The Recipe For Winter Success

Firstly, I’d generally choose a water that has previous winter form and one that I know I will have a good chance of a bite from during the colder months. These tend to be higher stocked venues compared to where I have been fishing previously in the spring and summer. I used to stay on the same water all year round, but I found that when it came to the winter, I struggled for bites. I spent a lot of my weekends just camping and not even expecting any action for my efforts and this started to affect my spring the following year. Whilst everyone returned fresh-headed for a new season, I was totally burnt out and stuck in the rut of blanking.

Fishing away from my main water over the colder months and getting plenty of bites elsewhere really gives me confidence on my spring return these days and it’s the best advice I can give to someone who tackles the harder big fish waters. I’ve learned the hard way and I’ll always leave for pastures new around November time. 

I also use bait to my advantage, and I don’t necessarily slow up on my baiting. A good digestible boilie like the Cell can be introduced quite regular, and although I bait fairly heavily still throughout the colder months, this is generally at the end of my session. I like to keep bait going into the same area regularly whilst only fishing for a bite at a time during my actual angling hours on the bank. 

A winter hookbait edge for me is glugging my baits or plastics (depending on crayfish activity) in the Supa Sweet Zig Liquid as opposed to the matching food dip like The Cell Hoobait System Enhancer. Carp love sweet things and this liquid is a carp magnet and it most definitely makes your chosen hookbait more appealing to the rest of the freebies around it, give it a try! You won’t be disappointed.