How To Set Your Lines When Carp Fishing - EXPLAINED!

Fishing with tight lines improves bite indication, but slack lines are less likely to scare fish! Here's what I do...
I created Fishing Tutorials to help people learn about fishing and catch more fish! Watch big films on my main channel: @fishwithcarl
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[@fishingtutorials]

Hi! To improve your carp fishing and catch more fish, check out my Simple Fishing Guidebook! With 100 pages of tips, rigs, knots, bait advice and 21 in-depth species guides, you’ll definitely improve your knowledge and skills. Get yours here: fishwithcarl.co.uk/products/the-simple-fishing-guidebook

[@Phrew]

I've fished a tiny private lake last november and I've put out two rods, pulling the lines tight. I've been getting a ton of little nibbles and both rods tips were bent making me jump for them quite often. But I couldn't get one hook set in quite a lot of pulls. Then a guy who knew the lake better told me to slacken up my lines cause the carp were quite skittish, which I did. Got a bite a minute later and pulled out the one sturgeon they had in the lake. After putting it back I've recast both rods, got a bite on one after two minutes, pulled out my first ever carp. While I was handling that, another bit on the second rod which I also successfully landed.

[@colinwood7020]

I'm a Carp and to be honest I don't care if the line is tight or slack, I just look at the bait and if I fancy it i go for it.

[@CGfishing]

Thanks for making this video! Wasn't looking for a video like this, but I showed up and made me wonder which one is better. I usually fish with slack lines. I don't use bite alarms, so I sit there and watch my line and wait for something to start pulling out the slack. I also don't use the average carp tackle. I like to use bass fishing spinning combos. I also don't catch very big carp compared to what you catch(still looking for a double digit), but it makes for a fun fight. This channel has helped me a lot carp fishing wise. I also love watching your other channel, Fish With Carl. I live in Texas, so when I tell other fishermen that I like carp fishing, I usually get a negative response. Not stopping me though! I fish for every type of fish I can catch whether people like it or not!

[@sifishes]

Top tips. Even though I have some experience in fishing with slack, tight, and back leads I still like to here people discuss and give their knowledge on the subject. Thankyou! Top tips! 🎣🎣🎣

[@jrlandrews20]

Finally my prayers have been answered, great job Carl keep this up dude

[@lucamulholland-llado5332]

Especially for fishing very large lakes,this is ideal advice. Have a great day😄

[@lucamulholland-llado5332]

fishing tutorials always is able to make my day 10 times better

[@robvercouteren]

I've fished so many lakes in so many different seasons and there is no right or wrong. When the fish are hungry and the time is right you will catch them. We caught them with lines as tight as guitar strings with a break line attached to a branch like fishing on catfish and we caught them with slack lines. When fishing under your rod tips just use a bit of slack and use hangers instead of swingers or springers and when fishing out 300+ meters (300+ yards) use a tight line and make sure the last few meters are flat on the bottom. This gives another dimension to " tight lines " yo :)

[@simonburt947]

I fished as a kid with my Dad..then after lockdown went on a UK holiday in 2021 that had a fishing lake...having not a clue I found Fishing tutorials. Now 2023 I have had no other instruction than Carl (Alex) I now have x2 feeder rods, float rod, predator rod, x2 carp rods, rod pod etc. Learnt from the channel, started with float fishing then method feeder, moved onto PVA mesh and now bags...I love surface fishing for Carp too...Landed my biggest carp today. Keep up the good work Carl. And in a baffling amount of fishing gear available use the same gear as you guys - which isn't a AD for sponsors - it is just easy for a beginner to go out and get the same gear....splicing my own leader this year felt amazing. Thanks!

[@leonardhpls6]

That's sad 😂 you really bought into the tackle hype.

[@trevorcornes1056]

Great video Carl ,well explained . Really good information for new and old people to Fishing .

[@fishingtutorials]

Thanks Trevor, glad to hear you feel it was clear :) 👍

[@woodley_carping]

I learn something new with every video of yours mate. Keep up the great work 👍

[@fishingtutorials]

Glad to hear that James! Cheers mate :)

[@speky7729]

Love videos like this keep going Carl Ur the whole reason I got into fishing

[@fishingtutorials]

Glad to hear it! :) Thanks mate!

[@oliverveale6322]

your main channel is good to see what fishing adventure's you go on but this channel helps me to catch more- bigger fish thank you

[@fishingtutorials]

Awesome to hear that! Thank you!

[@cliffdixon6422]

Sage advice, I usually fish tight but you have given me food for thought on my margin fishing (Where I pick up the majority of my fish). A very capable Carp angler I know uses a Polaris float close in, reckons the indication is better than with an alarm, tried it for the first time last week but ended up with a load of Bream instead!

