Fishing in the winter. Some hate it, some love it. For me it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. And to be fair, I love the winter. Less people on the bank, so more space for me. In this article I will show you two systems that I am using in winter-time.
But let me first introduce myself as a new Carp Crossing Team Member.
My name is Danny Mastenbroek. 25 years old, and I live in Den Helder. It’s a small city in the top of the Netherlands. Fishing is kind of a lifestyle for me. I am thinking of fishing, dream about fishing, and sometimes smell like fish. When I was a youngster me and my brothers went fishing on small fish. And after that we started fishing for bream. One time I hooked a carp, which I couldn’t land because of the thin line used for catching bream. After that moment I was hooked! What a power! From that moment on I started fishing for carp. It all happened about 11 years ago.
Nowadays I love to fish on canals and medium sized lakes. Once in a year I travel to France and England in pursuit of some big carp. I am happy that I can show you my passion, and share some stories with you.
During the winter I don’t use specific rigs that I won’t use in the summer or autumn.
But some rigs work better for me during the winter. But not only the rig is important. The system needs to be safe as well.
A choddy is a rig/system which can be very effective. And this system is very safe in case your line snaps or something. Only the chod will stay in the mouth, and the rest is gone. The choddy I use is placed on the mainline. So I am not using a leader. If you use a strong mainline, it’s not necessary when you are fishing in open water. When you are fishing near snags, you can use a tube or unleaded leader.
In the colder months I use a sweet pop up. Around it I will bait some chopped and crushed boilies. How much I put in the water depends on which water I am fishing. But it won’t be much.
The other system I am using is an inline system with a combi-rig. A 25 lbs version will do the job.
The rig is nothing special, just like a normal combi-rig, but a bit shorter, around 12/15 centimeter. I always make my rigs a bit shorter in the colder months, the fish is not very active. So if the carp take the bait, I want to higher my chance of hooking one! Sometimes I replace this rig for a supple material, like Pindown Hooklink from Avid Carp. It’s fast sinking, supple and very strong. This one will be maximum 12 centimeter. On the hair I place a 15 millimeter boilie with a fake corn on it. As you can see it’s not rocket science. Just simple and effective.
But I want to show you an inline system which is really safe! In case your line snaps, the only thing that stays on the carp his mouth, is the rig. NOT a leader with lead and a couple of meters line.. Just a rig! Fish safety is very important. It works like a pulley system. At the first sight it looks like a running rig. But as soon as you grab the rod, the lead will go back to his first position. Nothing special right?
Not really.. But this system pays off when your line snaps. By the weight of the lead it will fall off. And if not, it will happen when the lead gets stuck.
Give it a try on the bank. Make this system with a rig on the end, grab the hook and lift it up. You will see that the leader including lead will fall off.
There is no better or safer inline system than this.
In the winter you need to try and locate the fish. If that’s not possible, you have to look for carp spots. Reeds, overhanging trees, other snags and deep water.
But don’t forget the shallow water when the sun is out. At those places the temperature is rising up quick. A low bridge can be a hotspot as well, the water temperature can be slightly warmer over there.
Hopefully you can use my tips on the bank and catch a nice winter lump.
Danny Mastenbroek.
Related site: Mark on Carp
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