On the subject of winter carp..

[Newt]

Julian - yes. Have caught fish by taking a snail shell, inserting a piece of alka seltzer, plugging the main entrance, drilling a small hole for gas to escape and fishing with it.

 

More fiddley than I like and you have to rebait frequently to keep a moving bait but it certainly does work.

 

I agree that another source for the "fizzing" component would be good and have though about just using baking soda (soda bicarb and an inert filler). I can't see that enough CO² would be generated to matter to the fish though. Possible but I'd have to be convinced.

 

I've also wondered about putting a fine piece of copper wire in the hole and up the hair to the hook eye to possibly set up a mild electrical current.

 

[ 24. September 2003, 11:54 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[*Ant*]

Just thought how mad we anglers would seem if a non-angler read some of the posts.

 

Ant

[Apache]

Newt:

Also, use brightly coloured baits in summer, and duller baits in winter

 

Matt - why?

 

Julian - how about using a snail in the shell as hook bait, drilling a hole in the shell and putting a little Alka Seltzer in the shell so the fizzing will make the shell move around?

I asked that when I was told it, and was told "Try and it and see for yourself", some lakes it works and some it doesn't.

 

A friend swears by it, although he does much more serious (IE: bolies and bivvy boys) than me.

[matt&shevonne]

well from what i have seen and heard about this it seems to be that in the summer they are alot more difficult to catch for the simple reason they have a lot of natrual food sources but come the winter there is far less and they are all competing to get them so i have found and my husband when fishing in winter a simple bait like trigger or anything really and you will more than likely catch 1 and dont forget they are stocking up aswell i wouldnt be inclined to put any thing to over the top as this may seem like danger to them just think of what they like normaly and go 4 it

[carper99]

what about getting a dozen or so snails drop em im a blender and put all the meat of the snail in to your boille mix has any one tryed this?

[peter mccue]

A very interesting question. Quite a few years ago I went through the whole rigmarole of changing my mixes to suit the cooling weather, ie accent on proteins, carbs, flavours & attractors.

 

I eventually reached the point of making boilies with what I felt was a more balanced profile of ingredients, & a lot more attention was paid to minerals & vitamins etc.The upshot of this was much more consistent sport through Summer & Winter with the same bait.

 

When you consider that the commercial baits are a lot better balanced foodwise than they used to be, I feel they are becoming multi seasonal, & the secret of your Winter fishing lies not with the bait (within reason of course) but with presentation.

 

Basically, if you have a going bait in the Summer just stick with it, but start thinking more about how you present it to a fish whose appetite is much reduced & is far more responsive in a negative way to varying weather conditions.

[Julian]

quote:

---

what about getting a dozen or so snails drop em im a blender and put all the meat of the snail in to your boille mix has any one tryed this?

---

Yes!

 

I always add snails to my particle mix, and have also used them in basemix.

 

I tend to use the very small snails, anything up to 10mm and just whack them straight into the particle mix whole.

[poledark]

Contrary to some posts on here I and a couple of other blokes did VERY well on bright baits i.e fluoro pop ups (not me!) and strongly flavored bright yellow bottom baits (fished 2inches off the bottom) for me.

My thinking was that if the fish couldnt smell em then they might see em!

 

Worked really well up till about March and it has been all downhill for all of us since!

 

Meant to add that we are back on the flouros and yellow baits again.....and still blanking!

 

Den

 

[ 03. November 2004, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: poledark ]

[christian kimber]

Does anyone bother with the lowly maggot?!! In winter i think they come into there own as not so many nuisance fish around.

Try a bed of dead maggots with a either a simple feeder and double maggot or what my brother calls the medusa rig.Its a small cork ball with lots of maggots glued to it.Counter balance this with a small shot or putty and your away.

I've found this to be a killer for picking up a couple of fish when its cold and the carp are not moving about as much.

Still all that aside if your not bang on where the carp are laying up in winter then they want come to you! as the man Terry Hearn says 'location,location,location!!'