One of the key things I’ve learned over the decades is that understanding bite times is critical to maximising winter carp fishing potential. This sort of information is far easier to come by than other sorts that people are often reluctant to give away, and yet to me it is one of the most important parts of the jigsaw.
During the winter months, while most carp will still feed at least once in every 24-hour period, the timing of the bites can become very marked and narrow indeed. One water I fished a few years ago did most of its bites from 8am-10am, and 6pm-8pm into the darkness. A lot of people fished days only (although you could night fish it) and many would arrive around 8am and then spend the next hour getting everything sorted. Similarly, they’d depart as it got dark, thereby inadvertently completely missing the two key bite times of the day.
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With a little knowledge and understanding they could have arrived at 6am, got everything sorted well ahead of the first phase and then stayed into the evening, thus maximising both key opportunities. It is for this reason that I am always keen to enquire what times the fish have been coming out at and most of the time people are quite willing to share this information. Planning your session accordingly is key to consistent winter success.
FIND THE BEST WINTER CARP FISHING VENUES NEAR YOU IN THIS WHERE TO FISH GUIDE.
Bait Size
Whatever type of bait you decide to use for your winter carp fishing, there’s no doubt in my mind that the smaller your offerings, the greater the chance that the carp will take interest in them. This applies to both hookbaits and background feed.
While some waters do respond to the straight boilie approach throughout the cold weather, they’re vastly outnumbered by the venues that fish better with ‘bits and pieces’ - be that boilie crumb, maggots, corn, Peperami or all of those together!
Liquids also play an important part, and for many years I’ve used a combination of Bailey’s Irish Cream, condensed milk, Amaretto and Cloudy Manilla to create an amazing additive for boilie crumb and groundbait. I heat them gently in a pan to thin them out and get them mixed thoroughly (the condensed milk is particularly ‘gloopy’!) and then add them a little at a time to the dry mix. Make sure you do not add too much and make the bait saturated - the crumb should be damp only or it will not break apart!
CARP CAN BE CAUGHT ON A VARIETY OF BAITS, OUR GUIDE CONTAINS ALL OF THE BEST BAITS FOR CARP FISHING.
Fining down
Being able to fine down your tackle (where sensible) will unquestionably get more bites from winter carp. Changing from your favoured ‘Ronald’ which is big enough for shark fishing and comes ready fitted with pistons and anchors, to a size 8 or 10 hook with a tiny hookbait will get you many more bites! In conjunction with this, dropping the super-thick, rigid resetting booms in favour of perhaps 10lb mono can also make a huge difference.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER DROPPING DOWN THE SIZE OF YOUR MAINLINE IN THE WINTER MONTHS. HERE IS OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST CARP FISHING LINES.
Pick your waters
Generally speaking, the best winter waters are those that are well stocked, usually on the shallow side (less than 10ft) and not too weedy. There are lots of good, well stocked day tickets around and it is always worth asking in your local tackle shop for any recommendations.
Top tips for staying comfortable on the bank
This final tip is a vital aspect of successful winter carp fishing. There are several key things that I’d recommend trying to keep warm and comfortable at all times:
USE A GROUNDSHEET
Always use a groundsheet. Yes, they can be a pain to pack up but this is completely offset by what they offer in terms of added comfort.
USE AN OVERWRAP
Include an overwrap to prevent moisture and ice from forming on the inside of your shelter. This makes a huge difference to your sense of comfort.
USE A HOT WATER BOTTLE
Hot water bottles are old school, but a brilliant edge. They will stay warm for hours and help warm you up quickly when you return to the bag, hopefully after landing a fish.
WEAR THE CORRECT CLOTHING
Make sure your clothing is up to the job by including thermal base layers. A woolly jumper might look ‘carpy’, but things have moved on – get yourself a couple of layers of thermal fleeces topped with a thick fleece lined hoody and a good quality coat. Snoods are also a fantastic addition.
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