We ask Adam Raveney - With the vast majority of lakes now having already closed for spawning, the season of cold lager, barbecued meats and hungry carp is upon us. With this in mind, how do you approach your angling throughout the warmer months and how does it differ from other seasons?

A fantastic time of year and so much to enjoy, not just from an angling point of view but also from the social aspect, long days, warm nights, sleeping under the stars and opportunities aplenty.

The longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures not only offers more angling opportunities whether that be stalking one in the edge, floater fishing for them or just being able to watch your quarry up close, but also the opportunity to enjoy your surroundings whilst it is in full flourish, a stark contrast from many hours of darkness spent bivvy bound through the cold winter months.

Although the traditional close season has now gone on a lot of waters, a particular highlight of summer for me is still being out on the bank on June 16th, this is something I still hold onto, maybe it’s the reminiscing of seasons past – that immense feeling of anticipation after dropping your name in the hat for the first time, catching up with old mates, seeing the lake in all its glory after a bit of time away – truly great times. There is still something very magical about that date and this year was no different for me. A carp gracing your net on June 16th is a very special one indeed.

Now onto how it affects my angling and the main differences in my approach. Firstly, I generally don’t cast a rod for a few weeks at the end of May into early June. After fishing hard through most of the winter into spring I use this time as a chance to reflect and get ready for the season ahead. Whilst the kit is getting a well-earned service plenty of trips are still made to the lakes and the work I put in over this next 2-3 week period really can shape the season ahead. Watching the fish spawn is a great opportunity to check out the lakes stock especially if I’ve been lucky enough to acquire a new ticket for that year or even after a tough year, just seeing that target fish again might just be that little bit of extra motivation needed to keep driving you towards that end goal.

Whilst one of my syndicates is closed we are allowed a few weeks to get out and about in the boat, I find this is just as enjoyable as having the rods out and without doubt the biggest opportunity on offer during this period, there’s no doubt in my mind that putting in the effort to get down the lake looking for spots and finding areas that you are simply not going to see or find from the bank can be a massive edge.

With the use of some H blocks, I markup distances and horizon markers and then start to sprinkle some bait over these spots to really get them working. I find this can save so much time and effort later on from the bank. There’s no worse feeling than seeing fish in an area that you know you have to go into and lead up before you start fishing, ultimately this will probably lead to a missed opportunity so using these close periods to do your homework can be a massive advantage going into the new season.

Probably the other biggest difference from any other time of the year and without question for me the most enjoyable is getting the floater rod back out. I love it and still find it surprising how many people seem unwilling to give it a try. There is no doubt it can be very frustrating but also incredibly rewarding and there are not too many times you get to watch the carp taking your hook bait which or me is the ultimate buzz. This isn’t just an opportunist approach though, it’s something I work very hard at early on and a situation I try and create rather than just hope for. I’ve found all my better floater fishing seasons have come when I’ve managed to introduce lots of mixers early on and let them get to see plenty of them before putting a hook in them. I treat it very similar as I would an area on the bottom. I will pick a few areas of the lake that I like the look of, this can be based around a few different aspects but what I’m looking for are areas that can hold mixers such as pads, weed, reeds, quiet swims and areas that are sheltered from the wind. Then over a 3 to 4 week period at the start of the season, I want to bait with as many mixers as possible, in an ideal world at least 2-3 sacks of mixers every couple of days over this period.

A fantastic time of year and so much to enjoy, not just from an angling point of view but also from the social aspect, long days, warm nights, sleeping under the stars and opportunities aplenty.

The longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures not only offers more angling opportunities whether that be stalking one in the edge, floater fishing for them or just being able to watch your quarry up close, but also the opportunity to enjoy your surroundings whilst it is in full flourish, a stark contrast from many hours of darkness spent bivvy bound through the cold winter months.

Although the traditional close season has now gone on a lot of waters, a particular highlight of summer for me is still being out on the bank on June 16th, this is something I still hold onto, maybe it’s the reminiscing of seasons past – that immense feeling of anticipation after dropping your name in the hat for the first time, catching up with old mates, seeing the lake in all its glory after a bit of time away – truly great times. There is still something very magical about that date and this year was no different for me. A carp gracing your net on June 16th is a very special one indeed.

