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Not knowing anything about this lake I would apply simple winter fishing logic. The sun has the biggest effect on fish so with it rising in the East and warming the West bank shallows first I'd be sure to look there or expect them to turn up there as it warms up through the day. They should follow the sun possibly ending up in the North/East corner - that shallow bay by late afternoon. Wind also plays a part so they could feel warmer on the back of a cold wind OR just follow it for food, can never really say on that one so have to check both end of the pond for signs. They could sit in the deepest hole or completely the opposite, you cannot predict 100% so eyes on the water as much as possible and be prepared to move should you see them.

It's not even cold really is it, not even frosts most mornings - deffo a chance of a fish or two. I have caught what was a lake record at the time during a very cold January night probably -5 it was a surprise for sure, came at about midnight not long after smashing the rods out on singles. I have an old friend who only really carp fishes May - Oct but that's not enough for me. If your comfortable get out there I say, enjoy the quieter banks, any sightings now could lead you to a bumper spring and you could catch a whopper looking prime right now. 👍

Just to throw a spanner into the works I'd start in 5, 6, 10 or 11. Basically the central area, all on zigs, with at least one fished into the deeper hole with a zig at 5 or 6 ft. I'd set the alarm for midnight then stay up for a couple of hours which is your best chance of spotting them this time of year imo.

8075g of bait 👍 got 7633 in boilie, 442 in paste 👍 Gone for 18mm dumbells 👍 even though it rolled well, I'm wondering if I added a little too much basemix, next time I'm thinking I might add like 100 - 200g less and let it rest a bit longer 👍

I dunno if its a good idea but off fishing tomorrow for a couple nights, got that storm rolling in early Friday morning, 65 - 70mph wind gusts 🤣

fishing any of the swims 1-7 and hope you got it right lol basically using same logic as kev. As I like fishing corners 7 would be my first choice. 2nd choice would be 4 or 5 because of the distance between 4 and 5 but what’s the T between 4 and 5 ? As that looks like it could be a spot the fishery feed and deliver fish to. As an aside, why did they post a pic with West at the top lol

If I had to chose a swim solely on the map alone then it would be peg 4 . Any south westerly wind will blow from your right to left in to the bay in front of pegs 1, 2 and 3 so any fish following the wind will potentially pass through your swim and if they back off the wind then they will come back through your swim potentially. You'll be on the back of any northerly/easterly winds (cold winds) which the fish tend not to follow but there is always an exception to that rule and any rule for that matter, always have an open mind. You also have a choice of water depths from the shallowest water to the deepest, just a matter of finding the magic depth. You can also see a good chunk of water so if you see any signs and the swims are free you can move.

The only thing I can say is keep watching the water. If you see a fish put a bait on it. February can be a very tough month, so any fish is a bonus as many waters often won't produce much through winter until April. Wyreside give you a fairly decent map to start with, so learn as much as you can from their website and if they have a Facebook page.

Hi all, I'm new to carp fishing (started last summer) and did my first session of 2025 last weekend. A lot of people I have been speaking to say words to the effect of it's a waste of time in Jan/Feb because its to cold and the fish are all holed up together and not moving. I'm wondering whether people on here share the same view? Watching some YT videos it seems carp can be caught even in the colder months. I'd like to know when people generally start their fishing 'season' or if you fish 12 months of the year. Thanks

I've just done it Korda Kontainer bucket and ridgemonkey DLX brew set. 2 things I've kinda wanted for a while and not wanted to pay full price for 😬 Fishing outlet had them both on a deal and with an extra 10% off. They will both make me more streamlined and weight efficient 😂

We are all on mainly the same side of the bank though 👍👍👏

I actually looked at the website last night before I replied, so had an idea of the map. My starting points if no fish are showing when I arrived would be looking at water on the bank with any northerly wind coming from behind or across me, so i can face the back of the bivvy into it, and a reasonable depth in front of me, say 5-7ft deep. No fun with a winter northerly wind piling into your face! That would make my first choice of swims as 4, 5, 6, 7, with 10 or 11 as the next two. Basically I would feel confident in anything other than the shallow water in front of 1, 2, and 3.

It really depends on the water. Yes the fish can shoal up tightly so certain swims may be the best place to be for weeks. On my current water, nothing has been reported for weeks, BUT no-one has been fishing, because it is such a tough winter water, so the circle decreases... Then on other waters I would know that I would catch. The past few years I have slowed down my carp fishing, normally switching to pike (I've been pike fishing since my teens anyway), with only the occasional carp trip. When I was fishing Nazeing Meads both the Brackens Pool (2acres) and the Lagoons (60acres), I had a fair few winter catches, sometimes just after the lake had thawed. On the current syndicate I tend to start carp fishing around March, mostly because I know the areas that Chestnut comes out from on her usual first capture of the year. Her capture seems to be when the carp start moving around the whole lake.

@kevtaylor - thanks Kev. Whilst I'm new to carp fishing I'm keen to get out as much as possible on the chance of catching. I fished 10 hours at weekend and didn't have a single bite but defo learnt a lot about the lake. Fingers crossed for a catch in Feb.

I'm sure my grandad had a load of shoe horns, prob all got chucked, would have done the job 👎

Appreciate it mate, I'll try and get something sorted for when I next roll, quite a nice burco, think it's like a 65l one but wide instead of tall 👍👍

Mcf one looks the best http://www.mcfcarpfishing.co.uk/page22.html

Pineapple boilies and bait for an upcoming social...

That should give you a starter.