are doing. One of the most interesting carp videos I have ever watched! Clear to see your love for it.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Robbie, thanks for the amazing feedback mate, it really is appreciated. Year on year we strive to make the place better and to learn even more. We really love what we do and sharing that passion with other anglers out there is a big part of it. Take care, Matt.

[@phil3038]

What an eye opener this was for me! One of the most educational video's I've seen on Carp behaviour

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much, it's always a big eye opener for me too each time we drain the lake.

[@cottrell2909]

One of the most informative videos I've seen on lake beds. I remember the one Simon Scott did on one of his stock ponds but this is another level. Thanks so much mate. A real eye opener 👍👍👍👌

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much for the feedback 👍 It's still fascinating for me after 10 years to see how the lakebed changes every few years.

[@aarandavidson6086]

Amazing video so much information to take to any water. I don't tend to fish silt beds much but after seeing this I'm deffo going to look harder to find the harder silt then soft and like you said accuracy is everything in carp fishing. It must be cool to actually see the lake drained and find the new feeding spots the carp are making

[@cns180784]

Great vid, informative and interesting. Especially where you can see the carp have dug up the bottom.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Cool, glad you enjoyed it. I've learnt a lot from seeing the lake bottom like this.

[@garethbaker3429]

Hi Matt, its great to see you looking well. Thanks for putting up this video, its amazing to see the bottom of the lake and it gives me a much better understanding of the lake and how to fish it. Please God we will see you next year!!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Gareth, how lovely to hear from you. Glad you enjoyed it, we spent hours walking the lakebed this winter! I’m praying hard that next year is the year! Take care, chat soon, Matt.

[@slevin421]

since i discovered the channel, all i can say is that it's super interesting to watch all your videos and i'm jealous, because that would be my dream job. so i understand very well that you love your job.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thank you very much 😊

[@martinwicks3127]

Really well explained. Just getting into carping after years of club match angling so this has really helped me understand what goes on below the surface.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

It's a fascinating sport, I hope you grow to love it as much as I have.

[@davidgrivvell9971]

That was a fantastic insight in lake bed sculpture. Thanks for your film. 👍👍. More to come I hope.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks for the support David. It was a great video to do for us as well! Yes, plenty of ideas in the pipeline 😊

[@leefrancis8952]

Fantastic work again Matt very informative 👍👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Cheers mate, much appreciated 👍

[@robertzalaru4418]

Fantastic job Matt !!! So much info !!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thank you! Glad that you enjoyed it. Have fun exploring the rest of the channel. Lots more to discover. Enjoy, Matt.

[@paulfreer1302]

I use your running inline rig now ever since i saw it on your channel. No problem what so ever. Wonderful hooking and safe. I use it for cats and carp in the uk. Thanks for all your great information on your channel

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Paul, thanks again for your fabulous comment of support. Glad my original trick inline rig is doing you proud! All the best, Matt.

[@milesrowlands141]

Really interesting watch and thanks for the effort that went into making this

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Miles, thanks for commenting. We really enjoy making these videos. This one did take more time than usual, there was so much to talk about and I think we left half of it out! It's all worth it though and great for us to get feedback from the carp angling community. Take care and have a great season. Cheers, Matt.

[@lukeframpton3671]

Brilliant gives me a better picture for when I come over really hope to make it this year

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Luke, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, plenty of food for thought and a better insight into the venue. We really do hope to see you later in the year. All the best, Matt.

[@condor1961]

I've just watched this video and again it was brilliant, and so interesting. It has give me some ideas to try once I get out again. Cheers Matthew. 👍🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

[@davec9515]

What an eye opener, Very well explained Great work.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much Dave 👍

[@markrobbins7043]

Thought it had been a while Matt😁. Excellent video as always thanks for uploading.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Mark, thanks for your patience 😁 It takes a bit of graft to put these together and this was one of our most ambitious videos. More on the way and I’ve got plenty of ideas!

[@julianspiteri9649]

Hi Matthew hope you and family been well and safe through this pandemic brilliant video yet again showing the key features of feeding areas keep it up pal all the best

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Julian, yes all good here and hope you're staying safe as well. Just focusing on making the place even better for when we can welcome guests again! Glad you enjoyed the video, it was a great one to do for us too. Cheers, Matt.

