Cold Water Carpin'

[louis]

Now, I’m going to be honest with you right from the off – my experience of cold water Carp fishing is entirely limited to my experiences in the UK (this being my first winter in the US) but I have had reasonable success doing it and I figure the US Carp are not going to act too differently from their European cousins. Also what I write is related to true cold water and not winter as experienced in some of the Southern States which frankly is like a heat wave compared to the UK even in summer!

Carp, like all fish, are cold blooded so their activity levels and hence appetite are generally affected by the water temperature. I say generally as there are a few exceptions and there are ways that the Carp’s natural behavior can be influenced by the angler………read on.

LOCATION

An excellent winter swim. Overhanging trees, sheltered bay and a gravel bar running from the bushes on the right to the island middle left.

I’m sure nobody will disagree that the most important factor in successful Carping at any time of year is location. It’s no good fishing 100’s of yards from the nearest fish no matter how good your tackle or bait is – you might just as well be at home with your feet up! Location becomes even more critical in winter as the cold temperatures will make the Carp less inclined to roam great distances in search of food. In fact they may not roam at all preferring instead to find an area where they are comfortable and can conserve energy.

However if you are diligent or lucky enough to find one of these holding areas you can actually enjoy even better sport than during the warmer months – certainly it can be more predictable as the fish will be found in the same location throughout the winter. There’s also a big plus to be mentioned here – in my experience winter Carp weigh on average more than they do during the summer, I guess in part because they are not tearing around burning off energy and hence don’t use up their fat reserves. As an example I caught a 23lb mirror first day of the old UK fishing season (16th June) and caught the same fish again in November at 26lb 14oz. That’s about a 15% weight difference. Frequently they also look even more beautiful in the winter months – somehow they don’t look so tired. Anyway, back to the plot………

I’m going to assume here that you’re not cheating and using one of those echo sounder fish finders but are instead relying on good old fashioned water craft (sorry Phil – in truth it’s just I can’t afford one). Here are a few tips as to where you should search out fish:

* Look for areas protected from the cold winds. My best results have come from areas behind islands or in quiet bays. Conversely areas on the end of warmer winds can be good places to search for fish.

* Look for areas of deep water adjacent to shelves or steep drop offs. Water is unique in that below 3.8 degrees centigrade it becomes less dense and rises to the surface (that’s why water at 0 degrees freezes on the surface and not from the bottom up). Therefore in really cold conditions the warmest water will be in the deep holes. However, shallower water will warm up quicker during mild periods. Therefore deep water near shallower shelves or plateau gives the Carp the best of both worlds – reasonable comfort during very cold spells and the opportunity to move to shallow water if the sun comes out and all without having to travel very far and use up that precious energy.

* Weed beds or areas of vegetation. Carp are always attracted to weed or reeds but even more so in winter. They’ll sit in the stuff. The theory is that the dead, rotting vegetation generates a little warmth. It may be only a fraction of a degree but it’s often enough to make that area just a bit more comfortable than the surrounding area. Also the greatest concentration of natural food will more than likely be in these areas so should the Carp fancy a quick feed it won’t need to work to hard for it. I used to fish a lake in the winter that wouldn’t yield a take unless your bait was placed literally inches from the reed beds that lined one bank. The fish would not poke more than their head out of the reeds to take a bait.

* Slack areas during times of flood. So far I have really only described areas of location in lakes or slow moving water. One of the exceptions I spoke of above involves the Carp’s necessity to become active when rising water levels make it impossible to hold station against strong flows. In these conditions the fish will search out quieter areas where they don’t have to fight to remain comfortable and will use energy in doing so making them more inclined to feed.

* Over hanging trees, bushes, other bank side vegetation and bridges etc. This is one of those areas that sometimes even hold fish when the water is comparatively shallow beneath the branches but it’s often difficult to present a bait there! On waters that freeze, areas under trees or bridges etc will often be the last places to ice over suggesting the water is fractionally warmer in these areas or at least protected from the severe effects of frost.

