Carp Fishing in Italy: Winning Tactics at Commercial Lakes | Sebastian Malik
In this article, OMC team member Sebastian Malik shares his experience of fishing at commercial waters in Italy and reveals the tactics that led him to success.
Once again, the car is packed, and all toll stickers for crossing the borders are bought. This time, however, I’m not heading to France, Austria, or the Czech Republic as in previous trips — but further south. The destination is Italy, a country whose northern regions I particularly enjoy visiting.
As in many other European countries, Italy has a number of commercial carp lakes that present exciting challenges for anglers. I set my sights on one of these waters, and after several hours of driving across the Alps, I finally arrived. Before heading straight to the lake, I made a quick stop at an Italian supermarket to stock up on delicious food — ready and energised for a week of carp fishing in Italy.
Swim Selection
When choosing a swim at commercial venues, I generally prefer more central spots that allow me to reach the middle of the lake. My reasoning is simple: over the course of a week, fish will almost certainly pass through such areas, increasing the chances of encountering my traps.
Additionally, at many Italian carp lakes, the use of bait boats is permitted, which can make fishing both easier and more precise — a real advantage when targeting pressured fish.
Bait Choice
At many commercial fisheries, the fish stocks largely consist of farmed carp. These fish are typically raised on pellets and therefore recognise them as a natural and safe food source. It only makes sense that, even after being stocked into a new lake, they remain conditioned to feed on similar pellets.
For that reason, my bait mix consists mainly of pellets and small boilies, which I further enhance by soaking them in a matching liquid. I like to use the Paella Range — its fishy and spicy flavour perfectly mimics the feed these carp are used to.
When it comes to hookbaits, I also prefer smaller options that blend in naturally with the feed. My go-to choice is dumbbell-shaped wafters from the Paella Range, as they match the free offerings perfectly. Whether to use bright or more subtle hookbaits depends on several factors, so at the start of a session, I like to test both and adjust my approach based on the bite frequency over time.
Another important edge, in my experience, comes from highly attractive PVA sticks or bags. The small, concentrated pile of feed around the hookbait often has a magical effect and can trigger bites much faster. For this, I like using the Paella Stick & Bag Mix, which I enrich with a few pellets and the matching Gravy Liquid. Once the mix is ready — it’s time to load up the bait boat and start catching!
Rig Choice
Of course, I don’t want to keep my preferred rigs a secret. In my fishing, I mainly rely on just two setups: the Spinner Rig and the German Rig. I particularly like these two because the hook point turns down very quickly as the bait is inhaled, ensuring excellent hookholds.
For the hooklink, I use a soft braided material — specifically the AMMO Braid in 25lb. My hook of choice is the LOCK Hook in size 4, which, due to its shape, turns effectively toward the lower lip and secures a solid hold. Other terminal tackle components, such as hookbeads and worm aligners, come from the Dazzlers Range — they’ve never let me down, so I stick with them confidently.
With the rigs tied up and ready — it’s time to put them to work!
Session Summary
Now that the tactical side has been covered, I’d like to briefly describe how the session went. After arriving, I prepared my bait mix and set up my rigs. Then it was time to send the setups out with the bait boat and relax under the Italian sun — waiting for the first bite alarm to sound.
I didn’t have to wait too long; soon enough, the first fish moved onto the baited area and began feeding eagerly.
Below this article, you’ll find a few photos of the carp — and also my new bass personal best, caught during the session. By the way, bass fishing is also great fun whilst you’re targeting carp!
I hope I’ve been able to give you an insight into fishing in Italy and perhaps even inspire your next trip.