[@pedrolstation9159]

Fantastic, best vlog iv seen an iv watched some on carp fishing pal 👌👌

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for the awesome feedback! Glad you enjoyed it. Plenty more videos of ours to explore and more on the way! Cheers, Matt.

[@pedrolstation9159]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks for replying mate I'm going through them as we speak 👍👌

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@pedrolstation9159 Great mate, thanks for the support 👍 You can always drop me a question in the comments, happy to help if I can.

[@arwelthomas1486]

Another informative video from Matt. Really appreciate these no nonsense educations vids mate. Hoping I can fish this lake next year.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks for the feedback mate 👍 We really enjoyed making this one. If you ever want to plan a trip, just get in touch. Cheers, Matt

[@matthewcollinsangler]

✅ Watch next: Drain down surprises! 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZzZqqtsmLCrec0 Join me on my walk around the lake bottom at Beausoleil. I’ll show you where the carp feed, some of the features, and how location affects rig presentation. If you want to see how the features change over the years, check out this post: www.frenchcarpandcats.com/secrets-of-lakebed-carp-fishing/ Check out these blogs if you want to see what it takes to look after a carp lake: www.frenchcarpandcats.com/2014-2015-winter-lake-renovation-at-beausoleil/ www.frenchcarpandcats.com/whats-happening-this-winter-at-beausoleil/

[@craigevans3694]

Another great and interesting video

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Craig, thanks for commenting, glad that you liked it!

[@scottpeters5624]

Put this video with all you've said about accuracy, and it all makes sense, really fascinating video matt, can't wait for lockdown to end so I can try putting these tips into practice, Thanks for making and sharing. Real gem of a video 👍 👍 👍 👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Scott, thanks again for your support. I'm glad things are starting to knit together for you. You only get out of carp fishing what you put into it and the best anglers always put in the most effort. Happy exploring, Matt.

[@TController]

Sir, I know diddly squat about fishing, but your presentation was really educational. Thank you. Joe

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Glad you enjoyed it Joe 😊

[@grahamgfm]

Excellent info, well delivered .

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks Graham.

[@darrenapps708]

Great information video

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thank you

[@elgaoudy4255]

Greetings to you, Your Honor is a wonderful and beautiful forum, and I am one of your followers, and I learned everything about fishing from a long time ago

[@carnagegaming5188]

loved this video, great job

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks mate 👍

[@Mike33]

Thank you for the videos, one of a number of yours I've watched this evening and learnt a lot! 🙌

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Mike, thanks very much for commenting! Glad that you’ve been enjoying the channel. All the best with your adventures! Cheers, Matt.

[@LLCoolPeas]

Great insight! Was cool seeing some of the spots we had fished :D

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks mate, thought you might enjoy that 😉

[@LLCoolPeas]

@@matthewcollinsangler 😎😎😁

[@kevinallwright2522]

Brilliant film into the make up of your lake . were fish feed and areas fish don't small areas dug out next to the rock found this very interesting on the fish behaviour .

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Kevin, thanks for commenting! Glad that you enjoyed the video, yes it’s a real eye opener. Carp are just JCB’s with fins lol. All the best, Matt.

[@MartynsAnglingAdventures]

Always interesting to see what lakebeds are lake.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Martyn, thanks for commenting. Yes indeed! They’re all a bit different and they change all the time :)

[@dafarsher9738]

Really interesting video Matt! I shall think of it every time I am plumbing about this year I am sure it will stand me in good stead! I hope you had a helper with a rod and line measuring wraps and swim angles to the best spots! Best of luck for the year!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, glad you liked it. I have all the counts in my head already lol. A lot of these spots could only ever be fished to by boat anyway. Hope it helps bag a few extra this season. Cheers, Matt.

[@thecarptacklereviewer1344]

great video, very informative!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thank mate 😊

[@carpingwithcraigncf7287]

Excellent insight to the lake bed really good video 👍👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for commenting. I'm glad that you found the video interesting. It’s fascinating to see what’s gone on down there every two years. I can definitely correlate areas of excavation over spots where I see fish regularly show! Cheers, Matt.

