I’ve seen people claim that it’s best to fish for liners in the cold. How do I do this?

AThe importance of location is magnified further in winter because carp shoal together in small areas of water that may be half a degree warmer than the rest of the lake. Owing to the high density of carp in such a small vicinity, fishing for liners is a fantastic method to ensure that you’re targeting the right place or, at the very least, ensure that you aren’t in the wrong place!

If I get to my chosen venue and there are no obvious signs of fish, I’ll pick areas of the lake that appear to be the warmest, because these are where the carp will feel most comfortable.

To ensure I’m fishing in a spot that the fish are in, I’ll cast with a light lead to the far margin and fish with a slack line. I’ll use a bright pop-up, such as Citruz, to hopefully nick a bite, but the main thing I’m fishing for is liners.

I’ll fish with a semi-slack line and light bobbins so any fish brushing my line will register as a beep on my alarms.

If I begin to get liners, I know that fish are in the area I’m fishing. I’m then far more confident that my location is correct, and it’s a case of finding specifically where the fish are in that section of the lake.

If I’m familiar with the lake, it would be a case of spreading three rods on to known spots. If I’m unfamiliar with the venue, then I’ll place three rods at different lengths across the lake. I can then reduce the distance from the bank where the fish are. If I’m getting liners on the furthest and second-furthest rod, but not the closest rod, then I know that fish will be between the nearest and middle-distance rod.

If I don’t get liners after the initial farmargin casts, I’ll move to a new area of the lake after an hour or so.

It’s worth noting that due to the amount of casting this often takes, light leads are important. Carp are far less active in winter, but it’s still worth using lighter leads to avoid spooking them. Henry Lennon, Nash Tackle