Cold water carp fishing tactics and tips
Carp fishing in the cold season is not for the "weak", but this does not mean that you cannot catch carp during this period. On the contrary, it is a pleasure to spend time on the shore, where you only need consistency of your actions and, as always, patience. Fishermen have to fight not only with less active carp, but also with more demanding fishing conditions. But the reward will be much nicer.
Carp in the cold season looks its best, which additionally warms the soul. In addition, it becomes much calmer on the reservoir, you can enjoy solitude in nature and fish in any place you like. It is worth considering all these aspects, making efforts, and then the long nights will be full of joy. Next, we've collected the most useful tips developed over the decades, so it's worth at least listening to them.
Searching for fish at night
With the end of mid-autumn, it is impossible to avoid long nights and short daylight hours. This is an integral part of carp fishing in cold water, but you can use it to your advantage. It is extremely rare to see a carp on the surface of the water in winter, but it is at night that it can reveal its presence with a couple of exits. Perhaps this will not be a sign of its feeding, but at least you will understand in which part of the water area the fish is kept. And as you can see, location is a key factor in cold water performance.
Carp fishing at night
Smart fishermen, before setting up their camp, take a long walk along the shore or sit in anticipation to see at least a hint of the presence of fish. The carp moves little with the approach and, even more so, with the onset of winter. Of course, one should not forget about the morning - the best time to search for slaves. But, as mentioned, you should be especially vigilant at night and listen to every surge.
Biting time
One of the most interesting things in "winter" carp fishing is the fairly precise timing of bites, which occur with the same frequency. Once you have determined the location of the carp on the reservoir, you can then understand what time of day it starts feeding. As practice shows, he occasionally comes out of his hiding place and does it at the same time. If you had a bite at 9 in the morning, there is a good chance that the next day the carp will be feeding at the same time.
You can benefit greatly by understanding the times when carp are active, especially if you live close to a body of water. So, for example, I often go to the local reservoir for only a couple of hours in the morning or in the evening, depending on when I had bites before that.
Fishing diary for carp fishing
Choosing a pond for catching carp in cold water
In addition to the drop in water temperature, the nature of the reservoir also affects the activity of the fish, so you should think about choosing the most suitable reservoirs (if, of course, there is a choice). We do not take into account fishermen who spend whole seasons in one place, because they already know their reservoir very well. Having spent several years on different reservoirs in the cold season, you can determine quite precisely where you can get a result, and where you will have to be satisfied only with the beauty of nature.
The secret of choosing a reservoir
Try to prefer a reservoir that is not heavily overgrown with algae in summer and autumn. Such overgrown waters are not the best place for fishing in the cold season. There are exceptions:
- Deep reservoirs with an average depth >3.5 m are also not suitable. Despite the fact that they show well in the fall, with the approach of a significant cold, it becomes very difficult to get a bite in them.
- Small "closed" ponds, protected from the wind, also fall into the black sheet. The presence of wind in the water area is an important factor both when choosing a fishing spot and when choosing the reservoir itself.
- Use FisHub's fishing forecast to get accurate bite prediction.
Look for ponds surrounded by trees.
If the pond is surrounded by trees, it becomes much more difficult for the wind to break through. It is the wind that helps to saturate the upper layers with oxygen, as well as to change the water temperature more quickly, which leads to the activity of carp.
Weather for carp fishing
Without a doubt, the weather affects carp fishing throughout the year. However, in the summer, active carp can be lured by feeding, so the weather will not be an obstacle, but in the cold period, everything is much more difficult. Carp is a cold-blooded animal (body temperature is equal to the temperature of the environment), accordingly, after the water temperature drops below ten degrees Celsius, the metabolism and activity of the carp decrease. At the same time, as underwater observations show, carp continues to feed in small portions even in the strongest frosts.
The weather during this period can be a key trigger for fish activity. A warm wind can quickly revive carp in an open shallow water area. Two or three days of warm weather in the midst of frost is enough to get the fish to start feeding.
Best cold water carp baits
When choosing a bait, you can use previous successful baits in cold water. It is advisable to keep a diary where you can write down all the details of the trips. In this way, it is possible to single out baits that have shown themselves better than others in one or another season.
Recipes for baits
Regarding specific baits - try boilies based on two recipes:
The first boilies have the smell of sour fruits (for example, sour pear) in combination with essential oils and alcohol-based liquids (they allow fats to break down in cold water). Additives containing alcohol allow even heavy fats to dissolve easily in cold water and, as a result, spread the smell better. What color to use? - Try pink. It is worth noting that the pink color is one of the most noticeable under water, which is a plus when catching passive fish. Tiger nuts also can be handy.
The second attachment boilies contain a combination of spicy emulsified oils (spices) with glycerin and fruit esters. These boilies are usually bright white in color (also highly visible under water). Try pop-up rigs for carp fishing and fishing for singles (singles only).
Boilies and liquid additives
Small baits for catching carp in cold water showed themselves from the best side. A decrease in the activity of small fish is beneficial, therefore, in baiting carp, you can widely use loose feeding, crushed boilies. Small particles of loose bait leave an attractive column in the water layer and better stimulate the fish to feed, also their aroma spreads faster in cold water.
Liquid additives are a serious weapon, the main thing is to choose the most suitable for cold water. As a rule, these are liquids obtained from natural products with vegetable oils, CSL (corn syrup), oil. Betaine still works well, but you should not resort to using heavy fish oils, because their solubility in cold water is very low. If you cannot do without artificial flavorings, use only those that are made on the basis of alcohol.
Zig-rig
It must be admitted: foam suspended in the water layer dominates many reservoirs. The cold season is no exception, and, according to many, even the best.
Carp, despite the cold weather and tendency to hide deep in holes, often rises to the upper layers. This may be caused by oxygen levels in different layers of water, pressure or temperature differences. There are many examples when terns managed to catch big trophies on a zig-horn, even when it was snowing at that time! It has been determined that this is one of the most unique and irreplaceable ways of catching carp in the spring and all year round.
What is the best way to feed carp in spring?
Use simple ingredients - boiled hemp (can be ground or not), sweet corn, but not hard (which is in the bazaar, because if it is boiled for a long time, it will be hard), and soft in cans, for example, Bonduel. Or you can use frozen bagged corn (sold in supermarkets). When defrosted, it becomes soft, sweet and juicy. The most important thing is that it gives turbidity when it gets into the water. This is the most simple and working spod mix at this time of the year.
What hooks to use for carp fishing in spring?
Tested by many carp fishers, not only me - these are the small sizes of the hooks. Don't be afraid of this, even a big fish gets hooked. The hook is the simplest - Wide Gape with a wide neck from 8 to 12 sizes. It is preferable that the hook is made of thin wire.
