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Fishing a runs water in the winter
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StevieB90

Posts: 111

#13 19 Nov 2023 at 9.01am

In the winter I think theres a bit of luck to it as well tbh if you don't see any sign of fish.

I fished 2 days ago (my 1st winter session in ages) with a buddy using the exact same tactics but 40 feet apart from each other. He had 6 doubles (which I think is great for this time of year), I and I had one.

He kept telling me to fish his spot as that was obviously where the fish were but I just could bring myself to overcrowd his spot.

AndyClark

Posts: 5536

#12 18 Nov 2023 at 7.45am

regular casting with popped up bread, these commercial anglers are very good at whet they do and have the confidence to make regular casts...speciemn anglers can be a bit predictable and set their traps and wait,in winter on a commercial doing this you could be 5 or.6 fish behind the commercial regular. there's plenty of you tube videos showing the popped up bread method. we haven't hit "winter" yet with all these mild temps,stroms and rain. we haven't had the first real hard frosts yet, this will kill the fishing on commercials for a few days and you'll find they'll feed at certain times of the day.

badger_1

Posts: 282

#11 18 Nov 2023 at 7.01am

Thanks guys, some useful info there for me to try.

CityKoi

Posts: 3155

#10 17 Nov 2023 at 4.56pm

In reply to Post #1
sounds like all 3 rods on zigs job to me if its a match style place that's crammed full of fish. I fished a place called tylers common once in winter to get a bite and honestly was carnage on zigs at half depth, carp very small tho, nothing over 10lb but action all day, great fun. Not sure if that's similar to place you are planning to fish

Zack

Posts: 3086

#9 17 Nov 2023 at 2.54pm

In Winter, their are basically two tactics, cast out and sit and hope, or cast out and regularly recast to a different spot in the hope of finding them.

But their is problems with either method based on the fact that in Winter, feeding sessions can be short and brief, and that is, if they do feed at all during the course of a session.

With sitting it out and hoping, you could be fishing the wrong spot and not be on the fish. But also, you could be on the spot and they are not feeding and thus making you think after the session, you was on a spot with no fish, so the next time you go, you try somewhere else.

By constantly recasting, you could end up casting onto where the fish are, not that you would know, but they are not feeding, so eventually you will recast thinking there are no fish there when in fact you was on them and they might have fed later on during the session and you may have caught but as you have moved your rod from that spot, you could be doomed to blank.

Basically, its hit or miss which ever method you use.

I find its following up on the rare sighting of a fish rolling and fish that area constantly regardless of if your blanking or not as eventually you may catch, or fish areas that have produced fish during the Winter in previous years.

If I do follow the constant recasting method in an area where I may have seen a fish etc, I split the session into 3, Split the area I want to concentrate on and fish one rod long, one medium and one short of the area and then change them round when I recast.

So basically, I may fish an area 50 yds out from the bank, left rod would be 30 yards, middle 50 yards and righthand rod 70 yards. and all rods would be fishing the spots about 20 yards apart. A third of the way through the session, recast, left rod would be 50 yards, middle 70 yards and right 30 yards, and so on. I also watch for liners and rod tops twitching etc as I then suspect the fish could be closer in and I have overcast them.

If I am there for more than a day, I will repeat the process in a different order as it could have been possible I may have had a rod on them, but at the time they was not feeding, so at an earlier or later time of the day, I might have my rod back on them when they do feed.

But another day, I might start with all rods the same distance 20 yards apart but at 70 yards then recast 20 yards shorter and then later on, another 20 yards shorter. With starting long, there is more chance of getting liners. But, if your not getting liners and it is a shallowish lake, the logic could be to fish further out, but, if its deep water, the fish could be sat midwater and above your lines, so then you could be casting away from them. Its a headache trying to fish in Winter at times

But, once I do get a catch eventually, all my rods go onto that spot and I just fish it constantly until I find reason it may have been a fluke catch and the fish just are not there.

Baitman

Posts: 4482

#8 16 Nov 2023 at 10.27pm

In reply to Post #1
Put a bottom bait on an old rig and chuck around. Drag it back for a couple of yards then get it up off the bottom and reel it in. You are in effect leading and feeling for hard areas,and then checking for leaf litter and weed too.
Don't ignore any cover.

framey

Posts: 4826

#7 16 Nov 2023 at 6.48pm

Stick a method feeder on one rod

vossy1

Posts: 6722

#6 16 Nov 2023 at 6.43pm

If it's a proper commercial match lake with regular matches (to me that's up to 3 times a week) then my advice would be don't overthink it. The fish will virtually always be on the move looking for food unless it get's really cold.
If there is leaf litter (and there's a good head of fish not just Carp) it will be getting moved about all the time so finding a clear spot could be nigh on impossible.
Your fishing a commercial match lake, think like a match angler and apply that to your Carp fishing, not the other way round, there's not need to over complicate it.
Unless there's a rule about NOT putting bait in at the end of the match don't ignore the margins, and if there are stages don't ignore under them, literally under your feet.
These are probably not spooky fish, they are used to matches.

EDIT, A big advantage of match waters, no secret squirrels, check the match results, if the place is at all Peggy you'll find out where the fish are ;-)

frothey

Posts: 3524

#5 16 Nov 2023 at 5.44pm

In reply to Post #4
but in general the deeper water is mainly where you will find them.

But not necessarily on the bottom.

Bait_buff

Posts: 6478

#4 16 Nov 2023 at 5.21pm

In reply to Post #1
If the bottom is silty it will be hard to determine a "clear spot" by feeling the lead down. If you are worried about leaf debris I would use a little stick to ensure that the hookbait isn't masked.
Look for any signs of fish as location is always key especially in winter.
Bait sparingly when fishing as they cant metabolize food very quick in cold conditions and will get full quickly. Use high leakage baits/stick mix to maximize attraction in the water.
Remember that shallower parts of the lake can warm up quickly on sunny days and can often see fish get into those areas but in general the deeper water is mainly where you will find them.

lincs-carper

Posts: 907

#3 16 Nov 2023 at 12.22pm

In reply to Post #1
I'm doing exactly the same mate, winter on a local club water. I've got a bit of a head start and am now baiting heavyish with flaked maize, 10kg on 1 spot with a few kilos of boilie each week . The fish have found it within a week and it's now producing plenty of action and hopefully will do all winter.

Spike

Posts: 2034

#2 16 Nov 2023 at 6.49am

In reply to Post #1
For runs waters it generally means there’s a lot of fish so I’d be using a little pop up or wafter with golf ball size mesh bags of pellet. Re cast every 45 minutes or so to locate the fish. Or stay mobile and fish a few swims.

Even now they won’t be all grouped up and use the weather to your advantage. Any sunshine find the areas where it’s on the lake the most if possible.

badger_1

Posts: 282

#1 16 Nov 2023 at 5.22am

When fishing a runs water doing day sessions during the winter do you still try to feel the lead down or try to find a clear spot?

The lake I have in mind is a commercial match fishing lake. It is surrounded by trees which shed their leaves into the lake. The bottom is very silty.

If there are no carp topping Is it just a case of casting single hook baits around looking for liners etc. to try to locate some fish or is there more to it than that?


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