| Location location location! | | | | acids 'bait glugs', 'dips' etc. Add lobster |
| | | | extract liquid to add a different alkaloid |
| First find your fish; they may be indicated | | | | (betaine) source, by pre-freezing your baits |
| by other anglers catching fish, or come from | | | | in it! |
| where you caught previously. Past year's | | | | |
| records of hotspots and over - wintering | | | | The advantages of using sweeteners: |
| areas can be very useful. But these can vary | | | | |
| according to a season's dominant prevailing | | | | Scientifically it has been proven that when |
| winds directions and temperatures. | | | | provided with two identical fully balanced |
| | | | foods but one is sweetened, carp will prefer |
| Also fishing pressure, food availability, | | | | the sweetened one! Carp love them! Sweeteners |
| changes in the lake bed caused by moving / | | | | can vary from artificial ones like saccharin |
| feeding carp, other fish present, e.g.; big | | | | to natural fruit sugars like fructose, and |
| over - wintering catfish etc can alter | | | | from liquorice extract to 'talin' (an |
| 'holding areas! Snags in the water like | | | | exceptionally sweet bark extract), to |
| fallen trees, rocks etc, silt beds, gravel | | | | molasses (a great nutritional betaine |
| bars, old water lily beds, dying weed beds, | | | | source.) |
| water inflows, overhanging trees and bushes | | | | |
| can all hold fish and all are worth a try. | | | | Palatability is a critical factor in carp |
| | | | baits - why do you think tinned and |
| Also investigate cut - away banks, undercut | | | | pre-packed food producers put so much sugar, |
| margins, shallow margins in shade or sun | | | | salt and taste enhancers in. They even add |
| where rolling / bubbling fish may be | | | | sugar and salt to the brand new 'genetically |
| observed, in winter on the end of a warmer | | | | modified 'super sweet' sweet corn in the |
| wind or the back of a Northerly wind. | | | | cans. Sugar is addictive incidentally! And |
| | | | salt is vital to carp nutrition and balanced |
| Reed beds, underwater humps, troughs, 'food | | | | physiological health… |
| traps' along the prevailing winds lanes, | | | | |
| dips, smooth hard areas may well indicate a | | | | Using 'single hook baits:' |
| feeding area as will old silted up areas with | | | | |
| bloodworm beds, that produced fish previously | | | | Carp seriously 'know' their aquatic |
| in warmer times of the year. | | | | environment and if anything happens or |
| | | | changes they are very quickly aware of it. |
| Try places where there are sudden changes of | | | | Putting single highly flavoured / coloured |
| depth as many harbour attractive natural | | | | baits out to perhaps known feeding / holding |
| food. Especially gravel slopes, mud humps and | | | | spots is a productive method at times, |
| ledges around islands, and at the edge of | | | | especially if fish are wise to beds of bait |
| weed beds. Casting around to find underwater | | | | and may feed on hook baits more confidently |
| debris and old dying weed can help locate | | | | sometimes when they are 'solitary' ones with |
| fish too as these areas harbour natural food. | | | | no free offerings nearby. |
| | | | |
| Studying quiet, or under-fished areas, | | | | Fishing upper water levels: |
| 'un-pressured' areas can be very revealing. | | | | |
| Often the biggest fish are often caught in | | | | Very often anglers blank and don't catch |
| the areas where the most bait goes into a | | | | fish, even though they may see the odd carp |
| lake. I know big fish man Dave Lane would | | | | roll in their swim while fishing. This could |
| agree on this, regarding his UK fifties!!! | | | | be they are fishing hard on the bottom, where |
| | | | perhaps the fish find it uncomfortable to |
| Often in winter carp can be located in maybe | | | | feed; perhaps water temperatures / water |
| 1, 2 or just 3 areas of a lake and will be | | | | oxygen content / water PH is not quite right |
| shoaled up tightly together. Casting all | | | | for carp to feed there at that time. |
| around the lake with a small lead and braided | | | | |
| line methodically until you feel 'bumps' as | | | | However, often carp will sit suspended in the |
| you wind in (that are not there next cast) | | | | mid to upper layers of the water where it's |
| could be fish! | | | | more comfortable for them. Float fishing can |
| | | | work here or try 'zig - rigs'; these are long |
| Moving your hook baits every hour may be | | | | hook links with buoyant baits on the hook |
| productive as you may find this roving | | | | used to intercept those mid water carp - it |
| approach lands right next to a fish or | | | | can really work! |
