Fishing the unknown

Got a chance to fish a lake with a unknown stock and the lake has not been fished for years <!-- s:o --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_surprised.gif" alt="" title="Surprised" /><!-- s:o -->
Lakes about 16 acers and there is sightings of massive fish but they have never really been fished for <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->
What would you say the best way would be to approach the lake?
any help would be great

Where is this unknown water?

I will tell you if you can give me some help <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: -->

just do what you normaly do,find patroling areas, bait up ( corn maize chopped boilies ) watch and learn, don't dismiss naturals worms maggs ect

Cheers dave
do you think i could it with home made boilies? if i kept fishing it and i was the only person chucking in 1 bait shurley they will start using it as there main food source <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: --> ???

yes good <!-- s:idea: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_idea.gif" alt="" title="Idea" /><!-- s:idea: -->

Alrite sam: You need to go to the lake a few times without your tackle, just your marker float and some bait-hemp,maize,sweetcorn and some boilies. You need to find the fish in different conditions, do they follow the wind, how long do they stay on it, what are there patrol routes, where do they lay up and chill out and where do they go and feed as carp do have areas where they like to chill out and areas where they will feed heavily when hungry, where are the natural food larders ?. Try to put some bait in the margins or further out if there are trees to climb and you can see it so you can watch there reaction to the bait. It is best to make a map of the lake while you are not fishing finding features, silt,gravel patches,bars,gullies etc how much weed is in the lake, how thick is it, get some out and see how much natural food is in it because they havenot got big feeding on anglers baits,and it could take awhile for them to get on the bait especially if theres a fly hatch coming or a fresh bloodworm bed availible as they do know, on pressured waters when theres a natural food frenzy they do not feed on anglers bait until they have polished it off even when you present a bait onit I have done it. While you are fishing it could spook the carp as carp that are not fished for can be more spooky as they are more aware of something unnatural invading their home. When you have found some areas where they like to feed in bait them up for a couple of weeks with hemp,maize, sweetcorn and boilies then fish one rod with maize/sweetcorn and the other with boilies as after time the carp will get on ther boilies as they are inqusitive creatures and underwater pigs.

Cheers for your help salty
I think i will fish the margins as its very deep in places <!-- s:x --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mad.gif" alt="" title="Mad" /><!-- s:x -->

First of all, get me a ticket, that'll help(me).
Secondly, I wouldn't even bother fishing it untill you have found out abit about the lake, spend your time watching the fish if you can find. If it is unfished then the fish should be fairly predictable due to lack of pressure.
Just make sure you obtain abit of knowledge about the lake before you go flinging bait left right and centre.