When should I switch to a winter food bait, and do I really need to?
AThis is a seasonal question and the answer has evolved as carp baits have... along with our understanding. Let me explain. Historically, the big change was always a move from fishmeal to nut or birdfood-based boilies. This was due to the saturated fat levels being higher in fishmeals.
However, due to most commercial fishmeal baits having LT94 fishmeal as their base (LT stands for Low Temperature) the ability to use one boilie all year came to prominence. That is still true today.
So, first, do you need to change your boilie specifically for winter? The answer is a resounding no. However, what I try and tell carp anglers is that as the water temperature reduces, the carp’s metabolism and food receptor senses do too. You also need to be aware that the reduction in water temperatures has an effect on your boilie’s inner attractors.
Under warmer water temperatures of summer and early autumn, the attractors are leaking from your boilie as it sits in the lake. However, trapped inside the boilie, these attractors are not able to release the food signals as quickly or easily in cold water conditions.
My main emphasis, therefore, changes to solubility. Basically, this means how quickly the attractors dissipate in the water column, and the things that do this best are liquid attractors. The ways you can use them are far too numerous to mention here but your main consideration should be to get as much liquid into your chosen boilie as possible. One quick way to do this is to air-dry your boilies first and then rehydrate them in your chosen liquids. One word of caution here, though – a rehydrated boilie breaks down far quicker than one straight out of the bag. This is what you want, but it means its ability to stay in one piece from Friday to Sunday is highly suspect!
Mark Holmes, Shimano