How to find those MAGIC spots with a lead and a marker rod

Here’s how to set up a rod for feature finding with a lead, and use it to place your rigs accurately.
✳️ Watch next: Spod and marker combo 👉 • Stop Carrying 3 Rods E...
For a leading rod setup, it’s important to swap your mono for braid. The reason why I use a leading rod probably more than a marker rod is that a leading rod setup is more sensitive. When I cast a leading rod around, I can feel all the different nuances of the lake bed. You can easily tell the difference between very clean gravel, slightly dirty gravel, firm silt, soft silt or weed, you can feel everything.
More from CARP FISHING EXPLAINED:
1️⃣ Spod and marker rod combo: • Stop Carrying 3 Rods E...
2️⃣ The perfect rod setup: • Have Total CONFIDENCE ...
3️⃣ Find lake features with a marker float: • How to Find the BEST F...
🎣 My current setup:
Dwarf 9ft 3.25lb rods: amzn.to/3Ri3uw1
Shimano Ultegra CI4+ 14,000 XTC: amzn.to/3AQF1bK
R3 alarms: amzn.to/3KlXu30
Dwarf landing net: amzn.to/3RhoeUm
Mainline: Bullet amzn.to/3PWzkgK
Braid: Armourlink amzn.to/3AsEjzQ
Cling-On leader: amzn.to/3RbwJ3j
Nash Titan T1: amzn.to/3QUL58I
Subterfuge work box: amzn.to/3ASyn4J
Magnetic bivvy tray: amzn.to/3pNUqDe
Scope Ops Ruckall: amzn.to/3AU45i4
Scopex Squid 18mm boilies 5kg: amzn.to/3CCMnRf
☎️ Connect with me:
Filmed at my lake, Beausoleil Carp and Cats: www.frenchcarp...
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IG: / matt_collins_carper
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#matthewcollins #featurefinding #carpfishingexplained

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Watch next: How to set up and use a marker float: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anOqn6hpe7BpodU

[@jonascolton1073]

I dont mean to be off topic but does anyone know of a tool to get back into an instagram account?? I was stupid lost the account password. I would love any tricks you can offer me.

[@mauriciootis9746]

@Jonas Colton Instablaster :)

[@jonascolton1073]

@Mauricio Otis I really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and I'm in the hacking process now. Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@jonascolton1073]

@Mauricio Otis It did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thank you so much you saved my account !

[@mauriciootis9746]

@Jonas Colton You are welcome =)

[@azaz...]

hands down the best carp tutorial channel on youtube , simple to the point no flash music etc, fella deserves more subs.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks again for your kind words of support, means a lot. Cheers, Matt.

[@AndrewLomax80]

Well said Sir

[@AndrewLomax80]

Some damn fine camera work too may I add

[@scottpeters5624]

Gona start calling you "matt Collins" the ronseal man, as you do what it says on the can, simple, clear explanation of what to do, simply brilliant, thanks for making and sharing

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Scott, I like it 😂 Thanks so much for your feedback and kind words of support. Every comment helps build the channel and spurs us on to do more! Best regards, Matt.

[@AndrewLomax80]

Thanks as always Matt, I'm into my second year fishing for carp now and I'm improving a lot with your advice. Please make more videos, I'm sure I speak for a lot of people when I say your content is brilliant. All the best as always, Andy

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Andy, thanks as always for your amazing comments of support mate. We've had the opportunity to make a few films this year again and we aim to publish one a month for the foreseeable future. If you have an idea for a video please share as we are always interested in new content ideas. Anything you can do to share links to our channel or videos via social media would be greatly appreciated. Best regards mate and happy to be part of your fishing journey. Cheers, Matt.

[@AndrewLomax80]

Much appreciated mate,i recommend you to everyone I know who need tips

[@shaunsahobo]

One of if not the best advice on KZbin. 3 weeks in and not one dislike!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Matt, thanks for the support! If you have any questions on anything you've watched, do leave a comment. More videos coming soon! Cheers, Matt.

[@tonystout4546]

Thank you for telling me how to use leading and marker rod setups been carp fishing just under a year now have got really into it and its nice you explain clearly without a lot of the rubbish that other videos have i'm glad i've found these videos. thanks tony

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Tony, thanks very much for commenting. It’s great to know that you have been enjoying our work. We’ve filmed another video about how to set up one rod for three jobs (leading, marker and spod) so I’m sure you’ll find that useful when it’s launched. We’ve also got a new one out today to help you get those early season bites. Have a great season! Cheers, Matt.

