KEEP YOUR HOOKBAITS BRIGHT IN THE COLD...
...and give ’em a flavour boost too!
IKNOW many anglers pack away their carp gear at this time of year, but I actually relish the short cold days of winter.
They can bring some incredible action on just short sessions. Sure, this is not a time to be campaigning on low-stocked pits, but on a well-stocked ‘runs’ water bites will keep on coming, even when there is ice in the margins and the ground is rock-hard.
My winter carp fishing consists of short sessions on busy wellstocked venues where the chances of my finding some carp are high.
Rather than expect the fish to come to me I will keep my eyes peeled and reposition the rods based upon anything that I see. Introducing any bait is likely to be counter-productive, not just because I may well put it in the wrong place, but because it could fill up any carp that are around before I get a bite.
Instead, I rely on just the hookbait and a tiny PVA package of crushed bait to attract the fish and induce them to feed. If I put my high-attract bait within a few metres of a carp I expect the fish
to pick up the scent and home in on on the brightly coloured bait.
This is a time when you can experiment a lot more with your baits and tactics – I think of every cast as a fresh start and I rarely let the rods stay silent for more than an hour before I try to make something happen. Get your location and baits right and the action can be fast and furious.
BRIGHT COLOURS
Fluorescent pop-ups are all the rage in carp fishing, but very few anglers use bottom baits in the same bright hues. This is an opportunity missed – a wafter is far easier to rig up and more effective than a pop-up in many situations.