Cold weather Carpin

[Ben]

I was wondering what sort of approach you guys take now it's turned cold.

I've done very little cold weather carping and haven't been since early november when i lost one one the last morning of my stay. I was looking to do a few night early next year in the hope i can get 1 or 2 in their winter colours.

What sort of things would you change from summer i've been on active 8 all season so was going to keep that. Would you fish the shallows or the deep water? My lake changes from 3 to 18 feet.

Any help would be gratefully received

Cheers
Ben

[scorpio]

You need to keep a close eye on the weather, wind direction, air temperature etc. When it is real cold most fish will go to the deep water but right now the water temperatures are unusually high for this time of year, I would take a late autumn approach, probably the same as you did in November, one thing that you have to remember is that probably not so many anglers are "baiting" up and the carp if they are feeding will probably ne on naturals, i.e. bloodworm, I would definately try a red coloured bait for that reason alone. If it is breezy and the temperature is abouve 9 degrees C try fishing into the wind or with the wind to your left or right and place a bait on the windward bank or near it. If it is a cold wind or no wind try the deeper parts of the lake. If the temperature rises and it is sunny the fish will move to the shallower water at about 1 - 2.30pm. This does not always happen but it is something to think about.

Tony

[CarponlineEditor]

I agree with Tony in much of what he says apart from if the wind is coming from the North or East then make sure you dont sit with it blowing straight at you unless you have arctic clothing on, you will freeze. lol.

I have found that if you can find fish then they will be around the same area in the same conditions in the winter months. I had a 25lb ghosty the other week just by casting to a spot where I had seen a fish roll a week before as the wind and temperature was the same as the day I saw the fish. The weather is not really like the winters we used to have so late autumn tactics should work at the moment.

One thing that I will say on the subject is that the use of stringers or PVA bags can be devastating at the moment. Don't use to much bait because the fish are tending to feed for an hour or so maybe twice a day. Try to fish a couple of twenty four hour sessions to find out when the feeding times are on your water and then after that you can fish at only those times. Once you find the feeding times then they do feed regularly at the similar times for maybe a week or two, sometimes longer. Once you don't get any bites for a while then it may be neccessary to do another twenty four hour session or two to find the feeding time again.

Anyway good luck,

Andy

[ian]

ben what ever you do take plenty of water ,food ,tea ,clothes exstra sleeping bag ,make sure you keep warm
fish a swim with snags ,old lillies ,good bit of diffrent depht and don't ignore margins .try pva stringers strawberry or tuttis and even single diped bait ,just remember whilst your baits out there your in with a chance be lucky ben

[scorpio]

You will probably find the feeding times corespond to water temperature more than time of day, lightness etc. You are right saying late autumn tactics are the way to go at the moment. The water temperatures will plumet as soon as we get frosts and cold daytime temperatures below 4 degrees C, then the winter tactics will be the way to go. A North to South wind via East is a waste of time fishing in unless you are very familiar to the water concerned I would stay at home in those conditions I think or go for some Chub on the rivers instead.

Tony

[Yappi]

A bit off the track here but was the ghostie you caught the big one in Yately match?

[CarponlineEditor]

No the ghosty wasnt from the match lake. It was from a water that isnt an RMC one. But at 25lbs it is still my biggest ghosty. Luverly jubbly lol

[alex]

When it comes to cold weather carping I'm the only one fishing the Tynhersh specimen no one will go near the lake now when winter fishing I take my gear to a hot spot in the summer no matter how far it is I then walk around for 2-3 hours looking for a singal fish to crash only a mounth back it took two laps of the lake which took 1 hour and I found the fish in a summer hot spot I then set up to get a take straight away I then had liners for the rest of the day so keep your eyes open in the summer but don't look for areas where people are catching look for an area where the fish are basking if you go there in the winter you should find one it was the same with bushy park on the inlet swim. Try not to use to much bait a single hook bait I recomend to try a Solar perfect pop up and mabey a diffrent bottom bait I use Tails up it is an exellent winter bait just ask Jim Shelly.
And try shorter sessions to start with and then go for whole weeks if you can survive and watch the wind direction fish in to it this may seem stupid but will make all the difference.