[@carpingwithcraigncf7287]

@@matthewcollinsangler yeah it's real nice to see what a difference the carp make to the lake bed you can understand now how fishing a hard spot other than silt can be more productive cant belive how deep the silt was you had to walk through 😲 but yeah great video thanks for the upload 👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@carpingwithcraigncf7287 We have everything here from spots so hard you’d have to chisel them, to soupy gloopy horribleness 1m deep. It does get better over time though as we continue to treat it anually 🤞

[@AlexLifts1210]

Great watch

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks mate 👍

[@techd4743]

Wow very interesting. Nice educational video.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for the great feedback! Good to know that you got plenty from it. Cheers, Matt.

[@alessandrofoxint8252]

awsome video, very helpfull!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much 👍

[@chrissmith692]

Very interesting Matt, nice to see how the bottom of a lake is sculpted by the carp and how they feed, my local syndicate water has suffered this winter with the amount of rain and flooding we had, I done some leading around and found nothing but mud and soft silt will be interesting to find where the carp feed this year, Thanks for sharing.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Chris, thanks for commenting! The biggest feature on any lake is the margin. If it's looking a bit soft and horrible in the middle have a donk along the margins with a leading rod. You'll be amazed at what you can find. Best of luck, Matt.

[@mirceapeleanu]

Priceless information

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thank you very much 😊

[@official_unknowcarper6528]

This is excellent 👍 it's amazing what the carp get up to underwater isn't it, this is really opened my eyes and changed my thought process within fishing now! Thanks so much Matt top man thanks for the upload amazing!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks! That's great to hear. Carp are incredible creatures and they understand the lake bed far better than we could ever do. Catching them isn't that hard when you focus on where and when rather than the latest rig trend. Hope my insights help you up your catch rate. Cheers, Matt.

[@official_unknowcarper6528]

@@matthewcollinsangler yes they are incredible creatures! This is really great insight to contours of the lake and the carps home! This is the first video I've seen on something like this, I'm extremely grateful you took the time and effort to do this! I'm not fussed about the latest rigs and all of that rubbish! The rig I use for most of my fishing is the pour man's rig (multi rig) I don't pay any attention to all the lastest trends. Thanks once again brilliant watch and I've learned alot and this is definitely gonna help with me to telly up more with my quarry!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@official_unknowcarper6528 Hi mate, that's great to hear. I agree, the multi rig is a good rig. I used it for a good couple of years. I'm using my mono D a lot now just because I love it and mono is dirt cheap. I always have left over from spooling up that's no good for much else so it's kinda free lol. Have a great season. Matt.

[@horrorfreaklondon3037]

The line between success and failiure is a fine one. Always will be.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Absolutely mate 👍

[@Slack-lines]

I found this video.very informative ive been.fishing a very deep silted estate lake that dates back to the 8ce age after 2 years of fishing it 9nly managed to bank one fish and lost a couple its very hard to find a drop the only time I've got takes is when I've bought my leads back covered in bloodworm this video has given me a bit more info to try and unlock the lake a bit more just hard finding a decent drop

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for commenting and for sharing your experiences. Sounds like a proper head banger lol. We have various bloodworm beds here. The trouble is they are only actively fed upon for short periods of time. The carp know exactly when is the perfect time to harvest this naturally available food source. Different beds will be active at different times and for different durations. Beausoleil is relatively shallow. Our deepest section is only 2.5m. That makes identifying these active hot zones as I call them, relatively easy. I find that very early mornings are a great time to walk around and assess where the action is at its fullest. Underneath overhanging trees on the end of good wind is always a good bet. All the best in your search. Cheers, Matt.

