Scoring in the Doldrums

The hot bait in recent outings has been an orange
artificial pop up corn along with a kernel of maize fished
on the hair rig.

If you are a novice to carp fishing you are probably catching few or no fish at this point.  If you are an experienced carp fisherman you are probably getting one or two fish an outing if you're lucky.  Problem here is that we are in the doldrums of summer fishing right now.  That time period from mid July until mid August is probably the slowest time of the year for carp fishing. Rest assured it will all improve with the cooling nights of late August or early September.
I have been steadily getting one to three fish an outing in the last week or so with no blanks.  No great, but not bad either in this slow time. So, how do you score in the doldrums?  Here's a few tips that might help:
1.  A maize/pop up artificial corn combo bait has been the hot ticket for me in the last week.  Orange artificial corn seems to be the best color.
2.  Only certain spots have been producing.  Some spots are much better in the summer than  others.  It's a matter of finding those spots. Try different places until you find a place that works.
3.  Best times are mornings when the temperatures are cooler and evening right before dark.  After dark can also be productive.  Mid day is a poor time to fish.
4.  Get out on rainy, stormy days. On those days the water temps are dropping, and that seems to trigger some feeding.
5.  Moving water in a river is always better than the still water of a pond.  Carp are way more active in moving water.
6.  Lower your expectations.  The hot fishing of April and May is a distant memory.  Any fish at this time of year is an accomplishment.