Bait approach in winter?

I don’t think of myself as any type of bait guru at all, far from it. I am more of an “if it catches and works” then continue to use it type of angler. There are so many different theory’s regarding what you should or shouldn’t use it colder months and yes I have been caught up in that over the years. That was until a couple of seasons ago I did something everyone thought I was nuts to try!

The water wasn’t very large but had a very good head of carp in it, so the chance of a winter bite was good. I wouldn’t describe the place as hard but you can certainly blank on there if you didn’t get it right. My approach was to fish through the colder months (it got down to -8 at times!) and to bait heavy with boilies and particles, even I thought I was off my rocker!!!

It was time for my first session. I arrived and had the lake to myself. So after a walk around I decided to fish the deeper end of the lake. In one corner it was sheltered from the wind. I couldn’t have been there more than 30 minutes and a proper fish popped its head out of the lake as if to say “Hi I’m over here”! So without further ado out went a single hookbait right onto its head.  A couple of hours drifted past and nothing. Light began to sink away and again another fish rose in the same area as before and another hookbait cast at it – again nothing.

All night I could hear fish crashing and rolling, a real head scratcher, so just before first light I started the approach I was going to be using. In went 5 kilo of Hybrid boilies and I guess around the same in particles.  This was spread over both rods fished around 10 yards apart. Feeling that I may have over done it I settled down to cook breakfast and have a morning cuppa. No, that wasn’t going to happen.  As soon as the kettle went on there was the unmistakable sound of my buzzer screaming! I was into a fish. After a short fight I was bent down trying to land it the second rod was away! Talk about manic moments…..but with the madness over both fish were safely landed. WOW, I had started my winter season in style but no grace as I was soaked, my breakfast burnt, but I had two nice 20`s to make me smile.

Throughout the day I had absolutely no signs or tell-tale liners to tell me fish were in the area. So, with that in mind, just as the light was fading I baited the spots with another 5+kilos of Hybrid and the same amount of particles.

Again I could hear fish crashing but nothing. That was until first light; just as the kettle went on the alarms were singing.  Bingo! A proper old run around.  I landed my first 30lb fish from the venue – RESULT! All too soon I had to leave. Before I did I made sure I baited those spots… plus a clay spot I had found in the margin to my left.

Cint

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