As we all know, preparation is the key to successful carp fishing and this is never more critical than when you only have a short time out on the bank in which to hopefully get a bite! For me, the preparation for a days carp angling always starts the day before and I've learnt over the years that once I've arrived by the water side it is essential to ensure that no time is wasted, for the following morning.
Often, of course, the best chance of a bite, on these short trips, for much of the year, is to be had within the first couple of hours of daylight as this is the time the fish tend to be at their most active and therefore easiest to locate and move onto. I make sure to get all the rods ready the evening before as this guarantees that if I locate some fish quickly, I don't have to waste any time getting the rods rigged and baited as this can seemingly take an eternity especially if fish are showing in front of you. For instance, say, the weather's bad and you have to put up a brolly to get out of the rain before you can thread on a pva stick or make up a bag, I'm sure you get the picture ...and have all been there!. By taking along five rods in the holdall, all ready to go with different presentations I have peace of mind that most situations I'm likely to encounter, I will be ready for and again means that no time is wasted whatsoever by having to change rigs and end tackles . I carry with me two rods set up for the stick approach with a safe zone leader that I fish helicopter style. Another I set up "chod" rig style on a lead core leader, where allowed and one on a zig presentation. During the warmer months I also carry a floater rod too, all ready to cast with fresh hook baits etc. This may all sound a little over the top but believe me you would be amazed at the amount of times I've caught fish within minutes of walking onto a lake, on even the hardest of waters, due solely to having the rods ready to simply pull from the rod sleeves and cast when I've found an opportunity.
I start getting ready the evening before, at home, by firstly tying up several hook links for the rods as well as a few spares.
The links are in the main made up of my favourite ''Korda'' hybrid soft, as I find this more manageable than the stiffer original version and therefore suited to more 
general angling situations. I also tie a few up from the "I.Q" material to make sure I have all the bases covered and I keep the links short for this sort of fishing, between six and eight inches is perfect for most of the waters I'm likely to find myself on. One end is looped with a double overhand knot to enable easy threading of pva sticks and quick changes via a "Kwick" link and the other end, I invariably strip back and tie "combi link "style to my favourite size eight wide gape hook. I have the utmost confidence in these incredibly sharp and strong hooks and use them in all but the most extreme situations, both at home and aboard, as they are very reliable and consistent. I tie these spade end knot style and favour the addition of a small shrink tube kicker that extends the shank a little and helps turn the hook point quickly in the event of a pick up. Once I've tied up eight to ten links I steam down the shrink tube sections over the kettle and they are ready to go. Next job is to mount fresh baits on the hairs ,often I'll go for different baits on each hook so that I have plenty of choice. Usually, I do a couple with trimmed down boilie hook baits, tipped with a tiny but bright sight bob and a couple with shaved tiger nut hookies or small bits of pepperami. I then cut a few pieces of carrier bag to wrap up the hook baits in, but first, I add a few drops of my chosen liquid attractors to the centre of each wrap, before twisting it around the bait and then sealing it off using, a small elastic band to help stop any leakage in the holdall and keep the baits glugged in attractors right up to the point of casting. The spare "ready to go" rigs are then "loaded " in an old funnel web pva tube and put in the rucksack ready. In the event of a bite or mis-cast I can then quickly mount a fresh rig , already loaded with stick and glugged hook bait via the quick link and get a rig back out with minimal grief and much more importantly, time spent out of the water!
Obviously, in this situation where I'm making up sticks beforehand, I keep away from using the heavily oiled mixes I usually favour, as the oil will, given time, soak into the pva and prevent it from breaking down properly once cast out in all but the warmest of water. As we know, if the funnel web isn't allowed to melt properly there is a big chance that the presentation will be ruined too, as the pva pulls the hook link together rendering the rig useless. The actual stick mix itself, I always make up a day or two in advance of a trip and leave to rest, as this allows the dry ingredients to fully soak up all the liquids and oil, locking them into the mix if you like. This is a great tip that helps guard against the previously mentioned problem.
