Many anglers hang up their carp rods in the winter months, and lets face it, winter carp fishing can be really hard! But, with a little bit of thought, there are still bites to be had and Angling Technics angler Wayne Box, has these top 5 tips to help you keep catching carp in the colder weather.
I love my winter fishing, quiter lakes, the fish looking as good as they have all year and the fact that it IS a bit harder to catch them in the winter, does make any captures all that more rewarding.
I have been carp fishing for 30 years now, and I fish EVERY winter without fail, so hopfully some of the tips I have to share with you will catch you an extra fish, or at least give you something to think about for next time you are out on the bank.
TOP TIP 1 - ANY FOOL CAN BE UNCOMFORTABLE!
My firs tip for carp fishing in the winter, is be prepared! In this day and age, there are no excuses for being cold, wet or hungry when fishing in the winter, so if you want to give yourself the best possible chance of catching carp in cold weather, get yourself organised and prepared.
Layers are the key to staying warm in the winter, start with a base layer set, long sleeve top and long bottoms, there are loads to choose from but angling brands don't always offer the best deals so check out the outdoor shops and big sports shops like Decathlon and Sports Direct. Then you want a long sleeve tee shirt, some good quality trousers that are ideally waterproof or water resistant, then a good hoodie or jumper.
I always use my ESP 25K Quilted Bib and Brace with the matching jacket, my god they are so warm and I refuse to wear anything else!
Lastly, a good woolly hat will keep the noggin warm.
Get a good stove, kettle and plenty of gas, ideally you'll have a petrol stove such as a Coleman Sportster, they work in ANY weather! Hot drinks will literally keep you going in all weathers, and with hot water you can also make hot food as well.
A good bivvy and a wrap, or a brolly system with the inner skin will keep the heat in and the condensation out. A 5 season sleep system or sleeping bag and a thermal bedchair cover will keep you warm in all but the coldest weather, don't be ashamed to use a hot water bottle, they are a bloody game changer!
TOP TIP 2 - CHOOSE THE RIGHT VENUE!
The second of my top tips for winter carp fishing.
So, what is the right venue? I hear you ask!
For me, the winter is all about getting bites or at least giving yourself the best chance to get bites.
Pick a well stocked venue with good winter form, Sandhurst Lake, Linear Fisheries, Berners Hall Fishery, Todber Manor, Cromwell Lake, Coking Farm, are just a few venues that fish well in the winter BUT will also give you a chance at a big fish as well.
Keep an eye on the catch reports, I will often go weeks without going fishing, then i'll see a catch report where an angler has caught a few and I will be off, there is no point sitting behind rods and knowing nothing is going to happen, so give yourself the best chance.
Listen to the bailiff, they know the lakes inside out, but generally I like the middle areas of a lake, fishing halfway or as far as I can! Assuming that there have been no shows to go on.
Whcih brings me nicely onto a great tip, if you see a fish show, get a single hook bait on it STRAIGHT AWAY! I have lost count of the amount of times I have chucked a single at a showing fish in the winter can had a bite 10 mins after.
TOP TIP 3 - CHECK THE WEATHER!
During the winter, an increase in temperature, even by just a few degrees, can trigger a response from the carp. Couple this with a warm south westerly wind and I will be wheel spinning my car off the driveway and heading to the lake!
You know those days in winter when there isn't a cloud in the sky, the sun is beaming, yet in the shade its freexzing cold? Check out the shallow areas of the lake, of areas where the sun is hitting the water most of the day, I GUARANTEE you there will be carp not far away.
A well placed zig rig or two can often get you a quick bite.
I know some anglers are limited to weekends or certain days of the week, but if you can, try to coincide your sessions with the best chances according to the weather.
TOP TIP 4 - BAITING AND HOOK BAITS!
Number 4 in my list of the best winter carp fishing tips. If you plan on fishing the same venue all year round, if you can keep the bait going in right through the autumn and into winter, the fish will keep feeding!
I would just suggest changing to a more digestible food source from December onwards, but I use my red fishmeal baits right the way up to Christmas time, unless we have an uncommonly cold December.
On the topic of hook baits, bright and sweet seems to be the go to for most carp anglers in the colder months but there are a few tweaks I like to make.
In my spod mix will be maggots or worms, so I like to attach 12 maggots to tip off my pop ups in the winter, I will do a seperate blog on how to tie that up, and I know it sounds like a faff but it really does make a difference and with practice, you'll be able to do it with your eyes closed!
My winter spod mix is as follows -
1kg 12mm Parker Baits Fruit & Nut Boilies that I just crush between my fingers.
1kg of Sweet Corn & the juice
500ml Parker Baits Roasted Peanut Liquid Carp Food
1kg Hemp Seed
1kg Parker Baits OG Fruit & Nut pellet (4mm/6mm/8mm mix).
1 pint of red maggots OR 1kg chopped worm
250ml of hot water
I add the pellet just before I am about to spod out, that way it doesn't turn to mush straight away, give it all a mega mix up in a bucket and let it sit for 10 mins, let the hot water soften the boilies up and give the liquids a chance to do their thing.
On the rig I will have a Parker Baits Washed Out Pink OG Fruit & Nut Pop Up, trimmed down to a barrel shape and topped with 10-12 maggots.
TOP TIP 5 - USE A BAIT BOAT!
I know, I know! You didn't really think I would go without mentioning the number one weapon in my arsenal did you?! I know it may sound obvious for me, the brand manager of a bait boat company, to be bigging up bait boats but hear me out!
Having the boat, with an echo sounder and GPS, has been an absolute GAME CHANGER.
I can turn up at the lake in pitch black and be 110% certain that I am fishing on the right spot, at the right range, in the right area, AND be able to get back to that same spot EVERY SINGLE TIME.
In fact, I will challenge anyone without a bait boat to even be 50% as accurate as I can be with my Technicat Bait Boat and Toslon 640 Sonar and GPS.
There is no way on this planet that I would have caught half of those fish last winter without it.
Check it out here, you will not regret it!
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