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As the seasons roll on into winter fishing can be really tough. We had a wet autumn, with a couple of big storms putting a lot of cold water into the waterways. My syndicate lake rose a metre in 12hours. That is water level, not bank space. In terms of bank space, I had to move my rods and bivvy back 5metres. The constant cold water going in from rain, flowing in off the land and inlet stream put the fish off feeding. I don't know the depth or size of your lake, but walking and watching may or may not show you where the fish are, it may be that you have to fish it, a different area each time. It's so tough as so many different possibilities. It may be that the carp have been an learnt to avoid hi-viz/hi-attract pop-ups in the obvious flavours that 'everyone' uses. They may take a washed out pink or white bait, they may prefer a food bait, or even the 'smell' created by liquidised corn, or liquids in PVA bags. It may be that silver fish feeding attracts them. Watching the birds can be useful. Coots can suddenly surface looking flustered if they come across a big fish, it might be a pike, but it can be a carp. Fizzing in winter is not always carp, it can be a pike hitting the lakebed or turning the bottom as it hits a fish. 2 or 3 rod limits change how you fish; you have lost or gained an option. I'll go through my 3 rod fishing as that's what I do, but you will have to decide what to drop if you only have a 2 rod limit: Rod 1 is fished with a washed out pink pop-up in my garlic spice combination a thumb length off the lakebed. My lake has a reputation for the occasional winter fish on washed out pink baits (not much is caught through the winter), the garlic spice is one of my favourite combinations that catches well for me on many waters. Rod 2 is fished with my food bait (KMG) fished as a low pop-up, a Ronnie, 360 or D-rig tight to the lakebed, cast in with a PVA bag of crumbed boilie. Rod 3 is a snowman bait, the food bait tipped with a 12mm purple Monster Crab pop-up and again in a bag. I don't tend to put in any extra bait actually while I'm fishing, saving it until I leave, prebaiting for the next session a week later. (I normally fish 4day sessions). I don't have many silver fish in my lake, so using them is not really an option for me, but baiting up with any of or a combination of maggots, liquidised sweetcorn, finely ground breadcrumb can be a way to get fish feeding. I prefer red maggots, simple reason for me, they are the same colour as bloodworm, and in clear water, harder for those pesky coots and tufted ducks to see than white maggots. A teaspoon of mixed chilled powder and turmeric in 2pints of maggots degreases them, and adds a little attraction. Try to avoid oily fish meal groundbaits. Cold oils really don't release in cold water, and can take ages for the fish to digest. Lighter oils like sunflower or rapeseed may still work but don't use too much, you do want the oil 'breaking free' and coming up.

last nights session on an old estate lake

Since writing that post, I've deleted the account....🫣🫣 Realised its something to do without...