| disturbs them into fresh activity / or | | | | |
| 'hearing' your bait land and investigate out | | | | Using poly vinyl alcohol ('P.V.A') bags / |
| of curiosity. | | | | stringers paste / boilies mixed: |
| | | | |
| Some say use smaller baits on the hook in | | | | How about trying milk powder and powdered |
| winter, and I agree here. I've had more takes | | | | flavours with sugars in P.V.A bags along with |
| on these and I use small baits in P.V.A. bags | | | | your favourite 'bag mix'. Try coffee powders, |
| or on stringers, especially using pastes and | | | | cocoa powder, or perhaps raw cane molasses |
| par - boiled baits mixed with quick | | | | for a different effect. There are so many |
| dissolving bait / fishmeal pellets. | | | | 'alternative' attractors available which can |
| | | | be more effective as the fish may feed more |
| Bites in winter can be very deceiving indeed | | | | confidently on 'new' ones they have not been |
| and your indicators should ideally be set to | | | | caught on yet! Always buying those 'fishing |
| maximum vibration / sensitivity as often just | | | | shop' baits can lead to a reduction in your |
| one or two 'bleeps' could be a hooked fish | | | | catches! |
| spinning or shaking it's head trying to spit | | | | |
| the hook while just 'sitting' in the water | | | | Advantages of using ingredients and |
| static without running. | | | | attractors that promote a feeling of |
| | | | well-being and health in carp: |
| 'Rod knocks' can really produce carp that | | | | |
| were perhaps only lightly hooked; Try quickly | | | | Put ingredients in your baits that help the |
| 'twitching' your rig with a swift pull on | | | | carp and they'll reward you by liking your |
| your line by hand to hook the fish! | | | | bait more! Such effects could include: |
| | | | thinning their blood, helping them break down |
| I have found that the old traditional ground | | | | glycogen in the liver faster, or speeding up |
| bait composed of broken up stale loaves with | | | | digestion, improving effective assimilation |
| loads of extra highly attractive additives | | | | of food, cleaning the carp's blood, |
| and extracts, like those containing alkaloid | | | | stimulating the nervous system, stimulating |
| substances you would use in your boilie base | | | | the immune system, triggering digestive |
| mixes work very well. | | | | processes in / around the carp's digestive |
| | | | tract, giving carp an immediate 'high' by |
| This form of ground bait is not used so often | | | | using Opiate Alkaloids e.g., in wheat and |
| these days in the UK. Added 'live food like | | | | milk… |
| maggots / worms bring much needed activity to | | | | |
| the mix, and often will attract other species | | | | Avoid using eggs in winter baits: |
| to feed first which stimulates the carp to | | | | |
| follow just in time to polish off your hook | | | | Because of digestive inhibitory factors in |
| bait! | | | | egg white there are great alternative |
| | | | chemical and physical binders that are far |
| On that note using a plastic 'feeder cage | | | | better for beneficial fast digestion. Add |
| lead' wrapped in fast dissolving / breaking | | | | Lecithin's to baits for cold water conditions |
| down ground bait as in the popular 'method' | | | | for when water temperatures drop below 10 |
| is a great way to 'build - up' and feed your | | | | degrees Celsius. These help make fats water |
| swim with fast acting attractors importantly, | | | | soluble and available as energy to carp. Once |
| without feeding up the fish! | | | | inside carp these have more scientific |
| | | | nutritional and health benefits too! |
| This so often can produce smaller fish too, | | | | |
| e.g., using 'artificial maggots or sweet | | | | Using Paste hook baits and adding pre - |
| corn' on the hook, but I was at "Rainbow | | | | digested proteins: |
| lake" in France when Martin Locke (boss of | | | | |
| "Solar tackle" caught his very first 60 pound | | | | In added layers around your par - boiled hook |
| carp on 'the method'. | | | | baits, or normal boiled hook baits for |
| | | | amazing carp attraction. |
| Find your fish and give them some bait! | | | | |
| | | | Neutral baits: |
| While fishing ideally use quantities of fast | | | | |
| dissolving baits that can really turn the | | | | Baits made with the minimum ingredients that |
| fish onto feeding without filling them up or | | | | have ever been tested or eaten before by |
| suppressing their appetite! A period of pre - | | | | carp. Try to create a 'carp friendly' safe |
| baiting quantities either while fishing, or | | | | bait with minimum 'danger reference points' |