[@maxball5705]

Great watch Matt, interesting as always and definitely food for thought about the spots to pick and explore. Hopefully this year covid and restrictions won't prevent us from coming over! i'm keeping everything crossed.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Max, glad you enjoyed it. You know some of these spots well 😉 We’re so looking forward to seeing you guys this year, all we can do is hope mate :)

[@kl4764]

Matt great video as always, can I ask why you drain the lake and is this a regular thing you do ?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks, glad you liked it. Yes, we do a partial drain down of the lake every 2 years. We do the netting of the fish to review stocks and re-balance the biomass. At the same time we remove fallen branches, get out as much leaf and heavy chod as possible and repair the swims. I also apply lime to the margins to treat the silt and accelerate its break down rate. All part of the job of owning a lake 😉

[@pja8773]

@@matthewcollinsangler Hi Matt, do you use any diggers or machinery to clean out the silt? Some parts of the lake look to have a very heavy silt build up.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@pja8773 Hi Paul, yes absolutely, we’ve had silt removed twice already. One year we had 3000 cubic meters of silt removed with a 30ft long reach excavator but we couldn't get it all due to access. We do everything we can each winter to continue to improve the lake bottom and water quality. We treat the silt with lime, we remove leaves and chod. Just me and a pitch fork lol but every little helps. Some areas have cleaned up real nice as you can see but we still have some progress to make. It’s a never ending job looking after a lake but we love it!

[@tommos16]

Unbelievable video!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Tom, I take it that you liked it then 😊

[@tommos16]

@@matthewcollinsangler brilliant bud! Really enjoyed it

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@tommos16 Cheers mate, we really enjoyed making it as well, I'd never seen so many new excavated features.

[@dface6447]

another great view of Carp world 😁 and how easy !! it is to get it badly wrong!,also i Very often fish inline leads,have done for 35+ years and they still work as good today as they did in 1980👍,also i find i very rarely (i mean VERY) lose a fish 👍,i can’t believe how many anglers lose so many fish?,be it Carp or anything + i hate the idea of dumping leads all over for many reasons 1 there’s no need 2 it’s so bad for the venue 3 cost !!.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Absolutely mate, couldn't agree more. Most of the anglers that come to the venue become converts!

[@danielwalker3535]

Hi mat,really like your videos mate but this one is a real eye opener😲the information you have given is proper education as how often do you see a dry lake bed! How did you drain the water out? And how do you refill it mate? Thanks very much Danboy🙏🏻

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks again for your awesome feedback! In France it's standard practice to drain and refill lakes. It's just good fishery management. We have an inflow that I can regulate that runs all winter so I can stop the flow temporarily. Then we have a monk which is a concrete pit with 60mm chestnut boards, 30cm tall, dropped into steel channels. These boards are lifted steadily, one at time to allow the water to flow out. That water passes through a massive concrete tube in the dam wall and then into what’s called the pecherie. This is a large concrete pit with a grill at the end. The grill stops fish flowing into the stream below. The grill is cleaned daily of leaf matter to drain the water away. It takes 2-3 to drain down, 1-2 weeks to refill. If you want to see what the process looks like, check out our netting video, I show the drain down at the beginning: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4Gvg3-Bo9Nnrtk 😊

[@danielwalker3535]

@@matthewcollinsangler thank you for that explanation mat👌that’s a precudure i never knew about and for you to do this for your fishery is fantastic fishery management so brilliant stuff mat👊

[@darrylclarkson1799]

Fantastic insight when a lake is drained, very interesting. Strange how they excavate some areas of silt and not others?? I would of cut those roots out of that hole like you did, excellent lake management. Is it an idea to get a machine in and actually remove the silt? Mark pitchers had to do it on his lake as it caused a fish kill. I absolutely must visit your lake one day.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Daryl, thanks for commenting! Means a lot to us. Carp have nutritional needs and are relentless in their search for it. Anaerobic silt doesn't contain much if any food but does harbour noxious gases so they stay away. Yes, we spend weeks removing all sorts of debris and snags off the lake bottom when the water level is down, all part of the job 😊. We got a digger in 6 years ago now to remove as much silt as we could but it just wasn’t possible to get all of it out. We can see the benefits to this day though.

[@derionanderun946]

love it, very interesting^^

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Glad you enjoyed it mate!

[@photoman3579]

Excellent...What is it Carp are looking for close to big rocks......what fauna hatch close to big rocks and why ??

[@matthewcollinsangler]

I’m not sure of the exact science but I do know that carp need minerals in their diet and there are loads of minerals near the surface around exposed rocks so I think that’s one of the explanations.