Once all the rods are rigged and baited, "armed" if you like and zipped up ready to go in the sleeves ,I set about sorting the rest of the kit.
On these trips I, more often than not, need to be very mobile as this sort of fishing can mean moving up to several times a day and so the last thing I need is to be weighed down with lots of unnecessary kit that takes time to pack down if I need to make a quick move.
On most waters, it is possible to use a barrow but this doesn't mean that you should carry around all manner of unnecessary kit. There are many small changes from my session tackle and my day kit, most of which seem of little point on their own, like swapping a big unhooking mat for a smaller one , or taking a couple of small water bottles rather than a big container. But it's the little things like these that make all the difference to bulk and weight and allow me to pack down and move in only a few minutes when it's required. I could go on but I'm sure you get the point and can clearly see the benefits when tackling today's busy waters where decisions and moves need to made quickly ,before someone else beats you to it!.
I will say no more except that when stripped down, my minimal day kit weighs nearly half that of my session tackle and consists of just a holdall, a small rucksack, chair, bait bucket and unhooking mat!.
The last job at home is to make some sandwiches etc and once I've packed the rucksack I pile everything by the front door in readiness for an early start and get off to bed in good time. Now, it has to be said, that no matter how well prepared you are it is of absolutely no use if your not disciplined enough to get up in the morning when the alarm clock goes off! I always ensure to get up early enough to allow for the time it will take to have a cuppa, load the car and still get to my destination roughly an hour before first light so that I have plenty of time to get down by the waterside, and begin looking for fish showing as dawn breaks.
Whether I know a water well or have never laid eyes on it before, my approach seldom changes and rather than rush round to the first sign I see to get the rods out, I hold back for a while to observe any movement from the carp around the lake which may indicate that there are more fish elsewhere, and a better chance of a bite. Obviously, this would be different if I was fishing on a very low stock water where any signs of carp movement would be acted on quickly, but on the busier, invariably higher stock waters I like to have a good look around the lake noting any movement in different areas as well as to note what free swims cover any sightings, as I go. It's all about building a clearer picture before making that first decisive move which often has a direct bearing on success. The early start is often the key to a good day on the busier waters as the fish see more angler pressure and therefore tend to be warier and more likely to show most confidently just before it is light and very little thereafter. The amount of carp present, though, is often the thorn in their side as you are more likely to see activity of some sort and its therefore essential to be present before dawn when you only have a days angling ahead of you in which to get a result and this, of course, gives you the best possible chance of getting on some feeding fish in the shortest possible time.
Once you've weighed up your options and have headed round to the nearest swim to tackle the fish you've found- its time to get some rods in the water as soon as possible but first, I always check the swim out before making the decision to fish or not, to see how recently its been fished. Swim wear and tear, tea bags, fag butts or other little signs like fresh off cuts of line or the odd bait in the margin etc are a good indicator of just how recently the swims have been occupied and for how long ( important when making your final swim choice and gives you a fair indication of how much bait may have been introduced by the previous occupant and of what sort). All these little signs are noted and are often the deciding factor on whether I stay or move on.
Once the rods are out of the holdall, rather than just casting out a rig blindly in a swim I don't know, I first have a few casts around with a small lead to help me
understand the swims topography and give me a clearer picture of where to cast to give the best chance of a chance! I find, that in the absence of obvious features like islands or weed beds, for instance, that three chucks from left to right with a lead of an ounce and a half or so causes little disturbance, yet, gives me a fair understanding of what's out there in the way of any depth variations and the make up of the bottom, whether it be weedy, silty or clean hard gravel. By casting the little lead as far as I can each time and feeling it down to gauge the depth, I then take half a dozen quick turns of the reel handle and lift the rod as I do so. I then let the lead fall back down to the bottom. I do this all the way back to the bank and this relays to me any changes in the bottom make up, as well as any weed present and any variations in depth between where the lead first landed and the margins. To dull the contact of the lead with the bottom, I use what I call a lead sock, that I make by cutting the finger section off an old pair of neoprene gloves. This means I can do the job quietly as the lead is padded if you like, and should it strike hard stony ground, ensures it doesn't alert Mr. Carp who may be nearby! Often, it's these little things and attention to detail that can swing the odds in your favour!
