Team Carping

Carp fishing is generally seen as a solitary and often secretive pursuit, with anglers looking to gain an edge over each other by being the first using the latest wonder bait or new rig. However it doesn’t have to be that way, and some of my best fishing has been shared with others.
Sharing knowledge
If you are fishing the same lake regularly than it can be worth taking the time to get to know other anglers as they can be a valuable source of information. On a lake I was fishing a few years ago I was doing overnighters during the week, while another angler I was friends with was mainly fishing at the weekends. We agreed to regularly kept in touch with each other by phone and text with regard to what was getting caught, the number of people fishing, weather conditions etc. The result was both of us stayed in touch with the lake even when we weren’t at the venue and our catch rates both increased. Improving your skills
I’m always looking to improve my fishing and although you can learn so much from books and magazines it’s hard to compete with being taught out on the bank. A friend of mine is brilliant at spodding, so a session with him gave me a number of pointers to work on. The return trip saw me taking him floater fishing for a day with the roles reversed as it was a style of fishing he rarely used.
Baiting campaigns
Getting together as a baiting team with other anglers and regularly applying the same bait to a venue can be devastating at times. Over time carp will start to recognise the bait as a food source and results usually get better and better, meaning anglers in the team catching more than they would have done if they had gone it alone.
A group of anglers opting for the same bait will also find it can work out a lot cheaper as you can often get a discount from bait companies if you are ordering in bulk. A helping hand
In certain situation actually fishing as a pair can be a big advantage. On a couple of weedy venues I fish landing a hooked carp is much easier with a fellow angler to help clear weed from your line, get the boat if necessary etc.
A word of caution
A word of caution though, working with other anglers is based on trust and therefore it’s important to think carefully about who you team up with and also that you both need to be sharing information and knowledge for it to work. It’s key to accept that sometimes you will be behind the camera taking the photos rather than posing with the fish. Overall the aim is that everyone catches more rather than just one person benefitting.