[@Offcut55]

Great vid a lot to think on certainly makes you think more about plumbing the water well?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Phillip, yeah it really does pay to put the effort into understanding the water, especially if you're going to spend some time on it. Whenever I visit somewhere new (even for a day session) I like to have a little lead about first, to get a lay of the land.

[@walkonwater2751]

Hi matt thank you for your video 1 question low weed can you fish with apva bag 😁

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, I’ve lobbed solid pva bags into weed 5ft deep and caught. As long as I feel the bag touch bottom, I’m confident of a bite. If you haven’t seen it, I’ve done a video on solid bags with my go-to rig: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioGmp3iooax6kJI. Cheers, Matt

[@gazwoods7026]

Hiya Matthew, couldn't you fish a chod over the silt or would you only do that if you couldn't find a better option?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Gaz, that’s a great question mate and to be honest it would depend on how much time I had. If I was on a session and I knew where they were I would row out and try and find a hole in the silt to bait. If I only had a few hours and fancied a roll of the dice then yes I would consider wanging a popup at them and yes the chod is a good option in this type of situation. Hope that helps, Cheers, Matt.

[@edenpeanut]

Very informative Matthew, awesome to see how a lake bed looks like. Makes me think bout my own fishing here in holland. Question tho. When you drain the lake, where does all the water go? And to refill the lake, where does the water come from? Final question, where do the fish go when the lake is fully drained, or is there still some water left where the fish can hold up?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Edwin, thanks for the feedback and I’m glad that you enjoyed the video. We have an inlet stream at one end and an outlet stream at the other which is controlled by boards. Except during very dry weather, we have water flowing in at one end of the lake and out the other end. When we drain the lake, the water flows out into another stream that feeds another lake further along. We only remove enough water to net the lake and leave enough for the fish to move and be safe. We do this in the winter as well when they are much less active. Once the netting is done, we put the boards back and wait for the level to rise again. If we have a lot of rain, we can be full in a week but sometimes it can take 3-4 weeks to re-fill. Cheers, Matt.

[@edenpeanut]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks for you’re reply, and for the answers to my questions. Well explained.

[@azaz...]

I'm beginning to make my own boilies , what do you think about garlic powder and custard powder in the mix?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

I have garlic flakes added to one of our mixes. That was the recommendation from my bait guy. Don't know why it's better than powder. Never used custard powder myself. I'm no expert on bait ingredients really. I prefer to rely on a bait specialist to design mixes for us. Carp can be caught on just about anything really. If you can talk to a bait ingredient supplier, they'll help you better than me. Have fun with it, Matt.

[@azaz...]

@@matthewcollinsangler many thanks

[@johnmeuldijk8919]

Matt great to watch the videos u making! Still learning alot from this kinds of videos. I have an question.... Some holes I find on other waters are very deep like some on your lake. But the hole that I have seen was verry deep and very slippery. It was near the edge of the lake and the botten of that area was silt. Is it likely that the carp is feeding there or just use this kind of holes to lay or rub?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi John, glad that you found it insightful. I would say that that's a rubbing spot rather than a feeding spot. I've not found one at Beau but I've fished other waters where the carp rub the clay on their bodies to help scrub off parasites. I'd still fish a hole like this though. No reason why it shouldn't produce. Best of luck, Matt.

[@del69raptorking]

Great insight as to how the bottom looks like, would your know if anaerobic silt gives off gas ie bubbles in the same spot or is it something else?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for the feedback. If you regularly see bubbles come up in the same spot then it's probably gases seeping from an underground spring and not the result of feeding fish. We have a few springs like that here. Whenever you see bubbles come up in multiple locations this is feeding activity from fish. Anaerobic silt contains gases such as hydrogen sulphide and methane. That's the rotten egg smell you get.

[@del69raptorking]

@@matthewcollinsangler Cheers for that Matthew, would you fish silky smooth silt if the lead came back smelling ok

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@del69raptorking Hi mate, yes silky smooth silk is the good stuff! It's aerobic and full of life. It's usually slightly lower than the surrounding area too which is always a bonus. Best of luck, Matt.