I never carry a marker float set up with me on short daytrips, in fact, rarely when fishing full stop. This is not just to save weight and bulk but also because the disturbance they cause is too great, especially when you only have a few hours to try and get a bite. Because of this, they can often cost you fish rather than help you to catch them, so, leave it at home is my advice!. I've said it many times before; if at all possible it is wise to invest a day mid winter, preferably when there's no one around, to learn about lakes topography, as this always stands you in good stead at a later date.
With a now clearer picture of the fishable area(s) out in front of the chosen swim, I reach for the first rod. After removing the bait wrap its ready to go and its cast to where I feel to be the primest area near to any sightings. I stop the rig hard late in the flight to slow the lead and "lay" it down on the surface with as little impact disturbance and noise as possible. It is then laid on the ground and the line slackened off to be allowed to sink. A big advantage of using the stick method, other than the presentation and attraction benefits, is that it acts like a parachute, slowing the rigs descent as it's swung in on a tight line, considerably helping to dull any noise from the rig touching down on the lakebed near to any feeding fish. This is a real edge on busier waters where it has become increasingly noticeable that fish won't tolerate the audible "donk" of a lead impacting onto harder ground close by.
Before casting out the next rod I'll again slacken off the line on the first as, depending on the depth, this will have tightened up. The next rod, again on a stick set up is de wrapped and cast away from the first, if possible, into a different depth and over a different area of bottom to ensure as many bases are covered as possible. Again, the line is slackened off until it is hanging slack from the tip ring. If three rods are allowed, I retrieve another from the holdall set up with a pop up presentation on a sliding chod rig. The beauty of this presentation is that it can be cast with confidence pretty much anywhere and still "fish" perfectly, even amongst weed or over the dirtiest "choddy" bottom where other rigs are rendered less effective or, as is more the case, useless. Rather than cast this one out it is propped up at the side of the swim ready to cast at any activity I may see, or in the colder months fished as a rover around the swim to cover a lot of water throughout the trip. With the rods out I can sit back and make myself a well earned cuppa, happy that I've done the job well and all the while, keeping an eye on the limp lines for any line bites while continuing to scan the horizon and check what is happening elsewhere on the lake as day breaks. I refrain from putting in bank sticks and buzzers for the morning period, preferring to leave the rods laid on the floor and the rest of the kit, still packed in the rucksack on the barrow, in case a quick move is required. By putting in buzzers, it's all to easy to get lazy and nod off in the chair at a time of the morning when you should be looking hard for signs. Remember, just because you have found a likely area and got the rods out, is does not mean the fish won't drift away or that a better chance may not materialise elsewhere as the day unfolds. So, obviously, keeping alert and remaining vigilant is essential!
Now, I've talked a lot about looking for signs of activity and moving onto fish but, as we all know, there are often periods, when, because of influencing factors like heavy angling pressure or poor weather , the fish are much less active and can be very difficult to locate,(as they are during the colder months, for instance).
At these times, the more experienced anglers rely heavily on their watercraft when trying to track down a chance. However, this is something that can't just be learnt overnight or researched from a book or magazine and comes from many years spent carp fishing, observing and learning in all manner of situations. As the saying goes, "There really is no substitute for experience" and in this instance, if you lack the history, you have to be prepared to learn from your mistakes. Evolving into an angler, comes from investing an awful lot of time and effort, no matter how new to carp fishing you are, you can still put yourself in with a good chance, when the fish are hard to track down, by looking at the prevailing weather conditions on the internet, before leaving home. Another tip is to visit the water before you fish for a look around, talk to the other anglers present and try to keep in touch with what's been happening on the lake, as this helps you to build a clearer picture of the fish's movements as well as the areas they frequent. Work to reap the rewards on short sessions.
Good luck
Nick