| introducing bait into areas where warmer | | | | regarding over-used ingredients flavours and |
| winds drive into or afternoon sun can heat | | | | attractors - the aim is to be original and |
| up, not fished at the time, or while not | | | | different to fool those 'angler trained' |
| fishing. | | | | carp! |
| | | | |
| Or any area that potentially could hold or be | | | | Changing and manipulating carp's usual |
| a feeding area or a 'safety area' where fish | | | | sensory 'danger reference' points: |
| may move to de - leach themselves or bask in | | | | |
| top water levels as sunshine hits the water, | | | | Regarding your baits, rigs, hooks, leads, |
| or in / adjacent to snags etc; I remember one | | | | lines, baiting patterns, attractors, bait |
| winter finding fish literally 'stacked-up' | | | | ingredients used, and excluding carp the |
| tightly together in a depression within an | | | | maximum number of danger signs from baits, |
| extensive weed bed of dead 'Canadian pond | | | | rigs, hooks. |
| weed.' at Shotgate reservoir, Essex UK 1984. | | | | |
| | | | Herbs are great in carp baits: |
| These fish were very easy to catch for a half | | | | |
| - hour period each day and this time was like | | | | They especially aid digestion and affect the |
| 'clockwork for a period of about 3 weeks in | | | | beneficial physiological and stimulatory |
| December. Each day the feeding time changed | | | | systems and processes in fish. Good examples |
| by about 10 minutes so it could be charted | | | | are fenugreek, Dill, Basil, ginger, |
| and 'kick-off' could be predicted extremely | | | | peppermint, garlic, onion, etc. Winter |
| precisely. It was exceptionally fruitful and | | | | spices: Use them raw in P.V.A. bags; 'Curry |
| exciting fishing and I kept the action going | | | | powders' are nature's digestive stimulators! |
| by using lots of basic, simple small roughly | | | | |
| chopped 'par-boiled' and paste balls; yeast | | | | Look at the ingredients in curry powder and |
| based milk protein baits with added coffee | | | | discover the richness of these amazing |
| and chocolate drink powders. (For extra | | | | extracts and powders. These promote that |
| attractive 'alkaloid' content - they're | | | | familiar 'just one more please syndrome' |
| addictive!) | | | | (alkaloids do this - think nicotine!) This |
| | | | effect can over - ride the 'I'm full up now' |
| I also added "Ultra Spice" and "Chocolate | | | | brain signals to the digestive system; to |
| Malt" flavours at 4 millilitres of each per | | | | produce you more carp takes! |
| pound of dry mix. I also a liquid protein | | | | |
| source additive (Rod Hutchinson's "Regular | | | | Creating an exceptionally carp - attractive |
| Sense Appeal" at about 60 millilitres per | | | | 'salt hot spot': |
| pound of bait. And I used this in dips too) - | | | | |
| awesome stuff. Carp stimulating alkaloids are | | | | Really pull in the carp by using high levels |
| excellent when used in winter baits | | | | of mineral rich sea salt in your free baits / |
| especially! For example betaine / betaine, | | | | ground baits for freely released, highly |
| and others e.g., as found in coffee, corn | | | | attractive mineral salts into the water |
| steep liquor, molasses, black pepper, cayenne | | | | around your baits. (Many minerals are |
| / chilli peppers, etc, and similar compounds | | | | essential in carp' diet) |
| such as in hempseed. | | | | |
| | | | The importance of maximising the use of pre - |
| In winter, keep feeding your bait into your | | | | digested 'whole' protein foods and meals in |
| water; feeding the carp regularly is | | | | your baits: |
| essential. E.g., 2 or 3 kilogram's or more in | | | | |
| your chosen swim at least every 2 or 3 days. | | | | For optimum nutrition in cold water and |
| This encourages carp to come looking for food | | | | fantastic attraction, the properties of these |
| regularly and get used to your 'safe' free | | | | carp foods that release those extra soluble |
| baits. It also prevents carp from changing | | | | 'free amino acids' are fantastic carp |
| their diet onto natural food, or even | | | | catchers. |
| stopping feeding or visiting your swim | | | | |
| altogether! (Not good!) | | | | Maximise the 'curiosity value factor' of carp |
| | | | behaviour: |
| I think regular baiting is the major factor | | | | |
| in long term consistent big carp fishing | | | | Use mud or soil, fine ground bait and frozen |
| success especially in the winter! | | | | bloodworm, to cloud up the water to produce |
| | | | so called 'slop' ground baits. Try crushed |
| Fish pulling methods to trigger fish feeding: | | | | cooked fermented mixed seeds for maximum |
| | | | clouding and attraction effect for prolonged |
