TOM MAKER REGULARLY CATCHES THROUGH THE COLDER MONTHS AND HERE’S HOW...
TOM MAKER REGULARLY CATCHES THROUGH THE COLDER MONTHS AND HERE’S HOW...
The most important thing when it comes to fishing in the cold is to pick the right venue. I try to fish lakes with a good stock of carp, Linear Fisheries being the main one. There is a healthy stock of fish, especially in the Brasenose pits and should you get on the fish, there will be a large number of them competing for the food.
Finding them can be tricky, especially if they are not putting on much of a show. If I don’t see fish, then I try to fish the middle of the lake, or where the bulk of the birds are. The fish will often be close by or underneath the birds and they can be a real giveaway.
On B1, I have found that the majority of the action comes at night, over baited spots. During the day, when it is slow, there are ways to tempt a bite. It is no secret that zigs can work really well during the winter, and this is certainly the case for the linear complex as a whole. When it is really cold, I have found that starting high up and working my way down is best. In 14ft of water for instance, put one at 12, 9 and a 6ft. If nothing happens, they might be even lower down.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN IT COMES TO FISHING IN THE COLD IS TO PICK THE RIGHT VENUE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN IT COMES TO FISHING IN THE COLD IS TO PICK THE RIGHT VENUE.
Instead of fishing plain foam, when it’s hard to get a bite, I like to floss a few maggots on top of it too. This extra movement, colour, smell or whatever it may be that attract the carp, seems to work really well and that little bit extra effort can go a long way.
When it is time to fish the rods on the bottom for the night, I vary my mix, but my go to is a mix of Manilla and corn, with a good helping of the Cloudy Manilla Liquid. I like to add the baits to lake water when I arrive, then add the corn with the juice, followed by the Cloudy Manilla. The baits will soften and appear washed out, but the Cloudy liquid and natural juices from the corn will soak back into the bait.
I ALWAYS THINK THAT 12 ACCURATE SPODS IS ENOUGH BAIT TO GET YOU STARTED.
I ALWAYS THINK THAT 12 ACCURATE SPODS IS ENOUGH BAIT TO GET YOU STARTED.
I do this when I arrive, so the bait is ready for the evening bait up. The amount you put out is purely down to how well the lake is fishing or the amount of activity in front of you. I always think that 12 accurate spods is enough bait to get you started and you can build from that. Conversely, there are times where the activity in the swim or favourable weather conditions can make me use a bit more bait, even up to 35 spods.
It is important that you try and bait as accurately as possible and cast the rigs tightly together on the spot too. That way if the fish hit the baited area, there will be a good chance that when you get a bite, a few more won’t be far away.
With the rods being so close together, the last thing I want is the fish to take out the other lines. This is why I fish a fairly tight line, so it doesn’t take on water and droop down, making it easier for the fish to wipe out the lines. If they are tight, you can easily pass the rods under each other and prevent the dreaded wipe outs from happening.
With the action often coming thick and fast during the hours of darkness, I am not able to see if the rig is tangled on the cast. This is why I like to use a helicopter setup, combined with a stiff hooklink to prevent this from happening. I use a 360 rig, but a Spinner would also suit, coupled with a 12mm Peach and Pepper Pop-Ups or most recently, a 12mm Mulb. I don’t know what it is about those hookbaits, whether it is the colour or the attractors, but during the colder months they are my go to hookbait.