[@Mylo831]

Brilliant video Matt. Would love to hear your thoughts on watercraft and the process of improving as an angler. A video on that discussing watercraft, approaching various venues etc would be awesome if you ever get the chance

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Phil, thanks again for your awesome feedback! Very interesting topic watercraft and tricky, I’ll think about it. TBH I don't really rate myself as having good watercraft. I keep a close eye on the weather and focus my efforts around weather windows. I put my effort in rig prep and bait application. Confidence is key in this game and it’s built over many years. When fishing a new water I can struggle with confidence, it's something I need to work on. The very best anglers (I'm not one of them but I'm lucky enough to have fished with a few) know they can catch any carp from any lake. I'm still working towards this goal. I will try and incorporate some more of this aspect of our sport into future videos, thanks.

[@Mylo831]

@@matthewcollinsangler excellent reply 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

[@shaunkeough3969]

Very helpful info and couldnt have been done better.would be great if could do a video on weedy lakes in term of after finding a clear and how you would do line lay if lots of weed between rods and spot fishing.👌

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Shaun, thanks for your comment and for the suggestion. I have spent some time on weedy lakes. A leading rod can be really useful in this situation as it’s easier to tell the difference between low weed and thick weed. It’s all about feeling the drop. I wouldn't bother pulling back much as you’ll just be pulling the lead into weed. If the weed is heavy, marker floats are worse than useless. I’d use the leading rod to have a donk about to see if I can find an area where I can reliably get some kind of donk. I also found that when winding in I’d get strands of canadian etc. on the lead. If the strands were 3ft long I’d try somewhere else but 12” to 18” is fisheable. Anyway, we’ll add this to the video plan 😊 Cheers, Matt.

[@shaunkeough3969]

Thanks for that's top man and looking forward to more👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@shaunkeough3969 Thanks Shaun, there's quite a few in the pipeline 😉

[@ashleyknight29_]

Excellent video as always, very descriptive and educational😁🎣

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks Ashley 😊 glad you found it useful. When the weather warms up good luck finding those magic spots 😉 Cheers, Matt.

[@ashleyknight29_]

@@matthewcollinsangler I got 2 day sessions next week so hopefully find some lovely spots and get my first carp of the year☺️👍🏼

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@ashleyknight29_ Nice mate! Good plan. With the cold snap we've had recently, target an area that gets some sun. All you need is a single or a little PVA trap 😉

[@ashleyknight29_]

@@matthewcollinsangler Gonna fish 3 different methods, one single, one with a pva mesh bag of groundbait threaded on and one with an old school stringer style of boilies see what does the business! Tight lines pal🎣☺️

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@ashleyknight29_ Yeah nice mate, anything like that will work if you get your timing and location right 😉

[@sheetmalone2413]

you deserve a few more subscribers brah

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much 😊

[@sp1m368]

Hi Matt, hope you are well. Loving the videos. When will you be uploading a video on using a single rod for marker, leading and spoding? Sam 🎣

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Sam, I’ll have a word with the Mrs and see if I can bump it up the schedule! 😊

[@sp1m368]

@@matthewcollinsangler that would be great! 😊

[@bostjanflis6266]

Hello Matthew. KZbin videos are brilliant. Thank you. Could you please explain how to best approach short time sessions like dawn to dusk. Tight lines!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi! Thanks very much for your amazing feedback. I do a lot of short sessions, mainly river carping. The secret to success is preparation. You need to take only what you need and your gear needs to be optimised for portability. From rods to luggage there are some great options out there nowadays and you don’t need to spend big money. I’m a big fan of the Nash Dwarf range. Find the features before you fish, not during the session. When you arrive you should have everything set up just right so you can cast out, hit your marks and be fishing very quickly. PVA crumb stick and a few boilies over the top and that’s it. Keep your rigs simple. I use mono rigs on the river tied with 30lbs (0.50) heavy duty mono snag leader. I also use multi rigs made with 35lb Skinlink (unstripped). Size 6 chod Twisters work with both. Pre-baiting is essential for regular success. I use a lot of Candy Nut Crush, it’s a very effective bait and good value for money. I hope those tips help. Cheers, Matt.

