Early spring is one of the most demanding, but also fascinating periods in carp fishing - especially after such a long and harsh winter as we had this year. It’s a time when fish are just beginning to come back to life and their behavior can change from day to day or even from hour to hour.
As he admits himself, spring carp fishing is largely a matter of trials and errors. On a daily basis, he specializes in fishing on one of the biggest water in the Czech Republic, but after winter, choosing the right spot becomes a real challenge.
The key questions are: where are the fish, and at what depth are they most active?
This year’s winter significantly affected water conditions, making them different from those in previous years. At first, Jan had only occasional, smaller bites. However, over time, the situation changed - at one spot, he managed to land more than 15 carp. This shows how crucial it is to find the “key” to a particular water. Once you discover it, the results stop being a matter of chance.
But fishing can quickly bring you back down to earth. A few days later, during a week-long break, Jan returned to exactly the same spot. The same depths, a similar tactic… and the result? Just 5 fish, all under 10 kilograms. Three days of intensive fishing and almost complete silence. As the old saying goes - “you can’t get inside a fish’s head.”
Fortunately, the following weekend brought a completely different scenario. A new approach, fresh energy - and everything started working as it should. In about 45 hours, as many as 30 fish made it onto the mat, including 6 exceeding 10 kilograms. It’s exactly this kind of variability that makes spring carp fishing so exciting.
Jan’s tactic is to be honesty simple, but refined in the details. He fishes at depths ranging from 5 to 14 meters, using spot baiting - a literal handful of pellets along with PVA sticks placed directly by the hook. When it comes to baits, he relies on proven flavor combinations - most often a mix of fishy and sweet flavours.
He uses boilies in sizes of 24 mm along with 18 mm pop-ups and he uses a D-rig. From his observations, fishing exclusively with a pop-up often brings more fish activity in many situations. However, once he’s confident that bigger fish have moved into the area, he changes his approach and “goes harder” - aiming to limit bites from smaller fish.
Patience is another key element of his strategy. As he emphasizes - those who can wait are often rewarded. Last year, from the same spot, he caught three carp weighing over 20 kilograms. This season, the goal is clear: to match that result, or perhaps even improve it.
In the end, Jan shares a simple but highly accurate piece of advice: keep trying, keep observing, and don’t give up.
Spring doesn’t forgive mistakes, but it can also reward those who are the most persistent.
