Its winter!!! How can we catch????

[Brad Jones]

Now im not sayin you cant catch in the winter, but on my last few visits to my local lakes and evryone and myself havent caught a thing except for the odd small carp, but nothing much.

I was wondering if you lot had any brilliant ways that have caught you carp in the winter.

Im looking for any methods you or your friends have used and have managed to catch decent fish in the winter.

 

Thankz for all your help in advance

 

Brad

[southernclive]

Hi Brad

It is now recognised that carp are far more active than we realised in winter but their feeding times and appetites are much reduced. Feed less, use more visual and atractive baits and move onto any movement you observe. All the baits you used in summer will work in the winter months although you need to consider whether high oil/fat baits are suitable for cold water temps. Observation is far more crucial as the fish are less active than in summer and will tend to stay where they feel comfortable. The fish will not come across your baits as they are not on the move as much as their metabalism is reduced and they do need to feed as often, You've go to move onto them which is why you need to locate them.

Never accept it's too cold as we have all caught in all conditions - but accept that sometimes you've just got to admit you'd be better off in the pub - that way you'll stay relaxed enough to carry on !

 

Clive

[waddis]

i would go with what clive says about feeding less and visual baits.

I went night fishing 2 days ago and was fishing from 10 am to 5 pm the next day. i was using single 15 mil source boilies with a 3 boilie stringer i also scaled down my tackle. Everyone caught in the night and i caught four carp myself, but during the day only a few fish were caught.

welcome to AN clive.

[twochay]

Hi guys,i have just done a 24 hour session for 2 x 24lb mirrors, 21lb common & 16lb mirror. I caught fishing 10mm solar banana & tofee pop-up with a 10 bait stringer of 10mm bottoms of the same flavour. All fish came tight to a marginal snag, my other 2 rods remained motionless! It is all about get on the known feeding areas, the right conditions and the right time. Incidentally the lake was cobbleacre lakes I used to be the fishery manager there and fancied a trip back down, it is an excellent winter water, fish to 30lb+ brilliant 20's water

[Bill Dingley]

Hi Brad,

Can't add much to what has been said but have always found the fish feeding for a brief period during the day. Depends not just on the temperature but also on barometric pressure.

It's also worth trying a zig rig to search out the comfort zone where most fish will be found.

Very good luck to you.

 

Bill

[RUDD]

You could always try the Frank Warwick method and he catches alot of winter fish.

 

Look for lickely areas and cast to them but cast your rods all to different areas.

Use highly visable pop ups.

Keep you rod tips up high and dont use back leads.

Watch your lines at all times.

Recast to a different area every 20 mins or so until you get liners or a take.

Sooner or later you will get liners or even a take.

If you get liners recast but a bit shorter each time.

Once you find the fish put in some bait in that area only as it is very possible they are all in the same area.

Then fish all of your rods to that area.

 

Do something different to any other anglers, eg if they are using small baits use big baits or visa versa or even try different baits such as meats or maggots.

Dead maggots are a deadly winter bait as they are soft and do not shrink.

During normal winter league matches (4 in a row) I hooked big carp on pinkies and a 22 hook.

Carp anglers on the water hardly had a take using normal carp tactics.

 

good luck!!!!!!!!!!

[bucks2]

Hi guys well I have to agree that Carp are slow in winter even here in Aussie where the temperature is still 8-10 degs c in winter, so it's not as cold as UK by any measure.

I find that using the shells of the Sweetcorn is good as there is no resistance when the fish picks it up,maggots and bread flake are good too, but you have to be in the area where the fish are so you have to move around, and as a pegged comp does not allow that freedom, you are in big trouble trying to get fish to move into your swim!!!

So we suffer the same as you guys do, same tactics?? frosty

[Gaz51]

You may be right Bucks2, only difference being I bet you don't chap your a**e off on your overnight sessions in the winter like we do over here.