I'm fortunate to have access to a lake I can fish this winter. It's not fished by anyone else so no track record. So far I've had carp and tench. I'm baiting a couple of spots but no idea if the fish are on it yet. Recent rain has coloured up the water and raised the levels a good foot. This morning walking round I saw patches of bubbles in one corner but no idea if tench or carp or how to tell the difference.
Given the fish are more elusive at this time of year and there's less daylight to spot them in how would you go about finding them?
Given the fish are more elusive at this time of year and there's less daylight to spot them in how would you go about finding them?
In reply to Post #1
I find that at this time of year the carp are moving to their preferred winter spot(s) once they settle there they may not move very far without added events which can be angling pressure, flood water, predation.
Unfortunately there is no easy way to find this spot other than keep watching, both during the day's and nights. However once found it can lead to a good winters fishing as they seldom move far.
I find that at this time of year the carp are moving to their preferred winter spot(s) once they settle there they may not move very far without added events which can be angling pressure, flood water, predation.
Unfortunately there is no easy way to find this spot other than keep watching, both during the day's and nights. However once found it can lead to a good winters fishing as they seldom move far.
In reply to Post #1
You kind of answer your own question- use the daylight as much as you can.
Take advantage of any slightly warmer days to get out and watch the water. Margins are a good bet on a sunnier day as the water warms quicker in the shallows.
If you're seeing bubbles from areas drop a bait in. Carp and tench happily feed the same spots and a bonus tench is never a bad thing
You kind of answer your own question- use the daylight as much as you can.
Take advantage of any slightly warmer days to get out and watch the water. Margins are a good bet on a sunnier day as the water warms quicker in the shallows.
If you're seeing bubbles from areas drop a bait in. Carp and tench happily feed the same spots and a bonus tench is never a bad thing
In reply to Post #3
I find they show more at night, but that might just be because its dark longer 😂
I find they show more at night, but that might just be because its dark longer 😂
In reply to Post #1
By the sound of it fella you already found them just keep feeding your spots put a bait in there and see what happens.
Biggest thing is to keep watching the lake for signs of fish activity
By the sound of it fella you already found them just keep feeding your spots put a bait in there and see what happens.
Biggest thing is to keep watching the lake for signs of fish activity
In reply to Post #1
Patience
Patience
Have a little patience
In reply to Post #1
Don't get so hooked up on bringing the fish to you and your 'baited spots' Walk, look and listen. DAY & NIGHT
FISH A DIFFERENT SWIM/AREA EVERY TIME YOU GO, get a feel for the lake, and it's depths, weed, etc.
Fish singles hookbaits on one, cast around every few hours, if no action, the other rod over maybe, 10 to 50 baits.
move on any fish rolls or head and shouldering, big moving patches of bubblers.
fish light indicators on a drop, to detect liners, to give you a clue
Hope that helps.
Don't get so hooked up on bringing the fish to you and your 'baited spots' Walk, look and listen. DAY & NIGHT
FISH A DIFFERENT SWIM/AREA EVERY TIME YOU GO, get a feel for the lake, and it's depths, weed, etc.
Fish singles hookbaits on one, cast around every few hours, if no action, the other rod over maybe, 10 to 50 baits.
move on any fish rolls or head and shouldering, big moving patches of bubblers.
fish light indicators on a drop, to detect liners, to give you a clue
Hope that helps.
In reply to Post #4
Fair point...
I'm in the North West so the sun sets at about 2.30 in the afternoon.....
Fair point...
I'm in the North West so the sun sets at about 2.30 in the afternoon.....
In reply to Post #9
Just get out and enjoy being outside
Just get out and enjoy being outside
In reply to Post #1
I've always favoured areas that see any warmth from the sun but last winter i found fish in a cold corner. The corner is pretty shallow but receives no sun and is protected from cold winds. The only reason I could think of them favouring the area, and there was a lot of fish held up there all winter was that the water temp was pretty constant with perhaps less need to move to adjust to varying temps and were in a torpid state apart from at most a 2 HR bite window at around 7am. Small amounts of baits 3 times a week had them going all winter.
