As the temperature rises it is important to understand the effect water temperatures can have on both fish and fishing.  Target Baits offers the following top tips to help protect fish stocks as the temperature rises:

• In the hot weather carp are probably already suffering from lower oxygen levels, when they fight they will use up even more oxygen so a large fish that takes a long time to land will be particularly susceptible in warm water conditions.
• Make sure you have all your gear ready before bringing a carp onto the bank so you can minimise the length of time that the fish it out of the water, and return the carp as quickly as possible.
• Use fresh lake water and not lake water that has been left out in the sun heating up.
• Mats can get extremely hot in the heat, if possible leave it in a shaded spot and wet it with fresh lake water before placing a carp on it.
• It is a good idea to get into the routine on carrying a thermometer so you can check water temperatures easily
• Consider not using a retaining sling, especially for larger fish during hot conditions but if you do choose to use one try and find a shaded area and keep it as deep as possible.
• If you do need to capture the moment consider taking a picture of the fish in the water which can make for a great shot.