How To Catch Carp When It Gets Really Cold
Winter can be one of the most rewarding times to be out on the bank chasing carp, but it can also be one of the hardest. Cold temperatures can impact the carp's metabolism and their eagerness to feed, reducing the chance of them taking anglers' baits. Follow the tips in this article to keep catching in the cold...
The cold weather of winter is here. Icy mornings, scattered snow storms and darker days will be the norm for a couple of months. But this doesn't mean you need to hang up the Rods and stop carp fishing. Fish can still be caught, you just need to be a little clever about it...
BE THERE FOR THE FEEDING WINDOW
No matter how cold it gets, it is important to remember that carp will feed at some point during a 24 hour period. That feeding spell, however, could only be a matter of minutes and may well occur at any time, day or night. A predictable winter bite time is just as the light starts to fade in the late afternoon. But these times could vary with temperature fluctuations and any extra heat caused by sunlight or wind and will even vary venue by venue.
With this in mind, winter carp fishing is a time to get yourself positioned comfortably on the fish and simply wait for them to make the next move. They likely won't go far, even if you start catching them.
THE FISH WILL BE SEEKING SANCTUARY
The colder it gets the more the fish will gravitate to certain areas of the lake, likely in groups. Find one, and you may just find a lot!
Deep water with a silty bottom is a prime area to find carp in the cold, they like burying themselves in the mud, a little like pigs. Another reliable spot is snags, in the shape of fallen trees and particularly dense reed beds. Here the fish can lie up very lethargically in complete safety. If the same reed bed receives direct sunlight, you may well find the fish stay in this area all winter during the daylight hours. Likely making a short migration to deeper water nearby in the hours of darkness.
DON'T IGNORE THE THERMOCLINES
On particularly deep lakes, you may well find the fish spend almost all their time off the bottom, sat in the warmest layer of water. This makes them extremely vulnerable to Zig Rigs positioned in their view.
To get the best from Zig Fishing you need to know the exact depth of the area you're casting and then experiment with the height of your Zigs until you get a bite. It's also worth playing around with Hookbaits, as a change of colour or an additional topper in the shape of some wriggly maggots can make all the difference.
Don't think you can only fish Zigs in the day time either, some of the best carp in the country have been caught in the colder months on Black Foam Zigs left out all night. The carp will find them!
MAKE YOUR BAIT DIGESTIBLE
Bait is a big consideration in cold water carp fishing and something anglers regularly get wrong. As a rule, always start cautiously, but don't think if the fish are having it you can't give them more. The key with bait really at this time of year is that it should be as easy for the carp to digest as possible. Crumbed Boilies, Sweetcorn, Maggots, Worms and Casters are the best choices.
Try to stay clear of items like Nuts, High Oil Pellets and bulky particle mixes in the winter. The fish may well still eat some, but if you feed too much, you risk the chance of filling them up quickly.
HOOKBAIT ATTRACTION IS VITAL
With fish more lethargic than ever, it has never been more important to make your Hookbait really sing for you. There's a mountain of ways to do this too. Most choose bright colours such as yellows, pinks and oranges in the colder months. You can enhance that visual appeal even further, however, with a 'topper' of Maggots or Worms. Simply Floss them to the top of your Hookbait, a task easier performed with our Tweakers Eyed Bait Screws. Don't like handling live baits? You can create similar attraction with our artificial Bloodliner Tippers in the Revibed Range.
It isn't all about the visuals either, having a Hookbait that is slowly pumping out attraction will get you more pickups than one straight out the tub. Make the most of products like Goo, as well as other Dips and Glugs. For something totally different, why not try plugging our Revibed Corn Caves or Bait Orbs with an attractive Paste or even Meat and Bread. All baits that produce bonus bites out of nowhere.
As well as the Hookbait, the area immediately around it needs to be equally as attractive. As we said previously, you don't need loads of feed, but you need to grab their attention. Small Mesh PVA Bags of Boilie Crumb or Chops, Maggots, Micro Pellets, Corn and Bread, are all good options. A real underused edge in this area are small bags of chopped and flavoured Luncheon Meat or Solid PVA Bags of Casters. Try thinking outside the box and you soon find something that sparks life out of the most sleepy of carp.
A RELIABLE POP-UP RIG
In late autumn/early winter, the bottom of most lakes is still littered with debris. Fish will of course still scavenge for food buried in the muck, but with a reduced feeding period, you really need to give them all the help in finding your bait. It's time to get back on the Pop-ups.
Pop-up Rigs don't really get much better than the Spinner, but if you want to stand up a little taller, try the Hinged Stiff Rig. Both presentations can be adjusted to suit any lakebed and can be fished on both Helicopter and Lead Clip Systems. You want to balance both Rigs with our awesome Blend Putty so the Pop-up falls slowly to sit over anything it encounters, but is also not so light it wafts around too freely when a big old half asleep fish approaches it.
Consider that the fish may not be moving that quickly when feeding in the cold, and this could impact the success rate of your Rig. If you're worried about getting done, you could try shortening your Hooklink and using a bigger Lead, but to remove all doubt, our team's favourite is to add the Magic Wand. Don't forget to regularly check your Hook too, and if it isn't pin sharp, Touch It Up or replace it.
FISH FOR LINERS
Finding fish can be one of the toughest challenges as things start to get cold and even if you visit the areas mentioned at the top of the article, you can never be too confident you're bang on them. They won't often show much in daylight hours either, adding to the frustration.
As we move deeper into winter, if you don't have prior knowledge of where the fish are located, one of the best methods of finding them is to fish for 'liners'. These are essentially indications from carp touching your Mainline. You can do this by fishing tight to semi-tight Lines and heavy Bobbins. What you're looking to do is get indications in an area and pull shorter until the bites start. If you don't get any indications in an area at all, you can be confident the fish aren't there. It is then a case of moving about if possible, until you get some indication.
KEEP WARM AND FISH SHORT SESSIONS
Now we have covered the technicals of the fishing in cold weather, lets take a look at the practical reality for anglers. The first is obvious, above all, you need to keep warm! There is so much high quality Fishing and Outdoor Clothing out there these days, that there really is no excuse for being cold on the bank. In the OMC Range we have designed products specifically for cold weather angling. Your feet will be dry and toasty with the Grand Adventure Waterproof Socks and Thermal Thinsulate Fleece Lined Winter Boots, whilst your upper layers will be protected from the cold with the Sherpa Fleece and Berry Toastie Beanie. Keep warm and you'll fish better and harder!
With the short feeding spells common in winter, it really isn't worth you sitting for days on end on the bank. Far better to fish more frequent and shorter sessions. Day trips, overnighters and quick afternoon hits are the ones to keep your enthusiasm high as we move into the colder months. Focus on fining down your gear so you aren't carrying excess baggage. Our Compact Rucksack is worth a look for a Luggage item that really can store it all. You won't need to take a big bulky Bivvy either if you're armed with the Noble Wind Shelter - a package that packs down so quick and small it fits in the passenger footwell or boot of any car!
Do some or all of the above and we are sure you'll have a fantastic winter on the bank, when others likely will have given up. The fish are big at this time of year, the colours are fantastic for photos and you'll be able to get near them on even the busiest of waters. Get the gear out and go cold water carping!
Journalist Chris Haydon joined the OMC Family in the spring of 2024, after six years working for the UK's number 1 fishing publication, the Angling Times. He is a keen Coarse and Carp Fishing All-rounder, fishing in the South West region, including the famous Cotswold Water Park.
