| Location location location! | | | | composed of broken up stale loaves with loads of |
| First find your fish; they may be indicated by | | | | extra highly attractive additives and extracts, like |
| other anglers catching fish, or come from where | | | | those containing alkaloid substances you would use |
| you caught previously. Past year’s records of | | | | in your boilie base mixes work very well. |
| hotspots and over - wintering areas can be very | | | | This form of ground bait is not used so often |
| useful. But these can vary according to a | | | | these days in the UK. Added ‘live food like |
| season’s dominant prevailing winds directions | | | | maggots / worms bring much needed activity to |
| and temperatures. | | | | the mix, and often will attract other species to |
| Also fishing pressure, food availability, changes in | | | | feed first which stimulates the carp to follow just |
| the lake bed caused by moving / feeding carp, | | | | in time to polish off your hook bait! |
| other fish present, e.g.; big over - wintering catfish | | | | On that note using a plastic ‘feeder cage |
| etc can alter ‘holding areas! Snags in the | | | | lead’ wrapped in fast dissolving / breaking |
| water like fallen trees, rocks etc, silt beds, gravel | | | | down ground bait as in the popular |
| bars, old water lily beds, dying weed beds, water | | | | ‘method’ is a great way to ‘build |
| inflows, overhanging trees and bushes can all hold | | | | – up’ and feed your swim with fast acting |
| fish and all are worth a try. | | | | attractors importantly, without feeding up the fish! |
| Also investigate cut – away banks, undercut | | | | This so often can produce smaller fish too, e.g., |
| margins, shallow margins in shade or sun where | | | | using ‘artificial maggots or sweet corn’ on |
| rolling / bubbling fish may be observed, in winter | | | | the hook, but I was at “Rainbow lake” in |
| on the end of a warmer wind or the back of a | | | | France when Martin Locke (boss of “Solar |
| Northerly wind. | | | | tackle” caught his very first 60 pound carp on |
| Reed beds, underwater humps, troughs, ‘food | | | | ‘the method’. |
| traps’ along the prevailing winds lanes, dips, | | | | Find your fish and give them some bait! |
| smooth hard areas may well indicate a feeding | | | | While fishing ideally use quantities of fast dissolving |
| area as will old silted up areas with bloodworm | | | | baits that can really turn the fish onto feeding |
| beds, that produced fish previously in warmer | | | | without filling them up or suppressing their |
| times of the year. | | | | appetite! A period of pre - baiting quantities either |
| Try places where there are sudden changes of | | | | while fishing, or introducing bait into areas where |
| depth as many harbour attractive natural food. | | | | warmer winds drive into or afternoon sun can |
| Especially gravel slopes, mud humps and ledges | | | | heat up, not fished at the time, or while not |
| around islands, and at the edge of weed beds. | | | | fishing. |
| Casting around to find underwater debris and old | | | | Or any area that potentially could hold or be a |
| dying weed can help locate fish too as these | | | | feeding area or a ‘safety area’ where |
| areas harbour natural food. | | | | fish may move to de - leach themselves or bask |
| Studying quiet, or under-fished areas, | | | | in top water levels as sunshine hits the water, or |
| ‘un-pressured’ areas can be very | | | | in / adjacent to snags etc; I remember one |
| revealing. Often the biggest fish are often caught | | | | winter finding fish literally ‘stacked-up’ |
| in the areas where the most bait goes into a lake. | | | | tightly together in a depression within an |
| I know big fish man Dave Lane would agree on | | | | extensive weed bed of dead ‘Canadian pond |
| this, regarding his UK fifties!!! | | | | weed.’ at Shotgate reservoir, Essex UK 1984. |
| Often in winter carp can be located in maybe 1, 2 | | | | These fish were very easy to catch for a half |
| or just 3 areas of a lake and will be shoaled up | | | | – hour period each day and this time was like |
| tightly together. Casting all around the lake with a | | | | ‘clockwork for a period of about 3 weeks in |
| small lead and braided line methodically until you | | | | December. Each day the feeding time changed by |
| feel ‘bumps’ as you wind in (that are not | | | | about 10 minutes so it could be charted and |
| there next cast) could be fish! | | | | ‘kick-off’ could be predicted extremely |
| Moving your hook baits every hour may be | | | | precisely. It was exceptionally fruitful and exciting |
| productive as you may find this roving approach | | | | fishing and I kept the action going by using lots of |
| lands right next to a fish or disturbs them into | | | | basic, simple small roughly chopped |
| fresh activity / or ‘hearing’ your bait land | | | | ‘par-boiled’ and paste balls; yeast based |
| and investigate out of curiosity. | | | | milk protein baits with added coffee and chocolate |
| Some say use smaller baits on the hook in winter, | | | | drink powders. (For extra attractive |
| and I agree here. I’ve had more takes on | | | | ‘alkaloid’ content – they’re |
| these and I use small baits in P.V.A. bags or on | | | | addictive!) |
| stringers, especially using pastes and par - boiled | | | | I think regular baiting is the major factor in long |
| baits mixed with quick dissolving bait / fishmeal | | | | term consistent big carp fishing success especially |
| pellets. | | | | in the winter! |
| Bites in winter can be very deceiving indeed and | | | | Fish pulling methods to trigger fish feeding: |
| your indicators should ideally be set to maximum | | | | Try using dissolving baits, Poly Vinyl Alcohol (water |
| vibration / sensitivity as often just one or two | | | | soluble) stringers with baits on or P.V.A. bags. |
| ‘bleeps’ could be a hooked fish spinning or | | | | These are excellent for delivery of larger |
| shaking it’s head trying to spit the hook while | | | | quantities of bait, maggots and even oil based |
| just ‘sitting’ in the water static without | | | | liquid attractors into your swim, or even fine |
| running. | | | | ground bait or pellets etc. |
| ‘Rod knocks’ can really produce carp that | | | | Add some natural butyric acid to boost your |
| were perhaps only lightly hooked; Try quickly | | | | winter baits: For great added attraction, simply |
| ‘twitching’ your rig with a swift pull on | | | | add finely grated parmesan or blue cheese. This is |
| your line by hand to hook the fish! | | | | just the 'tip of the iceberg! |
| I have found that the old traditional ground bait | | | | |