 AUTUMN & WINTER FISHING
David Coakley
The Bait and Feed Comapny
In my view fishing in the winter months has become much easier over the years. Firstly clothing, bivies and those type of accessories have made the experience much warmer and secondly the advances in bait and the way it is applied usually ensure that you can catch.
Outlined below are a few tips on types of bait and how to apply it in order to maximise your catch rates during the colder months.
BOILIES
The vast majority of boilies these days are designed to be 4 season baits but smaller baits seem to work better than larger baits, either 12 or 15mm baits or our new 10mm pellet shaped boilies offer something a little bit different. Also something I have been experimenting with is using a matching (to the boilie recipe) fluoro hook bait (not pop ups) fished over a bed of normal coloured baits. We now do these in either 12mm or 15mm in white, yellow, pink and orange to match any of the freezer baits in the range. Recently after fishing a 24 hour session and whilst I knew the fish were taking my free offerings, Mainline’s Activ-8, I could not get a bite. Just before packing up I cast out a single fluoro white Activ-8 hook bait attached to a grape size PVA bag of boilie crumb and within 2 minutes I had a 33lb Common on the bank. These fluoro bottom baits can also be fished in conjunction with matching fluoro pop ups to give an ideal snowman rig.
White bait |
David Coakley |
Also another little edge is boilie crumb fished in a mesh PVA bag, it is absolutely devastating. We now do this crumb to match all the freezer baits.
Boilie crumb |
10mm pellet shape boilies |
With regards to the actual boilies to use. You have the dedicated winter baits but equally any of the boilies we manufacture will catch. Listed below are a range of baits that, in my opinion, have a proven winter track record –
Mainline – The Cell, Pro-Active Pineapple, Grange Red Plum, Grange Plum or Milky Toffeee, Activ-8 and Essential Opal.
Nash – Scopex Squid Red and Amber Strawberry.
Nutrabaits – Trigga Ice, Trigga Ice or Trigga Red and G-Force
Richworth – Tutti-Fruitti, Salmon Supreme and KG1
Carp Company – Winter Red
Premier – Winter Matrix
The Bait and Feed Company – Winter Smokey Mackerel, Tigernut 42, Sweet Corn 42 and Chocolate 42
PELLETS
Pressed pellets are a must for colder water conditions, they breakdown quickly even in ice cold conditions thereby leaking off attractors immediately. Carp Pellets, Bloodworm and Green Lipped Mussel Pellets, Betaine Pro-Actions, Red Devils, Pineapple Pellets, Tiger Nut Pellets, Condensed Milk Pellets & Sweet Corn Pellets and our new Winter Pellet Combo, which is a mixture Sweet Corn Pellets, Tiger Nut Pellets, Carp Pellets & Green Lipped Mussel Pellets. I would use any of these pellets with confidence in cold water conditions, especially the new Winter Pellet Combo.
Winter pellet combo |
Tiger nut pellet |
GROUNDBAITS, PARTICLES AND LIQUID ADDITIVES
I find groundbaits incredibly effective in winter, maximum attraction with a small amount of food content. Small PVA mesh bags with Particle 42 Groundbait, mixed with boilie crumb and Sweetcorn Extract is a personal favourite. All our groundbaits range work in the winter months with the exception of the Marine Halibut Groundbait, due to the oil content. With regards to particles Hemp and Supa-Combi Mix with Aniseed all have proven cold water track records. Hemp plus our new Sweet Chilli Sauce is fantastic. Liquid additives, steer away from oil based additives (i.e) Salmon Oil , Marine Oil etc. All the liquid additives in our range (with the exception of the oils) can be used in cold water conditions.
P42 Groundbait |
Sweetcorn Extract |
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