[@Gypsyking2024]

Met you at the Big One angling show if you remember the old guy who calls himself the Crazy Carper well went to Swsnsborough near Lewes on Easter Monday used tight lines and caught two 20 lb plus Carp not bad for a place I've never fished before. Crazy Carper

[@gruffersg2902]

Another great video with sage advice keep it up mate 👍👍👍

[@fishingtutorials]

You're welcome :) Thank you mate

[@NairdA1983]

That's why I like the "middle ground" and I'm using backdrop leads 😁

[@sturoe7361]

Have always fished tight lines with a back lead, but can see where and when I should have used a slack line. Live and learn.

[@fishingtutorials]

There's no rules in fishing, if it works, it works!!! Perhaps there was times a slack line could have helped, but others when you needed that tight line to see bites, or keep the fish away from snags! :) Tight lines mate!

[@bashab3098]

The key is to let your line sink , this will take longer than you think , then tighten up , you can help with this by selecting a fast sinking heavy leader that will pin your line to the bottom, similarly fish to a clip or stop the line with your finger at the end of your cast will ensure a more direct line from leader to rod . Finally in and around snags the fish are bumping into lots of debris in the water and by putting bait into the snags you can ensure they become used to feeding like this so your line just becomes another twig or reed stem .

[@dcdfm18bf18]

Well explained information, looking to fish more and this really helps :)

[@fishingtutorials]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@deedontworry]

Brilliant! Thank you Carl! ✊🎣

[@fishingtutorials]

You're welcome!

[@danishrizwan3532]

Thanks for the informative video❤❤❤❤

[@fishingtutorials]

Pleasure :)

[@fishingwithlance__]

Yes... Mate nice video 🔥🔥👍👍🎣🎣

[@fishingtutorials]

Thanks Lance! 👍

[@hatchie61fish-on29]

Nice tip thank you I'm still learning

[@fishingtutorials]

No problem! You're welcome 👍

[@robgood719]

Should watch the rob Hughes under water video on slack and tight lines now that is interesting

[@anavitez8019]

hi carl im a huge fan from slovenia i would like to recomend slovenia if you are looking for a place to fish in the beggining slovenia is top 5 country for carp fishing i wil always watch ur videos as soon you upload them

[@carptoons]

i do have to agree with the fishing to snags 100% tie lines and locked up for fish safety and at any short of range i would fish tie lines just for indication . but when im fishing for liners i find that slaker lines work better with the rod tips up in the air and watching the line where it meets the water for really small movements and twitches in the lines

[@robertcotton9091]

Very good many thanks mate!

[@fishingtutorials]

Cheers Robert, glad to hear! :)

[@Ginty11]

Good tips. Thanks. 🙂👍🏻

[@fishingtutorials]

No worries!

[@tyg5748]

Hi Carl I’m currently fishing a syndicate that’s open water but really weedy (pretty much a football pitch in summer) what would u recommend? A tight or slack line?

[@fisherboy557]

He's helping us again yay

[@fishingtutorials]

:)

[@fisherboy557]

Carl have you ever fished the river stour in kent

[@fishingtutorials]

Once! I caught a chub :)

[@fisherboy557]

I've had tones I've had pike chub trout big perch and barble

[@fishingtutorials]

Oh wow. Lovely!!

[@daveshaw5293]

Fish spooking from a tight line then use a leader 👍but I fish many different waters and have for many years now and used a tight line with absolutely no problem and caught loads of big and small carp .

[@GazEdwards8690]

I use both methods depending on where I’m fishing and what I’m fishing over.

[@rockyridgeoutdoors]

Where did you buy the sensors or alarms from, thank you great video

[@fishingtutorials]

If you google Delkim bite alarms you'll be able to find them online :)

[@mejtoodavid2600]

When are you going sherington again good For Pike there

[@Chickenslayeggs22]

Helpful

[@fishingtutorials]

Glad to hear that!

[@nothumbsmcgee1076]

So should I leave my rod to where when the fish pick up the bait they can take the line out with them or keep the rod “clicked” or flip the open reel over to where if they take off it just takes drag? I’m new to carp fishing so I’m trying to figure out what works best

[@chinollo]

Big Pit ♥

[@PBRStreetGang68]

Do you ever use flying backleads?

[@finleymorgan9443]

I was thinking about doing jight fishing will carp feed at night ?

[@thunder_carp_fishing8084]

Hey Alex! Great video. what size line do you mostly use in big carp fishing, 20lbs and up.?

[@ashwhooooo]

12lb minimum for ur lower end 20s , and up to 20lb line for the 30s plus on snaggy venues , good rule of thumb 15lb with a decent leader

[@Antv-no1zn]

​@@ashwhooooo15lbers pull harder than a 30

[@ashwhooooo]

@@Antv-no1zn A 30lb does pull harder obviously because its a bigger fish , a 15lb will just bounce about and thrash and won't take aslong to get in , depends on the venue aswell and if its summer time or winter .