[@jamesnelson5110]

I never thought of carp as worth fishing. Never heard they were worth eating. Very few other fish can survive in watercourse where they live. Obviously a managed fish pond with proper management is a game changer

[@azaz...]

what are carps ultimate natural food?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, carp are omnivores i.e. they eat anything, animal, mineral, vegetable. There's not one thing they prefer. They need a varied diet to sustain their needs which is why bait science is complicated! I always buy HNV (high nutritional value ) bait or bait ingredients. That way I know the carp are getting what they need :)

[@djscootmotns6431]

that was such a good watch, all them old rigs around the bridge made me feel sick though :(

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for your support. Yeah, lost gear is like the elephant in the room of carp fishing. Everyone knows it's there but no-one wants to talk about it. Carp fishing is a lifelong passion for me and carp safety should be the most important part of our sport. If you haven’t seen it, watch my video on lead clips and you'll see why I don't like them or use them if at all possible: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2e6emmPZtSSjs0. Cheers, Matt.

[@djscootmotns6431]

@@matthewcollinsangler i did watch it i watched a few after i seen this one, great channel mate, will be watching a good few of them, look forward to more content 🙌🏽 cheers mate

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@djscootmotns6431 Great to hear mate, thanks for the support 👍

[@theofarmmanager267]

From someone who doesn’t carp fish. Why don’t you introduce more rocks and dig out the horrible glup? I’m sure there must be good reasons and just asking genuine questions?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Theo, in an ideal world, we would love to remove 100% of the silt in the lake. For us, it was not possible. What we’ve managed to do is remove over 3000m3 of it about 6 years ago and we had the digger in again last winter to take some more out. Then we do other things to slow down the accumulation of silt: we add oxygenation to help the break down of organic matter, we remove deciduous trees, we treat the silt that’s still there, we filter the water coming in the lake. This is the path we’ve chosen and our aim is to make the lake better for the fish and the ecosystem year on year. Rocks are a fishing hazard as they increase the risk of line cut offs and we don’t need to add any. If you haven’t seen it, you may be interested in this video which we did this winter that goes into more detail of how we manage our lake: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZzZqqtsmLCrec0. Thanks for the question, cheers, Matt.

[@theofarmmanager267]

@@matthewcollinsangler thank you for such a comprehensive reply. I stumbled across your channel a few weeks ago and have been watching your catalogue steadily. I’m a fly fisherman who now only fishes on a river here in Kent (although we have a house in Australia and go every year. Out there, I fish sea and rivers; the carp over there is an offical pest and it’s actually illegal to return a carp that you have caught back to the river). Our river is quite wild and overgrown in places; it makes for difficult but interesting fishing having to use a load of guile and technique to get to where the trout might be. I did fish several times on the iconic Test. It’s a beautiful river but the banks are so prepared for you that it’s relatively easy fishing.

[@phil3038]

Completely unrelated, but I've got huge Crayfish issues, a standard pop up or bottom bait is gone in minutes, korda, Gardner bait protector gets destroyed in a few hours, stoped using boiles and switched to a tiger nut topped with buoyant fake corn to pop it up, apparently this would work ,used an extender stop so they can't remove the bait stop easily, checked after couple of hours and only the fake corn remained, I feel as if they latch onto my hookbait in seconds and hold it in their claws, mess about with it trying to get the bait free, preventing the carp getting a chance to take my bait, I'm running out of ideas, and confidence, how high could realistically pop the bait up for it to be effective for the carp? Is there any bait that crayfish leave alone? Bearing in mind I have to use large baits to avoid the huge numbers of small carp, Amy tips or strategy's would be really appreciated, so frustrating when everything I try doesn't stop them!!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Phil, wow, that’s a bit of a challenge! Here are some thoughts…. I’d use a heavy duty mono rig with 0.50 mono (I haven’t done a full how to on this rig yet but here’s a quick overview: kzbin.infoCh032Nsihcc) and I’d mount double tigers on a metal bait screw. Freebies would be 100% vegetarian so particles only and/or veggie pellets. I’ve done that at my lake, not against crays but against small cats and it’s worked great. I wouldn’t use any boilies at all because the crays are attracted to the oils. Other option is wooden balls soaked in flavour, never tried this myself. If the lake is very clear, then I’d fish zigs. Food for thought I hope. Cheers, Matt

[@peter1873]

