Advice Chaps

[wanderer]

I am breaking my winter tradition next week, as i have the week off for my birthday, can you recommend a winter bait likely to bag me a few fish, normally i would have fermented particle to hand, but not starting this early as a norm, i only produce it in big batches, i was thinking milk protein boilies or fruit based , pineapple used to be my old favourite, any recommendations welcomed, its been years since i ventured out this early, 4 hours planned around lunchtime, catch windows and all that.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Is it Carp fishing that you are contemplating then?

 

[wanderer]

Afraid so Peter, estate lake.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

No problem in that . . . .

I'd be inclined then to use an oily particle mix with a fair amount of shredded Tuna, and its juice, to create a column of flavour and then fish popped-up boilie or pellet over the top of that.

I would probably not ignore the margins either, especially if the temperature climbs even a little during the session.

In that case I've found that flavored crumb (I use tangerine or orange) with a large piece of flake or even a big bunch of maggots are often taken vigorously.

Good luck

 

[john step]

Well done for breaking your tradition.....I may become a habit

The carp in locations I know are still active. Good luck.

4 hours doesn't seem very long to get them going. Does your estate lake have any deeper close in sheltered spots with overhanging trees? You could try putting out the normal carp type rigs on a couple of buzzers and fishing a 3rd with a float and bread flake closer in by the tree line.

Dribbling a few free offerings of pinched flake in these circumstances can pay off.
I watched carp coming up to the top yesterday in that cold snow/sleet for freebie pieces of brown bread.

So can a large lob if you don't mind perch.

Something to consider?



Happy birthday next week by the way

 

[nocturnus anglius]

Small citrus pop ups seem to work well this time of year, I'll be fishing tigers or these pop ups over my mush/soup mix, not to much, just enough to get a bite

 

[Pete Shears]

I would suggest pre-baiting with a few boilies in areas which contain weedbeds,lilies etc in the warmer months - it should get the fish looking for them or use hemp/sweetcorn mix in the same areas.When I fished right through for carp,if I didn't chuck some bait in mid-week I didn't get a run at the weekend, the only times I blanked was when I couldn't get mid-week or the lake was frozen over.