Winter Tactics

[Wise Owl]

Hopefully we get to try for pike on deadbaits this winter while casting out a feeder rod will try club Waters also if weather OK don't mind cold but not keen wind and rain

Im the same mate, love it when its Frosty and the Grounds solid.

 

[Northantslad]

Did i say 0.13 and 0.15....thought i knew what i was talking about for a minute, i meant 5lb14 and 4lb12

 

[Arry]

Carping... cold winds... avoid.... but if you must fish... if its a north easterly get it off yer back...
fine down your end game smaller baits, hooks and hooklinks, cut back on the feed and try solid bags and fish for 1 bite at a time

 

[Total]

Roaming the River 6 to 10 pegs Baited on the way down fished on the way back, when the Flask of Coffee is Gone So am i

Five litre flask!

 

[Arry]

Blimus... I'd be in the bushes every five minutes if I took that bad boy

 

[Zerkalo]

I could probably get away with heavier than 0.12 hooklength on the feeder but that would mean using 6lb mainline, which again wouldn't be a problem, but short range chucks with light feeders means 4lb is enough and I'm used to fining down in winter out of habit. When it's cold the Carp fight more like Bream anyway.

 

[OldTaff]

Hoping to give the river a good workout through the winter, scaling down hook lengths and hook sizes.

Concentrating on feeder for the stillwater.

 

[Fugley-fisher]

Latest benwick delivery.

 

[Fugley-fisher]

Yea float porn and some gamma black hooks. Getting ready for winter.

 

[Dave Spence]

When it's very cold I tend to visit 'the lounge' fishery. I always fish the chair peg right next to the heat outlet. Bait is pickled onion, pork pie and a whisky glug. ???

 

[Deejay8]

Im the same mate, love it when its Frosty and the Grounds solid.

Nice weather for grayling.

 

[Maesknoll]

I could probably get away with heavier than 0.12 hooklength on the feeder but that would mean using 6lb mainline, which again wouldn't be a problem, but short range chucks with light feeders means 4lb is enough and I'm used to fining down in winter out of habit. When it's cold the Carp fight more like Bream anyway.

You should be able to use a 0.14 hooklength with 4lb Reel line, maybe even a 0.16, the stretch in the Reel line will mean the short hooklength breaks before the Reel line. I use 0.20 with 4lb Reel line for pellet waggler fishing in the summer, the 0.20 breaks before the 4lb Reel line.

 

[smiffy]

Can’t believe you’re leaving the rivers and going to stillwaters for winter. The exodus is normally in the opposite direction?. Is your river so bad in the winter?
Mind you. We can’t get on ours in the summer because of the weed.

 

[Zerkalo]

Can’t believe you’re leaving the rivers and going to stillwaters for winter. The exodus is normally in the opposite direction?. Is your river so bad in the winter?

I'm on about December to February mostly when I'll be on the commercials. It's a way of getting some comfortable fishing in. In many ways I am a bit of a luddite and fish it very basically but still manage to catch a few. I think the fish are hungrier at that time of year as they get fished for less.

Worcs Stour you will still get the odd Big Chub but it's still slow when it's cold and I expect all the small fish that come and go and provide good sport when they're there unfortunately won't be there. If the small fish stuck around there over winter it would make it an even more brilliant place to fish.

Severn is a bit of an unknown to me but I expect it could be ok. Some people say it's still good for Roach and Chub. I can't see it being as good as when it's a bit warmer though. And I'm expecting it to be high most of the winter again but I'll give it a go.

 

[Silverfisher]

Can’t believe you’re leaving the rivers and going to stillwaters for winter. The exodus is normally in the opposite direction?. Is your river so bad in the winter?
Mind you. We can’t get on ours in the summer because of the weed.

All very dependant on the river isn't it.

Around here the Thames fishes many times better in the first half of the season than it does in the second half. On balance I'd say the Ouse and the Avon are better first half as well but they are neither as good in the first half as the Thames or as bad as it in the second half so it's less of an extreme switch. The Thames really is remarkable it's like two different rivers either side of the frosts and floods. It goes from seemingly teeming with fish first half of the season to appearing in places barren in the second half.

Still regardless of all that I fish rivers through the whole season so closed season is the only time you'll regularly find me on stillwaters these days and that's only because I'm hopeless at canal fishing!

 

[Zerkalo]

Back when I used to fish canals over winter, weighing in less than 1lb was usual, with a lot of blanks on the coldest days. Don't have the guts for that anymore especially as not part of a club.

 

[smiffy]

The key is finding their winter quarters. There will be many areas with few fish but where they are congregated will throw up much bigger catches than summer. Well known sections for me are the Old Nene at March, absolutely solid in winter. Great Ouse in Ely, again solid in winter. Nene on the embankment in Peterborough. Wye in Hereford. There’s loads of places that are well known for holding masses of fish over the winter. My local rivers see the fish congregating at bridges or moored boats and small shoals of Bream will merge into big. Even the tidal Yare has a few matches over the winter and for years people thought all the fish migrated to the boatyards.
Cant wait??

 

[Silverfisher]

Back when I used to fish canals over winter, weighing in less than 1lb was usual, with a lot of blanks on the coldest days. Don't have the guts for that anymore especially as not part of a club.

Yeah I don't know if the Oxford canal just isn't great or it's just me not having the knack but I doubt I've ever caught more than about 4-5lbs out of it with that doubling probably the second best. Guess I've rarely fished it favourable conditions as it tends to be when I cant get on a river or Stillwater but still reckon I wouldn't do much better as its seems so different to river and Stillwater fishing.

Then again on my one go on the kennet & avon I just rocked up with wag and mag down the track and had pushing 10lb of roach and skimmers plus 3 big perch in less than 4 hours so guess it depends on the canal. That was perfect conditions mind you.

The key is finding their winter quarters. There will be many areas with few fish but where they are congregated will throw up much bigger catches than summer. Well known sections for me are the Old Nene at March, absolutely solid in winter. Great Ouse in Ely, again solid in winter. Nene on the embankment in Peterborough. Wye in Hereford. There’s loads of places that are well known for holding masses of fish over the winter. My local rivers see the fish congregating at bridges or moored boats and small shoals of Bream will merge into big.
Cant wait??

True but they can't half take some finding! It is a lot easier in the summer and autumn just finding 4-8ft of water with a touch of flow and colour and not too much weed/snags and away you go more often than not. I'm not really a fan of fishing right in the towns either so I prefer to be where it's more scenic on the outskirts or more out in the sticks which works out in the summer and autumn but not so much in the winter.

 

[Whisker]

Did i say 0.13 and 0.15....thought i knew what i was talking about for a minute, i meant 5lb14 and 4lb12

Made me chuckle.
If it’s any consolation Chris, I’m still lb’s and oz’s, think we’re a minority but who cares? ?

 

[Zerkalo]

I still have to look up the breaking strain even when I know the diameter. Like to know both. ?‍?‍?‍