Hi Mr Collins.. A few years back i slaughtered as few wild carp for my friend for the eating that we caught in a river..,they were between 5 and 7 kilos.. I was surprised to see that the main food at the time in their "stomach tube" was bloodworms and crushed freshwater mussels.. Have u ever opened a fish to see what it eats?.. Thanx and cheers

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Peter, no I’ve never opened a carp. They are omnivore so eat whatever they can get. I’m not surprised you found bloodworms and mussels, it’s a great source of protein for them. Cheers, Matt

[@stewartbonner]

Here in Canada those carp are called 'suckers' and are not fished for. They are considered garbage bottom feeders and uneatable. They are also a pest as they eat trout fry. Cut up for bait the trout love it but if you are caught using sucker meat for bait your fishing gear, boat, vehicle, will be confiscated and a heavy fine imposed.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks for the background, very different indeed.

[@connorscoarsefishingjourne7680]

I’m a match man and how we get a bite I’ll never know seeing the bottom

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for commenting. Yes, complicated places lakes lol. I’ve not seen a match lake drained but I suspect that there is a large clear area, directly in front of every swim, that’s been created by anglers constantly applying bait. It’s a good thing actually. Yes the fish know that the risks of getting caught are higher here but they also know there’s a constant supply of food. If the stocking density is right then they’ll eat anything. Cheers, Matt.

[@julien1]

that gravel is where they lay their eggs, they clean it with their tails.

[@alsoknOwnAs4]

Seeing them shoddy rigs tangled was naughty.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

That’s the reality of any lake where anglers fish mate. I clean ours out every two years.

[@leemanton4994]

Some miss information regarding feeding craters and water table/spring points

[@Spartan129]

Slack lines then

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Yes mate, slacklines work well here but sometimes that’s not enough. Sometimes I’ll add flying backleads or even double backleads (only small ones) to get the line lay right to a spot.

[@leemanton4994]

The more I watch the more I question

[@Loonstadk]

good stuff, this seems like cheating how would one find perfect spots at there local place without emptying it? i.e rocks under water, depressions, feeding spots etc?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

If the margins are shallow, I’d use a set of waders. In deeper water, I’d use a rowing boat and prodding pole. Failing that, I’d use a leading road and marker float. I’ve done a video on that: How to find those MAGIC spots with a lead and a marker rod kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHW9fH1mqdSenLc Hope that helps.

[@roccomoss35]

Hi Matt sry why is your lake drained ? 🤪

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Paul, the main reason is stock management and we also use that time to make swim repairs etc. With the temperatures being cold, it's also a way to sanitise the lake bottom.

[@garykalasa4189]

Here in the states we have all the invasive Asian carp you might want. We may even pay you to take them. We love to hate them.

[@douglasteske9581]

I watched that whole vid., and didn't see 1 fish, very dissapointing

[@matthewcollinsangler]

I show my carp in the other videos 😊

[@GwenGamble-u9v]

Brilliant!!! That was the most fascinating insight of a lake bed and all that it can hold although at one point i really expected you to walk out of your wellies 😅🧓

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks mate! Yeah, so did I tbh 😊 If you haven't seen it, I've done another 'behind the scenes' of a fishery here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZzZqqtsmLCrec0. And there will be a follow up in the new year 😊

[@cameroncameron2826]

This is what the bottom of a carp like looks like when managed by a nonsensical by a scorched earth policy. Btw - thats where 'carp eat' when there is no quality aquatic environment n existence in a pathetic hole in the ground being cleansed on a regular basis. = they just eat out of survival and lack of choice. 'A rock' in open water around which the fish excavate a feeding hole etc ? Talk about a desperate set of management misconceptions !!!

[@grindocracy6866]

I always wondered: can carps eat mussels? I know mussels can be very good baits for many types of fishes. But actually... how do they eat them? (hard shells)

[@matthewcollinsangler]

I’ve actually found mussel shell bits in carp poo before (when the carp was on the mat), so yes, they can eat them and crush them with their throat teeth.

[@grindocracy6866]

@@matthewcollinsangler Thank you very much for your answer! :)

[@will.s4611]

you can tell this guy doesn't work in mm's lol