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summer and winter baits


The Flying Tench

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Over the years, partly from what I have read, I have gained the notion that some baits are best in summer and some in winter. For example for roach and chub:

- summer: sweetcorn, meat, hemp 'n tares, pellets

- winter: bread, maggots, worms

Part of the idea, I think, is that fish are more mobile in the summer, and will want higher calorie baits. And it's certainly true that maggots are hopeless on some waters in the summer as they attract too many tiny fish. But why should the so-called summer baits not work in winter? I live near the Thames, and I've heard it said that it's hard to over-feed on such a river.

What are your thoughts and experience on switching the bait for the season?

john clarke

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The reason that I move away from oily or fatty baits in the depths of winter when the water temps have dropped dramatically is that they tend to thicken up and get very stodgy and less attractive with hardly any flavour leaking from them; so I move over more to stronger flavoured baits like strong cheese or spice flavoured baits or bread or maggots or Pinkies or Redworms (which seem to have more life than lobs or dendros In icy cold water) or much leaner Luncheon meat.

Plus as you probably know already most fish get a lot less liable to chase a bait downstream and need a lot less food when it’s icy cold, so a smaller and less mobile bait is usually a little better during colder spells; except for the Chub which still seem to feed well even in much colder conditions and take larger baits than most. I’ve also found that often a fish that is not really feeding in the colder water in the depths of winter will often snatch at a moving bait out of instinct or spite if it’s very near to them; like a maggot or a worm.

I do sometimes use a monster crab paste or another flavoured soft paste wrapped around my hookbait if it’s a suitable bait (like a small pellet or small cylinder of meat) so that as the soft paste dissolves it sends a flavour trail downstream leading back up to the hook.

I also tend to drop down in line strengths and hook sizes once the temperatures drop dramatically so my baits will drop slightly in size to suit.

That’s what I usually do in the depths of winter anyway and it seems to work ok for me.

Keith

Edited by BoldBear
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Happiness is Fish shaped (it used to be woman shaped but the wife is getting on a bit now)

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Colour of groundbait is probably more critical than that of the hook bait, and that can relate to water depth as well. I generally fish in shallow water during the summer and I use white crumb as my basic mix. During the winter I fish deeper and use brown crumb. Works for me although its a very long time since I fished in competition so I have no one but myself to compare with. As for maggots, I fish with red and white during the summer and white and red during the winter. Got to admit that my choice of baits is catholic and as yet I haven't entered into the wonderful world of manmade baits, maybe I should. 

Edited by Peter Waller
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Hi Peter, scroll down this Link to the bit about Black Groundbaits for Winter.

I haven't given it a go myself though (I tend to give the cold weather a miss these days) but there seems to be plenty buying it.

https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/community/beginners-guide-groundbait-101

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Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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All,

Of this I can assure you - HOPEFULLY I am quoting myself.

""" “Carp eat between nothing and very little when the water temperature is below 50 degrees F. and what they do eat they digest probably less than 5%”."""

A couple observations and biological facts

HEALTHY carp can live seven months without feeding. 

THIS is the reason carp do not survive the far cold extremes.

ON topic (if I remember my own stuff) the warmer the sweeter, the colder the more acidic.

IN cold, carp will continue instinctive foraging behaviour and attention to tactics is far more important than bait choice

Phone

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22 hours ago, Martin56 said:

Hi Peter, scroll down this Link to the bit about Black Groundbaits for Winter.

I haven't given it a go myself though (I tend to give the cold weather a miss these days) but there seems to be plenty buying it.

https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/community/beginners-guide-groundbait-101

Maybe mix with hemp/dark 2 mm pellets for some extra holding. (but not too much that it feeds them off)

Check Fishery rules re the Hemp!!

Edited by Martin56

Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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On 10/18/2020 at 12:00 AM, Martin56 said:

Hi Peter, scroll down this Link to the bit about Black Groundbaits for Winter.

I haven't given it a go myself though (I tend to give the cold weather a miss these days) but there seems to be plenty buying it.

https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/community/beginners-guide-groundbait-101

Thank you, Martin. Never sure about AD's guides, are they trying to help me or are they trying to sell me something? I rather fear that it's the latter! 

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On 10/19/2020 at 7:46 PM, Peter Waller said:

Thank you, Martin. Never sure about AD's guides, are they trying to help me or are they trying to sell me something? I rather fear that it's the latter! 

You may well be correct Peter but it seems to make sense that Roach & other fish with dark backs would feel more safe feeding in a dark groundbait environment in clear winter water re Predators from above.

Worst thing that can happen is its cost you a bag of (Not life changing) Black Groundbait to find out, & if it doesn't it can always be mixed in with other stuff so won't be wasted.

As my Late Dad always said - you have to pay to learn!!

 

Edited by Martin56

Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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I can verify they do not like light groundbait in clear water on bright days!

No mole hills round the pond and worse its on sand so a week later dark groundbait did the trick and they lost their shyness

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

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