Pre baiting in the winter

[Basher227]

I’m thinking of pre baiting a few spots on a lake before u fish it any tips or advice on pre baiting would be great 👍 👍👍

[yonny]

Imho at this time of year you've already missed the boat.

If you can bait through autumn into winter you can keep them moving all winter. But if you start baiting after they've shut up shop you'll just not get there metabolism going again.

Of course, if you're fishing somewhere that's being baited by others it might still be possible to get something going.

[salokcinnodrog]

On 16/01/2021 at 15:30, Basher227 said:

I’m thinking of pre baiting a few spots on a lake before u fish it any tips or advice on pre baiting would be great 👍 👍👍

Like @yonny I think it's too late if they have closed down for winter, unless it's still fishing and producing fish,  or you know where they are holding up.

On my syndicate the fish appear to be in an out of bounds area, so there is no point in baiting until they come out. 

It may also be too early for prebaiting for next season. 

 

It might be valid if your are fishing a small water and they are constantly moving. 

[emmcee]

As has been said,  it may be too late to get something going. Although if you intend on fishing this water throughout the spring then in my opinion getting bait in now won't do any harm what so ever, especially if you know your water and the fish habits. I was fishing one particular water throughout a season but in January I decided to start on a neighbouring water. Started pre-baiting in January and although I failed to catch in January or February,  in March when the fish started waking up properly I caught a good number of fish. If tufties or coots are numerous then any boilies I would crumb and chop them so it hopefully leaves some for the carp if the ducks dive on it. 

[ouchthathurt]

I’m guessing you’re thinking of baiting hamworthy lake? Unless there has been regular angling pressure throughout the winter (which from my experience is doubtful) I would probably hang fire (with the cold wind/rain/snow forecast) for a month or so mate, it was always a slow water to wake up after a cold winter, due to the depths and its location right on the coast. Regardless of the lake (prebaiting rivers can produce the goods all year round in my experience) unless I’ve been feeding baits on a regular basis all year round and the carp are still getting on it and feeding well at this time of year, then I wouldn’t start prebaiting during the winter. I find that you can keep feeding them throughout the winter if you started prebaiting during the warmer months and the carp are still actively searching for it and remain active, but trying to get something going in freezing temperatures when the carp have slowed right down can be very difficult. The carp in hamworthy lake overwinter in the deeper main section 2/3rds of the way across from the point or 1/3rd of the way across from the beach swim. I’d concentrate on using proven winter tactics and nick a few bites until it starts to warm up, then start trickling in the chosen prebait and go from there pal. 

[Carpmaster]

Your too late unless others are baiting up too you should of been baiting from autumn butty

[Carpbell_ll]

I'd hold fire, January and February are the burn out months and can end carp fishing hobbies for any angler that is not well aware of what they are getting into, sometimes you see videos or read reports on what others are doing and try the luck, The forum member Spa? seems to have stopped posting he was getting out in the winter and not having much luck. hope he stuck with it or at least dropped the winter sessions. 

Myself I would go out this time of year but it really would depend on air temps and a change in wind direction.

[emmcee]

Just because there are no reports about a lake, doesn't mean nothing is happening.  I know if I was fishing and definitely in the past myself and the few that carried on fishing kept everything to ourselves.  A mate of mine had an excellent winter 4 yrs ago and to this day only 5 people know about it. This is simply for the fact that if people know or knew about his winter catches then the lake would be busy, potentially messing up your own fishing. 

[Carpmaster]

10 minutes ago, emmcee said:

Just because there are no reports about a lake, doesn't mean nothing is happening.  I know if I was fishing and definitely in the past myself and the few that carried on fishing kept everything to ourselves.  A mate of mine had an excellent winter 4 yrs ago and to this day only 5 people know about it. This is simply for the fact that if people know or knew about his winter catches then the lake would be busy, potentially messing up your own fishing. 