[@Antv-no1zn]

@@ashwhooooo a 30 plods around a 15 will storm round Like it's on crack

[@kumbuloyag3394]

Informasi yang sangat bermanfaat teman

[@richardheesters9159]

What weight bobbin you use in this video ?

[@samuelgarrod8327]

I've found this applies to Tincas and big bream too.

[@kylestephens7566]

using this method, how would you tell if you have a nite without using an alarm or float?

[@peternufc1981]

Informative

[@MatthewMatey]

Indeed

[@fishingtutorials]

Glad to hear Peter :)

[@peternufc1981]

@@fishingtutorials awesome that you share your knowledge with people it’s good craic 👍🏻

[@Ashley-dy7bx]

Yes.

[@fishingtutorials]

❤ it's a pleasure

[@ZoltanHercules]

I seem to have had more experience with semi slack and backleads. I do fish tight as well but backleads. All about circumstance. Slack when margin if I’m honest.

[@seacreatureguy8000]

Can you try make a pellet waggler tutorial?

[@renaicoangler]

What rods are those??? Very informative video, thanks

[@fishingtutorials]

Thank you, glad to hear! This rod is a Diawa Crosscast 10ft £LB Testcurve :)

[@jakewilliams4714]

Is there any way of getting hold of your book? I live in republic of Ireland and yous dont ship here sadly

[@fishingtutorials]

Unfortunately due to Brexit I can't ship to the EU, Sorry Jake, it's s huge shame :(

[@MrTila111]

What size Korda black and white bobbins you using in this video?

[@fishingtutorials]

Small white ones, and medium black ones :)

[@sharkeyes]

You forgot to mention the Swans and ducks ever since I had a swan take my line and fly away I’ve been scared go tight again 🤣 I don’t think a tight line is good in any situation apart from fishing super close to snags but in that situation you should be sitting on top of your rod anyway not waiting for your indicator I duno man I can’t help but think if a carp is hooked it’s hooked it’s going to bolt anyway it’s extremely rare a carp isn’t going to move stay in the same place and eject your hook it’s going to turn sharp and fast so unless you’ve got a crazy amount of slack at say 100+ yards then your going to know you’ve been picked up I guess it’s one of those questions that will always be debated but for me I’ll always go with slack or semi I’ve had great success already this year with slack lines at some really long distances I think having a really heavy lead the biggest you can get away with plays a big role in getting that initial strong hook hold so unless a fish has to move 15+ feet in the water for you to get a indication then your going to know your in business, but anyways I guess we all just know fishing to those lily pads is to bloody irresistible 😂 great video as always Carl Thankyou 👍🏼👌🏼

[@Switchplayer321]

Does anyone know what it is called when you put a weight on the start of the line and it sinks it

[@willygg2625]

Could you do a carp tutorial for canals?

[@fishingtutorials]

Cheers for the suggestion, I'll look into this!

[@user-vy1ui9ul7r]

Wait is it possible if u can come to my lake we have different soecies

[@malcolmveale9962]

what bait do you recommend for big carp?

[@sifishes]

There's no particular bait for big carp. Just choose a bait you are confident with.

[@malcolmveale9962]

ok

[@fishingtutorials]

There's only such things as baits that smaller carp can't get in their mouths, i.e using larger boilies etc :) I've actually got a tutorials coming out soon about this.

[@Angry_GingerGamer]

Might be daft question but what bobbins are those with the interchangeable sections?

[@fishingtutorials]

Hi mate, I've got the Korda Black n White Bobbins and you can get different length chains and screw in weights to make them heavier and lighter. They should be in most good tackle shops :)

[@Angry_GingerGamer]

@@fishingtutorials perfect thanks bud 👍

[@fishingtutorials]

You're welcome!

[@mattiparker14]

Every lake can be different,we r conditioned to think tight lines r working against us, my rule of thumb is how far out you r fishing for a bite, same for big uns…🎣

[@ChasinRainbows]

I use light gear so i just set the drag loose and ive never had a problem

[@simonreardon2658]

Have u got the newkorda rods

[@fishingtutorials]

No :)

[@simonreardon2658]

@@fishingtutorials get at Danny for some sure he will give u some

[@smallfishinginsaitamajapan]

great fishing spot. I am also fishing in Japan. I am interested in fishing in your country. (From Saitama, Japan) 素晴らしい釣り場。私も日本で釣りをしています。あなたの国の釣りに興味がありあります。（日本の埼玉より）

[@14768]

2 Questions. Why is carp fishing so big over there. Here in the middle of the US crap are considered a garbage fish, not good to eat, not fun to catch, so we don't even bother. Second, why add the weight to the line by the bite alarm, what purpose does that serve?