[@bostjanflis6266]

Thank you very much, Matthew. Without you my carp fishing would not be the same. From my experience the weather has a big impact. During half a day sessions I expect only two active peroids, each up to one hour max. with few exceptions in spring and autumn mainly. Thank you once more, tight lines and kind regars from Slovenia.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@bostjanflis6266 Wow, that’s fantastic to hear mate. Yes, I agree the weather is everything, so is timing! We certainly see the best bite times change during the year as well.

[@youknowthis69]

Hi Matt , I’ve not done much of this before but having just joined a club I will need to start if I’m going to learn the waters. I’ve a very old 2.75lbs rod. Would that do the job or would it be too sensitive/weak if it gets stuck in heavier weed etc?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, as long as it can cast a lead as far as you need then I’m sure it will be fine. 2.75 rods tend to be a bit soft and soggy and not great at sending much feedback through mono but load up with some braid, and you should be good to go. It’ll certainly tell you a lot more than any rod spooled up with mono. Zip or distance leads would be your best choice for weed. Keep the lead as small as possible for the distance you need. Zip leads are very streamlined so there’s not much for the weed to grab hold of. If the weed is bad, then drawing back the lead over a long distance isn't the way to go. You’ll get better results by casting about and feeling for a drop, then drawing back very slowly just a metre or so. I’m sure you’ll soon be able to identify some interesting areas to target. Best of luck, Matt.

[@zaccbrennan]

Class vidoe matt yet again nice one pal

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for the feedback! Glad you’re enjoying the channel 😊 All the best with your fishing. Cheers, Matt.

[@davec9515]

Hi Matt, I've been fishing the same lake for about six years.in the beginning fishing was good then the lake was reshaped over a two-year period.fishing as not been the same nice,would this have an effect even two or three seasons later.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Dave. Normally re-shaping or contouring of a lake brings only benefits in terms of the quality of the fishing so to be honest I’m at a bit of a loss. Were the fish removed during this process? Fish do not like having their home dug up when they are there. The other issue is one of line lay. It’s harder to conceal your line after a dig out and pinpoint rig placement is required. The process also exposes gravel and rocks which destroy hooks so you might not be able to get away with the practices that used to be successful there. Hope that gives you some food for thought. Cheers, Matt.

[@davec9515]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks Matt the fish were still in the lake at the time.taking on board what you've said thanks again 👍

[@LeeS-wk9vc]

I use 20lb line matt with a 0.38 diameter. I have a few spare spools, I can load up with braid so I can use one as a leading rod etc to find some spots. I’m confused about 2 things… braid diameter number one… if I use thin braid won’t this outcast my mainline in some way or another should I use matching like a 50lb braid with a 0.32mm diameter. My second being if mono has stretch how much should I be allowing give or take when I have found my hard spot I want to fish if the mono is stretchier then the braid? Hope I’ve been clear enough and appreciate any information and answers you can provide me. Thanks Lee

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Lee, it doesn't really matter what diameter braid you use as long as you can cast it far enough. 50lbs (0.32) is a good choice, solid and robust and you won’t need to add a casting leader to it. At the minute I’m using the Nash spod/marker braid with a braided 30lbs leader to match. This might seem like overkill as the braided line is rated at 25lbs but it’s only 0.18 (very thin) and you need to add a casting leader or it will snap pretty easily. I don’t worry that this setup is much thinner than my current mainline of choice which is the 12lbs Bullet (0.33). I totally understand your concern about the difference in stretch between the two materials but I can assure you it’s not an issue and I don’t worry about it. What you have to remember is that when you wrap mono out using distance sticks you don’t stretch the line. Sure it’s extended straight but not stretched. When you wrap the braid it’s the same distance. Under zero tension the two lines are the same length. When you cast and hit the clip, both materials are momentarily under tension and then they relax to a zero stretch state when they are on the spot. And the rod is held with no bend in the tip. The two lines and therefore leads are the same distance from you as long as you’ve hit the clip with the same (ish) force and hold the rod in the same position so there is no allowance or adjustment to make. I hope that makes sense! Cheers, Matt.

