Closer examination of Bob’s baits showed that he’d brought a wide
selection: not what you would expect for a short winter session,
considering the conditions.
“I like to bring a selection of different baits to ring the changes,
as you can never be sure what the fish will want,” he explained.
“Maggots are the number-one choice, as they’ll catch anything that
feeds during winter.
“Meat, especially a flavoured type, is something I like to use if I start
to get pestered by small fish when I’m targeting carp. This is garlicflavoured, which gives off a good smell in the water. Again, it doesn’t
need to be a big bait; I’ve got some 4mm cubes today.
“Then there’s worms and bread, which are good change baits if I’m
not catching on the maggots,” he added. “I’ve also got some soaked
2mm carp pellets, which I will feed if I don’t get any bites, just to put
a little flavour in the water.”
THE BOMB
Controlled feeding is the key
to catching in extremely cold
conditions, and fishing the
bomb on the tip gives you
control of this seperate to
your rig. It also allows you to
hunt around for fish, working
out where they are before
you feed them.
FISHING A BIGGER
TARGET BAIT WILL
BRING MORE BITES
Bob pointed out that the maggots he was using were almost dead, so
they didn’t bury in the lake bed, and that the way he prepared them
ensured that they didn’t stretch, retained their colour and stayed soft.
“Dead maggots are a good winter bait, but sometimes the way they
are prepared can make them look unappetising in the clear water,” he
explained. “To prepare mine, I place them in a plastic bag, remove all
the air and leave them for two days in the fridge.
“It won’t kill all of the bait, but as you can see, these look like
they’ve just come from the tackle shop,” he added, pointing to the
bait tub full of red maggots.
If you’re going to catch in the cold, you need to locate the fish
before even thinking about feeding, and even then it might not be a
good idea as you want the fish to find your bait rather than fill up on
feed. As Bob stated earlier, he cast around to find the deepest water.
01 Double red maggot is a
catch all bait
02 Flavoured meat cube
targets bigger fish
03 Bright bread punch is a
great colour change bait
04 Classic worm is big
and full of juices
01
02
03
04