What Boilie for winter?

[Jeff]

Hi all,

I'm a novice carper whose experience is limited to a local day ticket water during the summer. I feel I did well taking a fare-few fish to 16lb+ on 14mm Halibut pellet fished on the method, cast out every 30 mins or so building up a good bait patch.

Now, after way to much work, I am finally looking to get out again but understand that my previous summer pellet baits and tactics won't be effective in these colder temperatures???

Am I right in understanding that the low water temp's seriously restrict the leakage of the oils and scent from the pellets?

I have also heard that Carp don't feed anywhere near as much in winter and that I will therefore only need to offer just a few freebies upon every cast?

Tactics-wise I assume I should not use the method feeder and just employ a simple running ledger rig???

Lastly, Could you please recommend a few boilie types/flavours to go for, I understand that good old Tutti-frutti works well in winter???

Thanks for your help in advance!

Jeff

 

[Dal (The merchant of Mennace & Don't mess with my]

Hello Jeff, I've been told to use a fish based boilie in the summer and a fruity type in the winter and it has worked for me. Tutti-Frutti is probably the 'classic'. I fish one rod in one spot static and my second rod as a roving rod re-casting every 1/2 hour or so. I wouldn't use the method at this time of year, just single hook baits may be with higher attraction levels than normal. Personally I allways use a semi-fixed (safety) rig.
Lastly mate, these are my personal styles for my lake, all lakes are different and I'm sure that fellas like Big Rik, Cakey etc will be able to help more than me. Good luck.

 

[Jeff]

Cheers Dal, That's a few good pointers there for starters, especially about the fruity baits being best in winter. I also use the semi-fixed safety rigs with some of that tube up the line above the lead.

Btw, Am I best to use a braided hook-link as I do in summer or should I go for some mono or fluro-carbon??? Thinking clearer water, more suspicious fish etc.???

 

[Cakey]

Ive a saying "Id rather have a shit bait in the right place than a good bait in the wrong place" in other words find the fish and just about any bait will work ,this is more so in the winter when they are a bit lethargic and might only feed once a day.
I have caught on fish meals in the winter but one off my all time favourites is DT Baits Green Beast(blackcurrant) in their cold water mix

 

[Dal (The merchant of Mennace & Don't mess with my]

See Jeff, Cakey comes in with good advice again! I have had a few on squid & octopus in the solar club mix on the coldest of days but as Cakey says I think the fruity option is the way!

P.S. Cakey where do I get the green beasties from or do I just Google it?

 

[Cakey]

have a look HERE

 

[Cakey]

funny enough Solars squid and oct is what ive been on for about 4 or 5 seasons now but I have it rolled by The Bait and Feed Company

 

[Dal (The merchant of Mennace & Don't mess with my]

Cheers Cakey, (link is brilliant) been on the squid etc. for about the same time and had some fantastic results. You must have some 'poppey' to have them rolled for you mate!
Jeff, as for hook-links I tend to use fluro in the winter but coated braid in the warmer months.

Cakey, over to you.......

 

[Cakey]

cant tell ya.........................you will rip the pee out of me !

 

[Richard Farrow]

Go on disclose your hook link Cakey, it is the end of the week and I'm sure lots of people could do with a good laugh to start off the weekend.

 

[Keith Moors]

I agree with what Cakey says but would just add that any fruit bait's effectiveness can be increased by adding some chillie sauce for the winter. Pour some over a small bag of boilies before you freeze them and when you thaw them out they will suck in the spice.
I use fluoro hook links always. If you think you might catch more on them during winter when it's hard why change back when the going gets easier? Stick with them and catch even more.
The term "method" is simply just that; a method which works. The problem with it is that people associate it with scalded trout pellets and they are probably not the most attractive to the carp in cold water. However, try to think about alternatives for your feeder ball; bread, fruit flavour mixed with chillie paste and bird seed, etc. etc.
Also, when using a method, winter or summer, try adding some dry (floating) biscuit or pellet just before you cast out. the floating bits will break free and float towards the surface. As they do they will take small particles of your main feed with them. These particles will, at some stage, break off and begin to sink again. You then have a trail of flavour moving up and down through the water levels above your bait which should help to pull the carp down to where you want them.
Be lucky.

 

[Cakey]

as LA said to Victoria "f**k off posh "

thats why I get mine rolled at TBFC that alter it to my spec bit of chili here ,bit of salt there ....................oooops there goes another

 

[Jeff]

I can't thank you all enough, that info is just the ticket and I feel a hell of a lot more confident to tackle the carp this winter...

Cakey,
I reckon you must know Slough House in Bulphan being that you're in Herts?(I know Lee from when I used to live in Cheshunt) If so, can you give me a few pointers on what's best bait-wise etc on this water...???

Cheers again,

Jeff

 

[Cakey]

yep I know slough house had my first cats there ,drilled pellets used to be the going bait but Ive not been there for about 5 years !

 

[Keith Moors]

You certainly can't overdo the salt. Probably the most underrated and overlooked additive. Even in hemp it is essential.

 

[Jeff]

I have used drilled 14mm Hali's in the summer with much success but understood that they would not be so good in the cold weather. Not just there but as a general rule...??

 

[Keith Moors]

Jeff. Virtually all pellets rely on some oil to bind the meal together. In cold water the oil emulsifies and "locks" in the attraction. There is also a train of thought that suggests that the simple "gut" type digestive system of fish doesn't allow them to assimilate any nourishment from the pellets and therefore they "choose" not to eat them if there is a preferable food item available. You could do much worse than using bunches of maggots believe me. Use a sewing needle to thread twenty onto some fine thread and then gently tie them into a bunch onto a D rig. Bingo.

 

[hallmark]

Jeff,

personally i think a high leakage bird seed based boilie is the way to go in winter. Add to that a bright color to try and get curiousity takes as well. Nutrabaits cream cojuicer is white, bird seed and smells like ice cream. oh and has a track record for catching big fish

 

[Jeff]

Keith,
You have summed up what I half gathered about the oils in pellets etc, that is what I had read some time ago but couldn't quite remember.

p.s. what's a D-rig please???

Hallmark,
Thanks for the bait tip there, I have read a bit about bird-seed baits producing in winter. I will give them a go.

One last question, if I'm fishing 2 rods, should I fish one with one bait and the other with another, or is it best to stick to one type to create a bigger draw/scent trail...?

 

[Keith Moors]

You have to do what you feel most confident with. Personally, once i am confident that a particular bait "should" catch then that will be the only bait that travels with me. I have watched so called "field testers" in the past cast out a new bait, normally on the rod which is least likely to catch, give it ten minutes, wind in and change back to their original, tried and tested. The only way to really test a bait is to use it properly, in exactly the way that you would with a bait that you have confidence in. One day you will find the one for your lake and then "ENJOY"