[@LeeS-wk9vc]

Thank you Matt for your advice and response I appreciate it. Top man

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@LeeS-wk9vc No worries mate, happy to help 👍

[@t-a5986]

Matt, Not strictly related to this video at all but what is the hook sharpener you use on your other videos , got the Nash file not a massive fan

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, Here’s what I use for my hook sharpening: Vallorbe Swiss hand file: www.axminstertools.com/vallorbe-swiss-hand-files-ax22596?glCountry=GB&glCurrency=GBP Slipstone: www.axminstertools.com/traditional-shaped-water-slip-stones-ax23399?glCountry=GB&glCurrency=GBP Jag Products vice: www.jagproducts.co.uk/product-page/sp-vice Nash pinpoint LED eye glass: amzn.to/3ASNMlv Cheers, Matt

[@thomastester]

I have a question are there clean spots in every lake with carp in ? The reason i ask are all the lakes i fish are heavy silt

[@matthewcollinsangler]

I can guarantee that every lake contains clean spots. It's just that finding them and differentiating them from everything else is much harder. If you haven’t seen them, I’ve done a couple of videos when I’ve drained down my lake that show what the carp do in silty lakes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZomtoImPq8Slf80 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZzZqqtsmLCrec0 Cheers, Matt

[@thomastester]

@@matthewcollinsangler amazing thankyou for the reply I'll have a play and see if I can find something over the next couple days. The videos are great btw new subscriber here 💪

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@thomastester Great, thanks for subscribing and let me know if you have other questions 👍

[@sp1m368]

Hi Matt! I have a 10ft 4.5lb Nash H-gun rod and H-gun reel, what braid would you recommend using for a combined leading rod and marker rod? TIA :)

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Sam, I’ve recently spooled up a 3.5lb 10ft x-series with the Nash spod/marker braid and that works well. You’ll need to add a braided shock leader though to protect it from the casting load. If you try without one you’ll have problems. I put the Nash 50lb braided leader on mine but the knot is a little on the large size. I’d try the 30lb version. We’ll be launching a new video on this exact topic so keep an eye out for that 😉Cheers, Matt.

[@sp1m368]

@@matthewcollinsangler can’t wait to see the new video. Would this rod and set up be okay if I decided to use it as a spoding rod too? Hoping I can use the same set up on my Nash H-Gun for leading, marker and spoding, to save me some pennies

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@sp1m368 Yes absolutely, your 4.5lb rod will do all three jobs very well. Better than my 3.5lb X-series actually. I went with a 3.5lb version because I don’t do much spodding. It will do it but I’ll be limited to spod, size, weight and range. And this is what this future video is all about, one rod for three jobs!

[@sp1m368]

@@matthewcollinsangler perfect thanks again 🐠

[@rodionpavlenko4680]

so the magic spot is a gravel pit between silt?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

There's no magic spot... some days you want to be on the hard spots, some days on the soft spots, other times somewhere in between. That's the mystery of carp fishing! As long as you know what spot is working or not, that helps you make better decisions for your session.

[@rodionpavlenko4680]

thank you@@matthewcollinsangler

[@harveyhouse9652]

so do you want to be on hard ground or on the parts where it meets silt

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, that’s a great question! Well some days you’ll get more bites on the rock hard bits, other days you need to be in the transition zone between the hard and the soft. What’s important is that you know where you’re fishing and what’s working on the day so you can reposition other rods to capitalise. Best of luck, Matt.

[@harveyhouse9652]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks for the reply, spent an hour or two last night going through all these videos i had my first session saturday and they’ve made it very clear what i should be doing and can’t wait to try it again this weekend. Thank you again

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@harveyhouse9652 No worries mate, it’s great to know that we’re helping to get you off on the right foot! Cheers, Matt.

[@harveyhouse9652]

@@matthewcollinsangler not sure if you’ve done a video on this but i’m not too sure what length rod i should buy. i’m only getting one so is there a good all rounder to start with?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@harveyhouse9652 That's a very good question and will definitely be the topic of a video at some point in the future! 20 years ago when I was getting back into carp fishing, the answer would have been very simple: 12ft rods have always been the generally accepted "normal" length. Nowadays things have changed. Shorter rods are easier to handle and therefore quicker to learn. Advances in technology mean that a 9-10ft rod is still capable of casting a lead a very long way. They are also better suited to the small lakes that most of us start learning on. They are also better suited to fishing at close range underneath tree cover. Unless you're fishing massive lakes I would advise to go with a 9-10ft rod. Cheers, Matt.

[@leehoward8570]

Ok if you dont mind scaring the fish/putting them on edge before u start fishing the spooked spots.

[@coreydalton-thorp1656]

It can help attract them some times when fish sense things hitting the water

[@self-preservationsociety7057]

I love fishing on a quite spot and have an angler in the next swim come along and start chucking a lead around , I get why he’s doing it though