[@miroslavbackovsky5055]

Hello, everytime iam fishing slack line, my line pulls itself and bobbins go up on its own, the line is tightening. How can i avoid my line tightening?

[@fishingtutorials]

This tightening is the line sinking down to the bottom, keep slackening off and it’ll come to rest on the lake bed :)

[@yosipko5282]

In carp fishing there is only 1 rule. Feeding. If you go 1 week before, and throw bucket of particles every other day on spot, fish will clean that spot for you, and you will catch no mater what you tie on hook by the end of the week.

[@LoganPlayzGaming]

Avoid doing it on a day ticket water though 😅

[@keepinitcarpy8623]

There's a little more to it then that with pre baiting mate but you are right it can be devastating

[@cnote2774]

There’s more to that tightlines

[@errolprice9654]

That's not true . So many different variables come into play . Simply pre baiting and thinking this gautantees you a catch is nonsense. How do you know others arnt doing the same and inevitably over feeding the fish making them go nowhere near your hookbait ? Sure you can pre bait an unfished water and it'll help but most fisheries have an abundance of bait on the lake bed so going there and pre baiting a complete waste of time and money

[@samuelgarrod8327]

Or perhaps you prebait for 1 on 1 off for however long and someone gets in there first. Fortunately most people are normal anglers that are as much interested in catching some fish than catching huge amounts. I'd always rather turn up and see what's going on. But each to their own 👍

[@Votypeks]

I wonder what monofil you are using ?

[@fishingtutorials]

Korda CarpLine 12LB :)

[@mikkelbirkedal3132]

🎣🎣🎣

[@ciaranpappalardo8177]

Where do you normally go fishing

[@fishingtutorials]

I like the river Wye :) and also Newdigate fishery lately!

[@MatthewMatey]

I know Its a dumb question, but Is there a way to keep your line slack on a river?

[@fishingtutorials]

There's no such thing as dumb questions! If the flow is strong, then the line will always pull tight! To help get the line down on the bottom, you can still use a backlead though! :)

[@MatthewMatey]

@@fishingtutorials thanks, I was thinking of finally getting one

[@fishingtutorials]

You're welcome mate :)

[@keepinitcarpy8623]

if your fishing at range you want tight lines to . esp if your using mono.

[@easternundergroundsounds6977]

Medium to tight with back lead seems to work for me

[@freeubi]

Isnt there a higher chance for the fishes to get rid of the hook, if you use slack lines? Or its depending on the rig?

[@fishingtutorials]

Yes for sure, if you slacken off loads then the fish can be on for a while and shake the rig out. That's why I'll only fish really slack when close to the shore when a hooked fish will only swim away from the bank, and give me a bite!

[@shelbyherring92]

To be honest, I usually fish tight lines - but that's because I'm usually going for catfish in my local river. I've only ever lost two carp on tight line, and both were due to me using much lighter gear meant for sunfish like crappie and bluegill which ended up with both of those rods in the river.

[@skaramanger_144]

"one of the biggest debates" :D

[@MrLeesv650]

Back leads all the way

[@rogercude1459]

In close Slack I've had big fish come in brush against the line an lift it up an no reaction from them! Try that with a tight line! Common sense should always prevail never slack line when Snag fishing. Longer range then the benefits of a slack line are lost an can be a liability as the fish can take you an go a long way without you knowing!

[@darrenmahoney8106]

I fish very slack lines wherever I can afford to. I'm certain it converts to more fish

[@crackoffski]

Carp are wild animals, and are hardwired to spook off things they dont recognise. Also, with tight lines, or slack lines, bite indication is purely down to the weight of the bobbin you use rather than the tension of the line. 99% of the bobbins on the market are completely useless if bite indication is your main target... Seen far more carp move a lead on a tight line and not give any indication than on a slack line, but the best of all for indicating movement is a semi slack (or tensioned) line with a very light bobbin. Remember, an object will ALWAYS follow the path of least resistance, and a light bobbin moves far more easily than a heavy one.

[@bazrat69]

Wait it's not Saturday 👀

[@fishingtutorials]

Haha, it's day early - we're on the road tomorrow so don't know if I'll have internet!

[@bazrat69]

@@fishingtutorials have fun is there a main channel video tho? 👀

[@fishingtutorials]

We've been away filming, so not for a few weeks! The next films won't be too long, USA and a huge perch fishing film are nearly finished! :)

[@anavitez8019]

sory about that

[@anavitez8019]

rr

[@AnglingWithArt]

Been waiting to say this joke for a long time “Tight lines “ 😂😂😂 Ok no one laughed 😞 Jk😂

[@fishingtutorials]

😂 you got a smile from me!

[@fishingstix610]

People fish for carp in america man lol

[@fishingtutorials]

Yep!