I've always favoured areas that see any warmth from the sun but last winter i found fish in a cold corner. The corner is pretty shallow but receives no sun and is protected from cold winds. The only reason I could think of them favouring the area, and there was a lot of fish held up there all winter was that the water temp was pretty constant with perhaps less need to move to adjust to varying temps and were in a torpid state apart from at most a 2 HR bite window at around 7am. Small amounts of baits 3 times a week had them going all winter.
Middle of the lake, north east corner, snags, shallow margins that get the morning sun, areas protected from the wind by high banks/trees, and often they will be mid water.
Good luck.
Good luck.
In reply to Post #1
Fish tend to have a preferred winter area, year after year.
It may be snags, old weed beds, lily beds, the trough between gravel bars, drop-offs, or near areas of natural food.
It is NOT always the deepest water in the lake.
We've had the rain colouring lakes up, so yes, finding them is tough, but fish still roll, occasionally jump or bubble. My first point would be fishing the bubbles, it's worth a try. It's a possible show, whether tench or carp.
(Point of note, I have personally found on most waters, tench seem to switch off more than carp)
Once you have found them, keep baiting up, not huge amounts, but a little as often as possible.
Something else, even though days are short, spend as much time looking as you can. You may have a days fishing, but 2 hours walking and looking then 5 hours fishing is better, unless you know exactly where the fish are already, than 7 hours fishing.
Years ago on New Years Day I had the chance to fish Taverham Mills for the day. I walked around the lake first, looking. It is a 20acre lake, so a decent look walk takes at least an hour. On Taverham there were a couple of areas that fish used in winter at either side of the lake, so the walk was essential.
In one area, the remains of the lilies were breaking the surface next to the tree line. I saw some of the stalks move in the water where there was no wind.
After setting up and casting in, I had a double figure fish on the bank within minutes.
Fish tend to have a preferred winter area, year after year.
It may be snags, old weed beds, lily beds, the trough between gravel bars, drop-offs, or near areas of natural food.
It is NOT always the deepest water in the lake.
We've had the rain colouring lakes up, so yes, finding them is tough, but fish still roll, occasionally jump or bubble. My first point would be fishing the bubbles, it's worth a try. It's a possible show, whether tench or carp.
(Point of note, I have personally found on most waters, tench seem to switch off more than carp)
Once you have found them, keep baiting up, not huge amounts, but a little as often as possible.
Something else, even though days are short, spend as much time looking as you can. You may have a days fishing, but 2 hours walking and looking then 5 hours fishing is better, unless you know exactly where the fish are already, than 7 hours fishing.
Years ago on New Years Day I had the chance to fish Taverham Mills for the day. I walked around the lake first, looking. It is a 20acre lake, so a decent look walk takes at least an hour. On Taverham there were a couple of areas that fish used in winter at either side of the lake, so the walk was essential.
In one area, the remains of the lilies were breaking the surface next to the tree line. I saw some of the stalks move in the water where there was no wind.
After setting up and casting in, I had a double figure fish on the bank within minutes.
In reply to Post #13
3 years ago I fished a local lake on New Year's Eve(missus was looking after her mom)and I put a fair amount of particles out under an over hanging tree and I started getting loads of liners,anyway it was fairly warm as I lay on my bedchair watching the fireworks as a new year came in and i had a bream and then a nice mirror around the 18-20lb mark.
Strange thing was I had a cast around with the deeper and found loads of fish stacked up on top of each other.
3 years ago I fished a local lake on New Year's Eve(missus was looking after her mom)and I put a fair amount of particles out under an over hanging tree and I started getting loads of liners,anyway it was fairly warm as I lay on my bedchair watching the fireworks as a new year came in and i had a bream and then a nice mirror around the 18-20lb mark.
Strange thing was I had a cast around with the deeper and found loads of fish stacked up on top of each other.
In reply to Post #13
I know it's not always the case as you say, but personally, with my limited time (one quick overnighter every other week) I don't even bother looking for them, I start at the deepest most central part of the lake with solid bags.
If you do want to see / hear them, I've found over the years that about 3am is the most likely time to hear the odd fish crash out, if you're up, you can gauge roughly where they are from the sound and ripples.
I know it's not always the case as you say, but personally, with my limited time (one quick overnighter every other week) I don't even bother looking for them, I start at the deepest most central part of the lake with solid bags.
If you do want to see / hear them, I've found over the years that about 3am is the most likely time to hear the odd fish crash out, if you're up, you can gauge roughly where they are from the sound and ripples.