When it comes to approaching weedy lakes, it can be very daunting and quite unnerving if you haven’t experienced fishing weedy venues before. I know for a fact, when I first fished a lake with a large abundance of the green stuff in it I was a little scared, but like anything once you’ve gained experience fishing in and around the stuff it can actually work massively in your favour. Carp absolutely love weed, and not just to feed in. It gives them very good cover, which in turn makes them feel safe. Comfy, relaxed carp are catchable carp and that’s something I’m always thinking about in my angling.

There are many varieties of different pond weeds found in the UK, but generally the most common one found in most lakes is Canadian. The good thing about this variant is that it can be snapped or pulled from the lakebed relatively easily, which is key for when you’re finding/raking spots and playing fish.

I personally believe the most important part of fishing weedy venues is having the correct tackle for the job. Fishing in weedy environments can put a lot of stress on your tackle, so I would advise fishing strong robust line of 18-20lb breaking strain (so 0.37mm – 0.40mm mono), ideally either a tough abrasion resistant mono or a braided mainline.

In the last four to five seasons, I have been using braided mainlines in the summer and autumn months, when the weed is at its thickest. I believe when used correctly its properties outperform all other types of lines. Its robustness is second to none, with very little chance of the braid parting out in the lake due to pea mussels or various other debris commonly found in weed beds. It also has zero stretch, which not only aids feeling for that all important drop (which can sometimes be very difficult to find on extremely weedy pits) but also, when you get the bite, you are in direct contact from the off, which aids you massively from stopping the fish burring deeply into the weed.

It’s not only important to have your main line up to the task, but also your other end tackle. Big strong hooks are a must, with size 4’s and 5s’ being my go too! Strong leader material, be that lead core or a thick mono/fluorocarbon leaders, are generally in 45lb test or above.

I prefer to use fairly stepped-up rods with plenty of backbone, anywhere upwards of 3.25lb T/C. When the fish locks you up solid it’s important to be able put enough force on them to keep them moving. Having a decent set of reels always helps as well, for when you’re needing to gain those precious yards of line.

Another thing that’s overlooked is making sure you fish a solid semi-locked up system on the bank. I always make sure that my clutches are set so the fish can only take line under extreme pressure. Fishing semi-locked up is very important, because when the fish bolts and hits the resistance of the locked up clutch nine times out of ten it will naturally rise up in the water and instantly be away from the thickest weed and the more condensed roots of the weed bed, which in turn gives you the upper hand of trying to play it up in the water, where the fronds are more easily broken off. Having solidly set, sturdy bank sticks and decent butt grips is also key, because the last thing you want is a rod being dragged in or your reel smashing through your buzzer!

Locating a fishable spot in amongst weed can often be a very stressful process, and there has been many a time I’ve found myself very close to throwing my rod in and going home! But persistence is key, and instead of getting wound up by the fruitless attempts of trying to find that crackdown I lead the area foot by foot, starting from left to right, gradually mapping out the swim. Sometimes you can see the obvious holes and channels in the weed beds if its right to the top, but a lot of the time you can’t and then it requires patient work with the leading rod. The spots I look for are small hard clearings that you ideally only get a short pull back on. They are generally clean for a reason, and once they are located in the vicinity of a few carp, it really is game on!

If I can’t locate a presentable clean spot, I will happily go down the route of either fishing in amongst the weed or raking my own spot. For fishing in the weed I’ll generally fish chod rigs, or sometimes small solid PVA bags. I much prefer fishing chods in all honesty because I think they cause much less disturbance and can be fished very effective high up in the weed, when used correctly.

When it comes to raking I look to find the lowest points of the weed, then go down the route of using a 4/5oz sea lead, cable-tied up so the metal prongs don’t fold over and then repeatedly cast to the same clip. I gradually pull in lots of large clumps until I start getting more defined drops. I identify when the areas ready for a rig by using my old faithful finger trick. Once the lead has landed on the spot, I’ll gradually tease it back across the spot using only my fingers to pull the line back whilst feeling for any last bits of resistance, be that debris or weed. I repeat this 6 or 7 times before I know for sure it’s ready for a rig, often though once raked well the area will still feel quite soft, but the most important thing is that it’s clear enough to present on.

I have done very well over the years from raking fresh spots out of thick weed, and it’s amazing how quickly carp visit the area straight after you’ve made them. I honestly believe all the casting and disturbance doesn’t phase them that much because the denseness of the weed acts as a natural sound barrier, so when it comes to leading/raking I will do as many casts as its takes to make sure it’s spot on.

The lake I’m targeting at the moment isn’t as weedy as it has been in previous years, and I think it makes getting bites a lot more difficult. Going back a few years, when the lake was literally top to bottom with the stuff, you knew if you could get on fish and get presented well the chance of a take was a very strong possibility. But when the lakes patchy, like it is at the moment with lots of presentable bottom, it makes getting those pickups a lot harder because the fish are naturally on guard a lot more because of the lack of cover. In these circumstances finding those large weed beds and getting in it really is an edge!