I’ve just come back from baiting up even tho I can’t fish the lake as it’s closed but I know I’m the only one baiting and I know it’s being eaten but I’ve been trickling my boilies in for the yr so far anyway I just don’t tell no one same as I’d not say if I’d caught unless it was my first 40 or pb common 

[Basher227]

Cheers lads good comments 

[elmoputney]

I've decided to wait for a month or so then I'm going to start getting things going for spring,if we are ever allowed out again that is, I've also decided I'm going to be more covert this year 😁 

Secret squirrel is going to be my middle names 🤓🤠🙈🙉🙊

 

[greekskii]

Echo the lads already, getting them going this time of year is almost pointless. Only time I know of it being done to any effect is a mate that absolutely filled in a fairly high stocked water with about 20/30kg a week of boilie and managed to get them going big time. Not exactly the best use of your time or money though unless you can really commit to it or the lake has a good stock of big fish. 
 

spend your time trying to nick a bite as said above, have a lead about and get to know your features for the year ahead. Personally I start baiting in mid feb in preparation for March/April time of year. Start with smaller amounts and increase weekly as the water temps warm up. You can put out half a kilo of small particles and crushed boilie and a few handfuls of whole boilies in order to keep them rooting and active on the spots once the bulky food items are eaten. 
 

if you can find a spot that you can keep quiet and isn’t an obvious one that everyone fishes then bait it without fishing for as long as possible and get on it when the conditions are right. You can reap serious rewards this way as the fish will be very confident feeding without danger from the moment they start waking up! 

[Basher227]

19 hours ago, ouchthathurt said:

I’m guessing you’re thinking of baiting hamworthy lake? Unless there has been regular angling pressure throughout the winter (which from my experience is doubtful) I would probably hang fire (with the cold wind/rain/snow forecast) for a month or so mate, it was always a slow water to wake up after a cold winter, due to the depths and its location right on the coast. Regardless of the lake (prebaiting rivers can produce the goods all year round in my experience) unless I’ve been feeding baits on a regular basis all year round and the carp are still getting on it and feeding well at this time of year, then I wouldn’t start prebaiting during the winter. I find that you can keep feeding them throughout the winter if you started prebaiting during the warmer months and the carp are still actively searching for it and remain active, but trying to get something going in freezing temperatures when the carp have slowed right down can be very difficult. The carp in hamworthy lake overwinter in the deeper main section 2/3rds of the way across from the point or 1/3rd of the way across from the beach swim. I’d concentrate on using proven winter tactics and nick a few bites until it starts to warm up, then start trickling in the chosen prebait and go from there pal. 

So minimal tactics then ova bag and a few loose boil lies approach 👍

[ouchthathurt]

Pretty much mate, this time of year I used to use PVA bags in the areas already described. It’s a tricky lake, but the rewards are in there. 

[Basher227]

12 hours ago, ouchthathurt said:

Pretty much mate, this time of year I used to use PVA bags in the areas already described. It’s a tricky lake, but the rewards are in there. 

Probably gonna use the mesh with crushed boilie with a pop up but I’m probably gonna wait for a good weekend to fish it temperature dropping this weekend so don’t know weather to fish it 

[salokcinnodrog]

3 hours ago, Basher227 said:

Probably gonna use the mesh with crushed boilie with a pop up but I’m probably gonna wait for a good weekend to fish it temperature dropping this weekend so don’t know weather to fish it 

I know what we have all said about prebaiting in winter, but if you do know the location of the fish, it might be worthwhile trickling a few baits in. 

 

I have written about this session before:

Years ago I used to fish a lake called Thwaite, which in winter often produced the occasional fish to bright pop-ups, but you did need to mix and match, until you found what they were after any week. 

For some reason I couldn't get to Nazeing and had time off between Christmas and New Year, so I spent a week on Thwaite. For the first couple of days, once I had found the fish, every take came on hi-attract pop-ups, but I was feeding my usual food bait, probably around 50 boilies every day. From day 3 onwards I started catching on the food bait, I seem to recall it was a 15mm hookbait with around 5 freebies on a PVA stringer. I ended up with a good number of decent winter fish. It was a proper winter session, freezing temperatures at night, and a cold rain almost every day, just warm enough to stop it freezing over. 

On the occasional day trip to the end of the season it switched back to finding the right bait on the day, pop-up or even sweetcorn as I wasn't still baiting regularly. 

