Rupert Loake, email
Q I want to keep bait going in till Christmas. My 12-acre lake holds 80 or so fish. How much should I prebait with, and how often? A First of all, you need to be using a boilie that is digestible in low temperatures and has a proven winter track record, such as Mainline’s Cell. The stock level of your lake isn’t that high, so you
won’t need to pile it in.
Provided you’ve located an area that the fish frequent in winter and you can introduce it two or three times a week you should be able to get the fish used to finding a regular food source. However, you still want them to be hungry when you fish for them, so filling it in isn’t necessarily beneficial.
I’d use more in good conditions or if I saw fish moving, as active carp burn more energy which will need to be replaced. There is also the effect of other anglers to consider. If you are the only one baiting then you may need to use more than you would if others are fishing the venue. I’d suggest a couple of kilos two or three times a week, with a view to putting more in when they are likely to be having it. I hope that helps. Matt Eaton, Greys & Gardner Tackle