What is the key to success in winter?

1 Kev Hewitt

In summary: Location is key

“Over the past few years I have had some great results in winter and although success relies on a combination of key elements, it has to be said that the single most important contributing factor has to be location. Carp tend to shoal up in the colder months and quite often lay lethargic in certain areas for long periods of time so locating them is massively important. Not only locating their whereabouts but locating the feeding spots within these areas will prove vital when it comes to putting a carp or two on the bank. Keep your eyes peeled and get on them this winter. If you find them, chances are they will not move too far. If you get a bite, get your rig back out on the same spot and the chances are that your next pick-up will not be too far away.”

2 Carl Sharp

In summary: I agree with Kev, location is key

“I would say that the main key element to having any success during the winter period always comes down to location. As the carp’s metabolic rate decreases during the temperature drop, you will find that they tend to hold up in certain areas of the lake where they feel at their most comfortable and will stay for weeks at a time with no real concern about moving on. It is when they are in this state that pinning down the location is almost vital in successfully landing a fish or two more so than any other time of the year. A prime example of just how localised these carp can be to one area became apparent when viewing a video on YouTube last winter from Charlie Blackthorn (of Blackthorn Fishery), in which he had underwater footage of an area no bigger than an oval brolly that was quite literally stacked up with carp (at least 30!). Sardines in a tin springs to mind!”

3 Shaun Harrison

In summary: Without doubt, bait!

“Without any hesitation whatsoever I have to say bait! It is true that carp will pick-up and sample almost every type of boilie introduced but not every type attracts and/or stimulates them into wanting to eat more.

“The second and possibly more vital part of winter bait choice is something the carp can easily digest. If they can’t digest the food reasonably quickly in cold water then it is going to be longer before the fish are feeding again and ultimately can cause health issues if inside the carp too long. Choose to use properly established cold-water baits with proven cold-water track records – you may be surprised how many more winter fish you and others will actually catch.

“You don’t need loads of bait in the winter so treat yourself to a ‘proper cold water bait’. My current cold-water choice is Quest Baits Magnum White and Ghurkka Spice although I have caught countless winter fish in the past on the Fruity Trifle and Rahja Spice.”

4 Leon Bartropp

In summary: Determination

“There are many elements to a successful winter campaign, these range from bait, tactics, observations, keeping warm and near the top of the list is location, but without doubt the single most deciding factor is ‘determination’. When it’s cold, the lake is almost frozen and the pub looks a damn sight better than sitting over a lifeless pond, then the determination to get
out there and do it on a consistent basis throughout the colder months is my single key element to winter success for sure. You won’t catch them sitting at home.”

5 Rich Wilby

In summary: Picking the right venue

“As I’ve got older, maybe a little bit wiser too, I’ve learnt that above all being on the right venue in winter is the most important key for winter success. Some lakes just shut up shop in the real cold months, yes, they may do the odd fish every month, but other waters can be more prolific in the cold than they are in the summer. I’m not just talking about waters stuffed with carp either being the ones to head for in the cold. Some lower stocked venues are simply more productive in the cold because of different factors such as: the weed dies off, the angling pressure reduces massively, natural food is low or the fish become localised in one area so you can get on them every trip.

“It’s not hard to find good cold water venues, the angling press or your local tackle shop will soon inform you which lakes have a good winter track record. Once you’re happy with a venue, get there as much as you can to look and see where the bites are coming from and after a bit of effort you will soon get some cold water carp on the bank.”

6 Dave Levy

In summary: Keep baiting

“There is no single key element to successful winter fishing, it’s more of a collation of efforts. I look at a few things before I pick the water I’m going to fish in the winter: does it have a good history of producing fish through the winter? If it hasn’t, then is it often weedy, as I have found weedy waters are bad winter waters. Once I’ve looked in to this, I’ll start pre-baiting. All you ever hear is single hookbaits are best but they are carp and they need more than one boilie so keep the bait going in little and often. I don’t use as much bait, somewhere around half-a-kilo two times a week – so much lighter than the summer months. You will soon see the carp will hone in on a food source. So for me, part of the key to success is keep feeding them when others aren’t and keep at it while enjoying the winter backspace. You got to be in it to win it.”

7 Ed Betteridge

In summary: Location is essential

“For me, the single most important aspect in winter fishing is location. I know that location is important all year round, but the carp are so much more lethargic in the colder weather and are much less inclined to move to feed. So I like to get as close as I can to where I think the fish are holding and try and place the hookbait right on their noses. Looking out for signs of fish is the key and searching likely areas such as snags and deep margins, but it’s not just about the area they are in. Quite often they are holding in mid-water, so action is going to be very slow if I’m fishing on the deck in 12ft of water and the fish are holding 6ft about my bait. This brings Zigs into play and believe me, they can be devastating in winter.”

8 Simon Crow

In summary: Motivation

“This is one of those topics best suited to Julian Cundiff because the answer is ‘motivation’. Jules is an expert in getting anglers motivated. I once went to one of his talks in the frozen north when everywhere was locked in under ice and snow. After the talk, everyone left the building desperate to go fishing because Jules had motivated everyone into wanting to go! If you aren’t enjoying being on the bank, there’s no point being there. Winter is tough on the mind, lifeless on so many days, blank after blank, dark for hours on end, a true battle of the wits. No ‘wonder rig’ or bait will help you, it’s just a case of sitting and waiting for that one magic moment to arrive, when the carp decides to feed. And when he does, it’s a really magical memory! Winter carping is awesome, and the most awesome carpers around are the ones who endure it.”

9 Jed Kent

In summary: Location is key

“Over the years I have found the biggest key to winter success is location. You might have the best rig and bait in the world but it’s no use if you’re not on the fish. Even if you visit your chosen lake after work or with the missus just walking round and looking, this could lead to seeing a carp show, which could reveal a winter hot spot. Carp tend to group up in winter and on some lakes with a lower stock that could mean just one zone you get bites in but other generally higher stocked waters might have a few zones. It’s often worth fishing for liners to try locate the carp so cast bright single pop-ups regularly to different areas to try get an indication. Use light bobbins and point your rods at the spot with semi-tight lines to help maximise the indications. Keep watching the water at all times to help you find the winter hot spots.”

10 Oli Davies

In summary: Motivation for me

“In my opinion, the most important element to winter success is motivation. It’s all very well having a great winter bait and knowing where the fish will be, but in order to catch them you have to get out there on the bank and do it. How many anglers would love to have a picture of a snow carp in the album? I know I certainly would, and the only way to catch one is to get out there and actually have a bait in the water in these conditions. Often, it isn’t pleasant to be out in, and to combat that, it is important to have the right cold-weather clothing. If you are cold and miserable then you will not fish well, and eventually the motivation will wane. Another way to maintain this motivation is to keep your sessions short, for instance get up early, fish a few hours in the morning rather than suffer a freezing night on the bank. It worked for me two winters ago, when a run of five early morning sessions on my local canal in temperatures as low as -9 culminated in the capture of a stunning mid-twenty mirror.”

11 Ian Poole

In summary: It has to be location

“Whilst stuff like baits and rigs are always important and make up a percentage of the overall picture, there’s no doubt that the answer to this question has to be location. Getting on the fish is massively important at all times of the year but at least if you get it wrong in the summer, the carp are moving around enough to come to you. In fact, on certain waters this can be the best way to target them. However, in winter this is rarely the case and with their feeding times so brief, I for one don’t want to be sat in the wrong place hoping the carp are going to turn up, because it’s highly likely that they won’t. Find where they are and you are three-quarters of the way there to getting some winter action.”