In an ideal world, you’d have a productive water stuffed full of carp close to hand, it would never ice over, wouldn’t be too busy and, of course, the carp would always reveal where they were and what they are most likely to be caught on ….. Yeah right!!
I am not sure if those waters exist. I know they don’t where I live and even the most productive waters usually have some negatives to them; too many anglers – so shallow they ice over – too far from home, etc. So, in a real world (hence the title of this piece), you have to deal with what you have got and make the most of it…So it may not be any of the above, but at the end of the day it’s better than being sat at home “pretending” to be a winter carper and punishing the forums. Successful winter carpers go out and do it no matter what and if you want to be successful, this is my guide to the Top 10 realities to being “that” angler in winter. Not the usual 10, but 10 that strike me as ‘up there’ when it comes to doing it in the cold….
1 DOING IT
Yes, actually doing it and not just talking about it. If there is water near you and you want to improve yourself as a winter carp angler, then get out there if it isn’t frozen. Sure, you can come up with excuses about it not being a great, good or even the ideal water, but we can all come up with excuses not to go.
If you’ve got the time (if not, make it), then get out there and do it…if there are carp in your water, then they are possible to catch. Sat at home watching fishing DVD’s and reading magazines ain’t gonna catch you them.
Even if you blank, you will have learnt more by being out there and doing it than talking about it. It teaches you self-discipline and patience and mental resolve….
2 FORGET THE CONDITIONS
As long as you can get a line in the water, it’s worth going and, despite lots of words being written on the subject, I have yet to find any certainties, especially when it comes to this time of year. For every person that likes mild, wet and windy conditions, I can find equally as many who prefer flat calm high pressure conditions.
Certain waters fish better in certain conditions and that can change daily or weekly. So, as long as it’s not frozen, it’s never a waste of time going.
3 THE NUMBER 1 LOCATION AID…
…is actually seeing them show! The summer months tend to be a lot easier to locate carp in, as they show themselves more. In winter, on many waters, they don’t. If you see carp show, that’s where you want to be putting your end tackle, too.
Even on harder waters, occasionally they do show and one show could be all you need.
4 EARS AND EYES
It’s not just your eyes that can locate carp, but also your ears sometimes. With the reduced hours of daylight there are reduced hours of visual observations, so you should also use your ears. I try my absolute best to be as quiet as possible when fishing and, other than packing up, never have my radio on in winter.
Fishing on your own means you can concentrate even more.
With it getting dark at 5pm, it’s easy to get comatose in your Titan, but I try to sit in the open front, watching and listening. Sploshes, ripples and the like can help you enormously.
5 BE MOBILE
Unless you are on a shoal of carp, you may have to set up and move from time to time. If I possibly can, I fish off my Nash Trax Barrow, only setting up when I absolutely have to (due to weather conditions or darkness).
Literally, the only thing off the barrow are my rods and reels, Sirens on single sticks and landing nets. I tend to sit on my unhooking mat or bait bucket, watching the water and hoping for “signs”.
6 MORE IS BETTER
When you fish a water in winter, sometimes more anglers on it is a better, not worse, option, providing they are not firing bait in willy nilly and behaving stupidly.
I let other anglers show me where carp are and are not. You don’t need to be confrontational, but watch what others do, especially when they are catching and you are not.
Is it the white baits they are using? Are they fishing shorter or longer than you? What are they doing that you are not?
Bait confidence is crucial
7 INVISIBLE
I am convinced that carp always know they are being fished for, so the more invisible or camouflaged a rig/end tackle is, the better. Nash D-Cam or Fluorocarbon line that sinks is a big help.
Nash Diffusion leaders (or tubing, if leaders are banned) are a must.
I like fluorocarbon hook lengths or braids which match the lake bed and sink flat. Rub some mud and the braid will do both.
Keep quiet on the bank, so you do not betray your presence, and don’t disturb the swim unless you feel regularly recasting helps.
8 BE CLINICAL
The hooks need to be sticky sharp, so even my Fangs and Twisters get a sharpen (more like a polish, as they are sharp anyway).
The Siren buzzers are set to register any movement at all.
I ensure that the rigs are as well tied as possible and that my casts are spot on. In the cold, there is no margin for error so not only has it got to be right, it has to be 100% as right as you can make it!
9 DISSOLVING FOOD
In winter, I want maximum attraction and minimum food. The only food that the carp can get hold of needs to be attached to a Fang or Twister hook.
For that reason, I love the Nash Soluballs, which I can catapult out or use as stringers. They soon break down into a pile of attractive crumb – perfect for the colder months.
I also like the Chain Reaction from Nashbait, which can be used in a similar way and mounted down the hook length ‘stick style’.
10 PASTE
Another great advantage is boilie paste, which I use to avoid tangles by wrapping it round the hair and hook shank…masses of attraction and nothing for the carp to fill themselves up on! Be it something like the Monster Squid paste or White Chocolate/Amber Strawberry Hi-Viz paste, it’s a massive advantage that many miss out.
And that’s just ten of my top tips for winter carp fishing, which will hopefully help you on any water that contains carp that you are fishing. The first step is doing it and then the rest will fall into place, I promise. Nothing beats hard work…..
Julian Cundiff
Winter Success