| Try using dissolving baits, Poly Vinyl | | | | intensive feeding. Optimise highly coloured |
| Alcohol (water soluble) stringers with baits | | | | boilies by mixing colours / even types of |
| on or P.V.A. bags. These are excellent for | | | | boilie base mixes with different colours to |
| delivery of larger quantities of bait, | | | | make your feeding area a bit different! |
| maggots and even oil based liquid attractors | | | | |
| into your swim, or even fine ground bait or | | | | Using 'instant baits' for opportunistic carp: |
| pellets etc. | | | | |
| | | | Most carp can live on natural food and low |
| Add some natural butyric acid to boost your | | | | protein baits without affecting fish health |
| winter baits: | | | | and fishing results too much short term. But |
| | | | you may need to keep ahead of carp's 'danger |
| For great added attraction, simply add finely | | | | recognition' by association with getting |
| grated parmesan or blue cheese. These baits | | | | caught on them on 'pressured waters'. |
| have been proven fish catchers for years; | | | | Constantly change the flavour or attractors |
| it's their butyric acid content, quite apart | | | | you use, in your low protein baits and stay |
| from their fat / protein / salt / taste | | | | ahead of the fish!) |
| enhancing properties! Adding generous amounts | | | | |
| of vodka to your hook baits and ground bait | | | | Of course on a small fish water / 'hungry |
| has a similar effect at times! | | | | water' or water where fish feed throughout |
| | | | Winter - time then these cheaper plentiful |
| I'd like fastest to digest bait possible | | | | baits will be part of the carp's 'staple |
| please! | | | | diet' and will be taken habitually anyway. |
| | | | |
| Why we don't use beef for carp baits much! | | | | Over - flavoured or over loaded-attractor |
| (It's not just cost) And use quality fish / | | | | boilies: |
| milk proteins instead! The time taken to | | | | |
| digest food and the 'negative energy | | | | E.g., (Using double the recommended flavour |
| expenditure' cost of digestion of beef in | | | | levels.) Cheap low protein baits such as the |
| contrast to fish, turkey or chicken partly | | | | semolina and soya flour based ones, (some |
| demonstrates how fish nutritional bait | | | | with added fishmeal or bird foods, are |
| requirements need careful consideration, | | | | excellent winter baits. 'Attractor baits' |
| especially in cold water / slow metabolic and | | | | that fit into this category mainly exploit |
| digestive rate conditions. As a personal | | | | one or two facets of carp attraction |
| example - you remember that 'constipated / | | | | involving flavour smell or bait PH. Some |
| 'full' feeling after a large beef meal don't | | | | baits may have added attraction e.g., betaine |
| you? (You don't fancy much to eat | | | | source like corn steep liquor as an added |
| afterwards!) | | | | 'food' source signal,; so fooling the fish |
| | | | that their nutritional reward for eating this |
| Ideally use the most easily digested baits / | | | | bait will be greater. |
| fastest dissolving baits / free bait: | | | | |
| | | | Fishing by 'Stealth' with float fishing |
| For the most winter takes. NB: Natural baits | | | | tactics in marginal areas, snags or tricky |
| like maggots are ideal, being already mostly | | | | areas where static conventional 'rods behind |
| liquids! | | | | alarms' and conventional line angles are a |
| | | | barrier to success: |
| Highlight your baits in winter: | | | | |
| | | | Stalking improves chances by you actually |
| With high visibility 'Day - Glow' powdered | | | | finding fish, finding fish holding features, |
| dyes in your baits (edible ones only!) | | | | and actively feeding fish you may have |
| Popular examples are white, yellow, orange, | | | | missed! It takes advantage of a more quieter, |
| pink and red. Charging - up the new | | | | subtle fishing approach which also avoids |
| 'artificial' plastic baits e.g., shaped like | | | | those nasty 'dangerous' tell - tale lines |
| sweet corn with ultraviolet light makes these | | | | running through your swim at the usual angles |
| baits actually glow in the dark! They do seem | | | | to fishing spots. |
| to make some difference to action in low | | | | |
| light conditions, but work well during | | | | (Those pesky carp can turn up in the most |
| daylight hours too and can be used on a hair | | | | surprising places in winter - e.g., in 1 foot |
| in conjunction with your boilie bait! Similar | | | | deep margins and mid - water over the lakes |
| style luminous plastic pop-ups, in | | | | deepest 'hole' for example. |
| conjunction with balanced and over - weighted | | | | |
