subject: Catch Carp In The Winter [print this page] Catching carp in winter features a reputation for becoming complicated but I believe I've developed methods at Vaux which turn the odds in my favour. Let me give you an example;
On Thursday, 24th November a superb helping of mixed giant maize and wheat, cooked and ready in bulk, had been fed to the carp at Vaux more than a deep spot in the middle from the lake exactly where they may be usually fed in winter.
Before this and up to 2nd December, this carp feeding spot couldn't be seen as it is in deep water and there had only been a small amount of carp faeces showing within the lake. Carp faeces indicate what they have been feeding on; these sausage shapes, bound by a glutinous substance in order that they float, are effortlessly recognisable.
Heavy rain overnight on 1st/2nd December brought a superb alter of water into the lake from the river, which always stimulates the carp to feed whatever the time of your year it occurs. On 2nd December I could see an excessive quantity of carp faeces in the lake and at about 11.30am carp started showing over the preceding week's baiting, rolling and jumping out with the water.
At about midday the air temperature was 15 as well as the water temperature 9, so acquiring seen this carp activity, I straight away had three rods out on the deep spot.
I put out two of your rods with glaons packed with maize and wheat, the hook lengths baited with boilies greedy pig style, double 20s, along with the third rod with a pva bag filled with carp and trout pellets, plus a single boilie.
Boilies are not my regular selection for fishing over particles;I commonly use pop-up maize or true maize on the hook length, but the boilies had been readily and speedily out there.
All 3 rods were on semi-tight clutches, no bait runners, and I was utilizing my summertime rigs on each and every of them because they had been currently produced up and attached; fluoro carbon Mainline 12lb, fluoro carbon leaders 2m, 4oz leads, a single with inline and two on distance lead and clips, hook lengths were stiff boom with a short supple section attached, size 6-7 Mugga hook tied KD style (ie aggressively).
At two.20pm both glaon rods went inside seconds of one another, indicating steady takes and resulting in a 49lb 12oz mirror as well as a 48lb 10oz mirror, which had been weighed and returned towards the water.
Both rods had been baited again and place back out towards the similar spot. Distinct boilies were utilised each and every time on the rods, taken from the freezer at random. At 3.30pm certainly one of the glaon rods went once again, with a steady take, which resulted in a 37lb popular. I did not put that rod back out once more.
At four.10pm the remaining glaon rod went, the moment a lot more a steady take, once again resulting in a widespread at 38lb. There were no takes on the rod using the pva bag filled with carp and trout pellets even they they are low oil.
While the carp continued to roll and crash, I finished for the day at this point.
I monitor Vaux lake 365 days with the year. I monitor bait disappearing off the feeding spots by netting and checking carp faeces to assess carp feeding patterns. As I mentioned in my October News Report, 'Chas's fishing holiday', I've identified that some carp, the substantial ones, are eating only the maize and some, the smaller sized ones, are eating only the wheat.
Also in that report I explained my technique mix making use of liquified roach and dace. I initially experimented with this mix when I was fishing with an associate for substantial pike last winter. I baited a set of trebles with roach deadbait which I dropped with the glaon more than an location previously baited with maize and wheat for carp, which usually shows a good deal of activity since the roach feed on this carp winter feed.
As the glaon melts, a chum region is formed about the deadbait and disperses via the water even in winter due to all the oil from the roach. We had excellent results catching pike making use of this system, but we also noted in the time there was an increase inside the carp actively feeding on these spots exactly where the glaons had been placed, resulting in two carp getting caught unintentionally on small deadbaits.
Seeing how this liquified fish glaon stimulated the carp, I have been applying them throughout my summer and winter sessions with a mixture of particle mix and the liquified roach, but on every single session making use of diverse finish bait; greedy pig double boilies as explained above, on a prior session giant pop-up 35mm and 40mm pop-ups and on yet another a combination of giant pop-up greedy pig rigs, double 20s, 30mm and 40mm pop-ups. On each and every occasion I've caught 40lb+ carp
The initial year that I fished Vaux in winter I adopted regular English techniques, making use of smaller leads, scaled down hook size and little baits, and my catches were unimpressive.
During the last seven winters I've adopted distinct tactics and as an alternative to scaling down, I truly use bigger baits in winter, the purpose becoming that Vaux has a lot of natural food coming through at this time on the year and the carp are utilised to feeding on massive baits for example chestnuts, beech nuts, acorns and significant quantities of seed coming off the small trees lining the banks.
There happen to be several anglers over the years who've caught carp on uncooked chestnuts and who have also substituted beech nuts, which the carp absolutely adore, with brazil nuts and almonds, all with superior final results.