Now onto how it affects my angling and the main differences in my approach. Firstly, I generally don’t cast a rod for a few weeks at the end of May into early June. After fishing hard through most of the winter into spring I use this time as a chance to reflect and get ready for the season ahead. Whilst the kit is getting a well-earned service plenty of trips are still made to the lakes and the work I put in over this next 2-3 week period really can shape the season ahead. Watching the fish spawn is a great opportunity to check out the lakes stock especially if I’ve been lucky enough to acquire a new ticket for that year or even after a tough year, just seeing that target fish again might just be that little bit of extra motivation needed to keep driving you towards that end goal.

Whilst one of my syndicates is closed we are allowed a few weeks to get out and about in the boat, I find this is just as enjoyable as having the rods out and without doubt the biggest opportunity on offer during this period, there’s no doubt in my mind that putting in the effort to get down the lake looking for spots and finding areas that you are simply not going to see or find from the bank can be a massive edge.

With the use of some H blocks, I markup distances and horizon markers and then start to sprinkle some bait over these spots to really get them working. I find this can save so much time and effort later on from the bank. There’s no worse feeling than seeing fish in an area that you know you have to go into and lead up before you start fishing, ultimately this will probably lead to a missed opportunity so using these close periods to do your homework can be a massive advantage going into the new season.

Probably the other biggest difference from any other time of the year and without question for me the most enjoyable is getting the floater rod back out. I love it and still find it surprising how many people seem unwilling to give it a try. There is no doubt it can be very frustrating but also incredibly rewarding and there are not too many times you get to watch the carp taking your hook bait which or me is the ultimate buzz. This isn’t just an opportunist approach though, it’s something I work very hard at early on and a situation I try and create rather than just hope for. I’ve found all my better floater fishing seasons have come when I’ve managed to introduce lots of mixers early on and let them get to see plenty of them before putting a hook in them. I treat it very similar as I would an area on the bottom. I will pick a few areas of the lake that I like the look of, this can be based around a few different aspects but what I’m looking for are areas that can hold mixers such as pads, weed, reeds, quiet swims and areas that are sheltered from the wind. Then over a 3 to 4 week period at the start of the season, I want to bait with as many mixers as possible, in an ideal world at least 2-3 sacks of mixers every couple of days over this period.

"using these close periods to do your homework can be a massive advantage going into the new season."

"using these close periods to do your homework can be a massive advantage going into the new season."

The mixers are boosted with Sticky Baits Cap Oil and Krill Powder for added attraction. Once they have really got a taste for the mixers and are taking them with confidence then some great opportunities can be found later on, especially if time isn’t on your side. I never feel fazed turning up at the lake with only an hour or two at my disposal knowing If I can find them I won't need to spend hours getting them going, it really can put a few extra fish on the bank through these warmer months.

Also, the baiting of margin spots in the summer for obvious reasons, I not only do this because they are getting in close this time of year but also because if you have a few areas ticking over it will encourage you to get around the lake more and be more proactive. It’s amazing how many times I’ve walked around a lake not expecting to see much in 30-degree heat only to find them tearing up the bottom somewhere.

I guess if I was to summarise, I would say put your prep work in early, make the most of all your opportunities and if nothing else after everything we have endured over the last 18 months just enjoy being out again.

Good luck and tight lines.

The mixers are boosted with Sticky Baits Cap Oil and Krill Powder for added attraction. Once they have really got a taste for the mixers and are taking them with confidence then some great opportunities can be found later on, especially if time isn’t on your side. I never feel fazed turning up at the lake with only an hour or two at my disposal knowing If I can find them I won't need to spend hours getting them going, it really can put a few extra fish on the bank through these warmer months.

Also, the baiting of margin spots in the summer for obvious reasons, I not only do this because they are getting in close this time of year but also because if you have a few areas ticking over it will encourage you to get around the lake more and be more proactive. It’s amazing how many times I’ve walked around a lake not expecting to see much in 30-degree heat only to find them tearing up the bottom somewhere.

I guess if I was to summarise, I would say put your prep work in early, make the most of all your opportunities and if nothing else after everything we have endured over the last 18 months just enjoy being out again.

Good luck and tight lines.

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