* Warm water outflows or springs. If you’re really lucky you’ll know of the location of warm water outflows from factories, power stations etc you could be on the one spot in miles where the fish will congregate and feed consistently. To a lesser degree this applies to fresh water springs in lakes as the water coming from deep underground may be just slightly warmer than the rest of the lake.

* Pick a water with Carp in it!! Might sound stupid but don’t waste your time on a water with only a few fish in it. Carp fishing can be tough enough during the warmer months let alone giving yourself a headache trying to catch during the winter.

* Move to California. Only joking!!

On rivers particularly there are other areas that can be productive but I have limited experience of these so have concentrated in the main on still water. Any one of the above areas could be holding spots but find areas that have two or more of these features – especially if there are no similar features for some distance around – and you could have discovered a gold mine. By far the most successful winter swim I ever found was behind an island away from cold winds, adjacent to weed and reed beds with deepish water either side of a shallow gravel plateau. I only blanked once fishing that swim the entire winter!

23.6 common in mid January after a long spell of settled mild weather.

BAIT

I have already said that Carp feed less in the winter due to the fact that they are less active. The conventional wisdom is therefore find the fish but don’t overfeed them or you could turn them off for weeks. Single hook baits with high flavor levels or very light feeding is generally the recommendation. However I’m going to say there is an exception to this rule and this is where the Carp’s natural behavior can be influenced by the angler.

If you are lucky enough to live close to your favorite Carp water then keep the bait going in all winter long. It helps if you put the bait in a spot such as those described above but I’m convinced that an otherwise unattractive area can become a holding spot if the fish become accustomed to food going in regularly. I know of a lake back in the UK which is in a popular winter vacation spot where the kids feed the ducks all year round. The Carp have got wise to this and even in the coldest weather they will compete with the ducks for the bread. It’s like the constant availability of food keeps them actively feeding when otherwise they would slow down as the temperature drops.

Brother Adam with a common taken on a single high flavor boilie on a cold frosty morning

A word of caution here, it’s no good receiving this newsletter in January and deciding to start a baiting campaign – you cannot reactivate Carp that have already had their metabolism slowed down with the onset of winter, your bait will likely sit on the bottom and rot. However take this as early advice for next year and keep introducing bait from September onwards!! I don’t mean going to the water once every couple of weeks to throw in a bucket load – I mean going once every two or three days and throwing in a few carefully positioned handfuls. I’m a firm believer in the little and often approach when ever I fish but even more so in the winter - enough to keep them active but not too much as to overfeed them. I used to feed trout pellets and fish boilie over the top but I would imagine corn would work fine. In all honesty I’m going to be bold enough to suggest that I don’t really think it matters what you feed with as long as it’s edible and is introduced in frequent moderation as outlined above.

A small common on a bleak winter day taken on a bait cast tight to the fringe of reeds in the background

WEATHER CONDITIONS

I know we’re talking about winter Carping here but give yourself the best opportunity to catch. The best advice I can give is to go fishing after a settled spell of weather and preferably after a settled spell of mild weather. Others have advised that fishing on the first mild day immediately after a big freeze is a good time as the warming water will stimulate the fish to feed. I’m sure there is logic in this suggestion but for me settled mild weather has always proved to be more productive. I think individual fish become active at different times and the longer the air temperatures are higher than the water temperatures the greater the numbers of Carp will become active and the better the chances of catching.

One thing is for sure don’t waste your time fishing in rapidly falling temperatures in winter as these conditions I have found to be the kiss of death – you’d be better off at home tying rigs.

If I were still in the UK I’d also mention that winter was often one of the only times of the year that you had the chance of having the lake to yourself as winter fishing doesn’t appeal to everybody and the lakes are generally deserted. You don’t exactly have that problem here – the lakes are generally deserted all year round!

Well there you go - hardly the definitive guide to winter Carp fishing but hopefully a few pointers that might help those brave enough try to put a few fish in front of the camera. Good luck!

26.14 mirror in November - up 15% in it's summer weight