December Carp Fishing Challenge – Pads Dying, Anglers Gone, Carp Showing!

Trip 40 Carp Fishing - 2025With December settling in, I returned to the club lake to find the pads dying back and the banks virtually empty—perfect winter conditions for a quiet, low-pressure session. I kept things simple with catapulted bait and large PVA bags, sticking to my usual mix and fishing tight to the pads and margins.Carp finally started showing around mid-afternoon, crashing on the far side of the pads and even out in open water. Despite the promising activity, the heavy cold rain pouring in all day made conditions tricky, and the carp were clearly cautious and hard to pin down.I explored different tactics, including two rods on white Blank Saver PVA bag setups and one rod with a big 24mm hardened hooker to stand out. Signs of fish kept me in the area, especially near the small island, but they still weren’t settling on their usual winter spots.It ended up looking like another blank, but that’s the true reality of winter carp fishing. Still, it was great to be back on this water, and I’ll be returning soon.Until next time,RichardTight lines and be lucky!