| boilie baits, can produce extra takes too. | | | | Your carp may not be feeding, but at least |
| | | | you've located fish! I once found a 'common' |
| Natural baits and 'traditional' baits: | | | | carp of around 20 pounds in weight, only a |
| | | | foot away from the grassy bank, one sunny |
| E.g., utilising the effectiveness of frozen | | | | afternoon. When I tested the fish's awareness |
| bloodworm in a feeder and using artificial | | | | reactions, I was very surprised to find I was |
| blood worm on the hook, and ground bait to | | | | able to literally lift it right out of the |
| really get takes when it's really cold and | | | | water and onto the grassy bank! Whereupon I |
| carp seem to have 'turned right off and | | | | replaced it gently back and it slowly swam |
| 'hibernated'! e.g., bagging up flavoured | | | | away! It was an extremely cold January and |
| maggots etc to build up a swim - pre-empting | | | | the water iced over most nights. |
| known feeding times in winter to prepare the | | | | |
| swim in advance. E.g., with feeding triggers | | | | Using double, treble, sliding hairs, sliding |
| soaks / dips, e.g. luncheon meat and spice | | | | rigs, or long length lead back stops to 'trip |
| oils / aniseed oil, e.g., flavoured worms, | | | | - up' slow moving wary carp in winter: |
| maggots with "Tutti Fruity" or "Scopex" | | | | |
| flavours or "Robin Red" liquid additive etc. | | | | Using different types of baits on different |
| | | | hairs, using multiple tiny baits on multiple |
| Use maximum attraction, high leak off soluble | | | | hairs. These are two methods many anglers |
| pastes: | | | | forget when times get tough, and fish are |
| | | | more 'picky' about the baits they sample |
| For feeding the swim and moulding on the hook | | | | confidently. |
| / or hook baits e.g., milk proteins, bird | | | | |
| foods, high protein fishmeal e.g., shrimp, | | | | Should you use shorter or longer hooklengths |
| krill meal / shellfish meals / corn steep | | | | and hairs in winter? |
| meal etc. | | | | |
| | | | Each and every design has their day, taking |
| Try adding extra high levels of attractors | | | | into account different types of feeding |
| for extra pulling power, e.g.; green lip | | | | activity / physical conditions. For example |
| mussel extract (betaine source), squid | | | | when fishing in silt, bottom debris, old |
| extract (taurine amino acid source), kelp | | | | weed, over hard gravel, etc. I have caught |
| powder (highly pungent plus packed with | | | | well on very short rigs (three inches) in |
| attractive minerals etc), corn steep liquor | | | | winter where the lake bottom is relatively |
| (Betaine source), various milk powders and | | | | hard and clear of debris. I discovered this |
| extractions (attractive water clouding | | | | length by accident when I kept hooking fish |
| effects, taste /smell; milk sugars, fats, | | | | in winter on tangled rigs! |
| free and whole proteins, etc.) | | | | |
| | | | Adjusting baits of different density, |
| Or perhaps add extra flavours / attractors to | | | | attractor types and rates of leak - off, |
| your swim using dissolving pellets soaked in | | | | weights of leads, hook sizes, hair lengths, |
| attractors with the advantage of not feeding | | | | vary the way the bait and rig move in water. |
| the fish as you would with whole boilies. | | | | It's useful to also vary different bait |
| | | | shapes sizes and bait buoyancies through your |
| Flavours: | | | | session! |
| | | | |
| Take into account that solubility of flavours | | | | All these things can change a blank day into |
| is lowered in colder water. So try over | | | | a very memorable 'red letter day' even when |
| flavouring your baits. For example by | | | | thick snow is on the ground; and your only |
| including raised levels of liquidised liver, | | | | warmth comes from the whiskey in your coffee |
| or pre - digested liver powder, or yeast | | | | flask!!! Cheers! |
| extracts, for extra pungent pulling power and | | | | |
| freely soluble proteins for better | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait |
| attraction. | | | | 'edges' up his sleeve. Every single one can |
| | | | have a huge impact on catches. (Warning: This |
| Adding taste enhancers promote more intensive | | | | article is protected by copyright, but |
| feeding and alter the bait taste profile. | | | | reprints with a link are OK.) |
| Yeast extract or grated parmesan cheese | | | | |
| contain a very carp attractive amino acid. | | | | By Tim Richardson. 'The thinking angler's |
| Spices, sugar, salt all add different bait | | | | fishing author and expert bait making guru. |
| benefits. Really take advantage of amino | | | | |