Spring is one of the best times of the year on commercials, there is a real chance of a massive weight, when the conditions are right.
Ive caught some of my best ever match weights at this time of the year. The ideal conditions are when we get the first few sunny days of the year and it is combined with a warm south westerly. The warm sun heats up the surface layers of the lake and the south westerlies push this warm water into the margins, this is the best time to draw a downwind end peg.
Lots of the carp will be waking up from their winter dormant spell and wont have seen a hook for weeks, these are the conditions that produce some of the biggest catches of the year, my spring carp fishing usually starts at Whiteacres,  and I have had quite a few 150lb+ match catches from this venue at this time of the year.
The best tactics usually involve margin fishing down the edge on a long pole, the water is usually quite clear at this time of the year, so if you have room, fish with as long a pole as conditions will allow, and dont be shy with the bait, this is not a time of year to mess around with 6 grains of corn and wait for a bite, under these conditions the carp are hungry and big pots of bait to start the margins off, topped up with a kinder pot after every fish is the way to go.
Casters and corn is an excellent combination at this time of the year and maybe meat if you the weather is really warm, I would never leave home without 3pts of fresh 'shells' for a down the edge approach.
A word of warning, if the wind changes from a lovely warm south westerly to a cold easterly, watch out as the carp will revert back to there winter quarters and you should be fishing and feeding for 50lb and not 150lb, the last thing you need when the wind is in the east is big pots of bait.
However, it looks like spring is just around the corner, this morning the temperature in my pond has gone up from 2 degrees to 6 degrees and the koi were up on the top taking floating pellets, 2 days ago they were all huddled up in one corner and weren't the slightest bit interested in feeding.
Any day, those carp will be back on the feed, big style, and check your nets, you dont wont your keepnet bursting open with your first big net of the year, as happened to a mate of mine. Did I laugh??

Trelawney @ whiteacres, scene of one of my biggest ever spring weights.

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