Make high-attract hookbaits
My high-attract ‘special singles’ are coldwater bankers
CATCHING carp on even the most well-stocked venues can be tough at this time of the year.
The fish will be eating a tiny fraction of the food that they need in the summer months, and this has a profound effect on their behaviour. While they will move around a lot when it’s warm, searching for grub, in the cold they are far less mobile, and often won’t return to an area once disturbed.
It can be a case of casting around the swim searching for groups of fish, rather than building up an area. Very often you’ll have a flurry of bites early on that tail off until you’re not even getting line bites. This is a sure sign that the fish have backed off, and you may need to try searching the swim to generate more action. In this situation a really attractive single hookbait is the way to go, without any loosefeed. A bait that the fish can find easily will bring bites quickly when it lands close to a carp.
BOOST THE FLAVOUR
You can get away with stronger flavours in winter than you can in summer. This is partially because you are using much less bait, but also because coldblooded fish are less receptive to scents in the winter.
A bright white or pink wafter that has been dipped in a liquid attractor is a good starting point. Try Nash Baits Scopex, Sticky Manilla, or Dynamite Baits Fish Gutz at this time of the year as neat dips.
You can store hookbaits in these dips for several weeks to try to get more flavour into the baits, but because they have a firm texture they won’t soak up that much. To this end, I like to use a baiting needle to puncture the skin of the bait. The flavour will then fill
up these tiny holes and give a more sustained release of attraction from the bait.
IT’S A WRAP
Dipping baits gives a quick hit of attraction, but I like something that is longer lasting, and a flavoured paste is the perfect solution. As it breaks down it releases the attraction steadily, building up to a bite rather than fading away. The same colour rules apply, so look for a brightly coloured paste that can be smeared over your hookbait.
Don’t think this tactic is limited to boilies and wafters, as a paste wrap over a fishery pellet hookbait is just as effective. Look for ready-made pastes that are designed for wrapping boilies, as these will be quite sticky and break down at the right speed.
PUNCH CRUMB PASTE
If you don’t want to fork out for a ready-made paste, you can make a very simple, yet highly effective version of your own using punch crumb. This fine white breadcrumb is normally mixed very dry, and used for roach fishing, but mix it wetter and it becomes a brilliant paste. Carp love the taste of bread, and it has a nice off-white colour too.
It can also be flavoured and dyed very easily, making it perfect for customising to your own specifications.
“Puncture the skin of the bait so it will retain more of your additives”