It is cold, Now what?

Many carp anglers believe that once the water cools and the weather turns cold that the season is over. This is, however, not true. It is simply harder to locate and entice carp to bite. I want to take a moment and address a few common mistake and offer some tactics that may work well in these tougher months.

The single most common mistake I see during the late fall and winter is over-feeding. Carp are a warm water fish. This means that as the water cools, they slow down and conserve energy, which means they need to eat less. Tossing out buckets of food will get the carp to feed, but chances are they will be done before ever getting to your hook. Using single hook baits  instead of chumming and casting more often can increase your chances of finding hungry carp.

Carp will look for warmth. This single statement can mean a lot during the colder months. Following warm winds, seeking shallow water on sunny days, or possibly finding warm water inlets can lead to carp on the banks.

Scouting the area for fish holding spots can lead to some great catches.

If your a top water fisherman, try going to the bottom. Cold water will rise where it will freeze if the air tempreture is cold enough, the deeper water however remains warmer  then the other layers in the heavy winter. If you have had no luck try finding the deepest hole you can and try a single bottom bait.

Don't rule out summer food sources like Mulberry trees, overhanging fruit bushes and such. Carp will continue to check these spots even though they no longer produce food. Carp are creatures of habit and since food is scarce everywhere they will frequently look to places they are used to feeding at.

Snags and beds and more. Carp will look for places to be sheltered from the current and save their energy. Under water snags and old reed beds, fallen trees and other objects can be great for holding carp year round, but it is far more important now that they will not move from them much.

Hopefully these tips will help you land fish even in the coldest of days. It can be quite rewarding standing knee deep in snow and wrangling a 20 pound monster to the banks. Just remember to choose your clothing wisely..there are no bad weather days, just improper clothing.

A beautiful 28 pound common caught in late November and a smaller 10 pound Mirror taken in Mid December. Be sure to check out our video section for more helpful tips during our winter sessions.