[Basher227]

On 20/01/2021 at 11:49, salokcinnodrog said:

I know what we have all said about prebaiting in winter, but if you do know the location of the fish, it might be worthwhile trickling a few baits in. 

 

I have written about this session before:

Years ago I used to fish a lake called Thwaite, which in winter often produced the occasional fish to bright pop-ups, but you did need to mix and match, until you found what they were after any week. 

For some reason I couldn't get to Nazeing and had time off between Christmas and New Year, so I spent a week on Thwaite. For the first couple of days, once I had found the fish, every take came on hi-attract pop-ups, but I was feeding my usual food bait, probably around 50 boilies every day. From day 3 onwards I started catching on the food bait, I seem to recall it was a 15mm hookbait with around 5 freebies on a PVA stringer. I ended up with a good number of decent winter fish. It was a proper winter session, freezing temperatures at night, and a cold rain almost every day, just warm enough to stop it freezing over. 

On the occasional day trip to the end of the season it switched back to finding the right bait on the day, pop-up or even sweetcorn as I wasn't still baiting regularly. 

 

 

I havnt located the fish yet it’s the first time I’ve fished it I’ve heard of different spots fish have been caught but fishing it for first time this weekend it’s gonna be trial and error I think

[elmoputney]

21 minutes ago, Basher227 said:

I havnt located the fish yet it’s the first time I’ve fished it I’ve heard of different spots fish have been caught but fishing it for first time this weekend it’s gonna be trial and error I think

Just go and spend some time watching and learning, plenty of time to work out your strategies yet, if you find out something however small, that's a success in my book, 👍

[ouchthathurt]

Very true Elmo. Keep us posted on how you get on bash. 

[Basher227]

I’ve had a little lead about with the marker float and it’s 24 ft deep in the middle roughly I’ve found a little rough spot just off a bed of weed I’m gonna put two rods on it and fish another spot with the third 24 hours and hopefully someone will show themselves ready for next time I work five days a week so have only weekends spare hopefully I’m not bothered too much 🤞 

[Carpmaster]

4 minutes ago, Basher227 said:

I’ve had a little lead about with the marker float and it’s 24 ft deep in the middle roughly I’ve found a little rough spot just off a bed of weed I’m gonna put two rods on it and fish another spot with the third 24 hours and hopefully someone will show themselves ready for next time I work five days a week so have only weekends spare hopefully I’m not bothered too much 🤞 

Best of luck bash 🤞🤞🤞

[ouchthathurt]

I do wonder how much the 3rd lockdown is affecting the fishing this time of year, one of my local waters usually sees anglers and rigs and baits all year around which usually keeps them a bit more active during the colder months. Many leads hitting the water keeping them on the move, bait going in regularly to keep them feeding and supplying energy that can keep them active. (I’m of the opinion that carp will keep looking for food and stay more active during the winter as long as a regular food supply exists) but with lockdown, this same lake is not seeing anglers from one day to the next (even in winter there are usually between 6-12 anglers on this lake, since lockdown, I’ve seen maybe 1-2 max) with this lack of pressure and next to no bait going in, the lake has totally shut down making it more difficult than it otherwise usually would be. 

[Carpmaster]

2 hours ago, ouchthathurt said:

I do wonder how much the 3rd lockdown is affecting the fishing this time of year, one of my local waters usually sees anglers and rigs and baits all year around which usually keeps them a bit more active during the colder months. Many leads hitting the water keeping them on the move, bait going in regularly to keep them feeding and supplying energy that can keep them active. (I’m of the opinion that carp will keep looking for food and stay more active during the winter as long as a regular food supply exists) but with lockdown, this same lake is not seeing anglers from one day to the next (even in winter there are usually between 6-12 anglers on this lake, since lockdown, I’ve seen maybe 1-2 max) with this lack of pressure and next to no bait going in, the lake has totally shut down making it more difficult than it otherwise usually would be. 

The same down this neck of the woods I put the fish spy over the lake yesterday all layed up in the weed the spy going past them didn’t even disturb them shut up shop just wrapped in weed