Carp, just like the crucial, in winter period falls into anabiosis and practically doesn’t stops his activity. You can catch it in the period of first ice when it’s still awake, and in the last frost, when the fish is awake. Besides, carp can be caught during all year, if you have warm water, for example, in the reservoirs, where water is thrown from thermal power plants. Even in this conditions, the winter activity of carp decreases, and he needs less food than in summer, and after that carp forms flocks and the winter, the period starts.
Place of habitat
Carp like places with the temperature of +4-6 and enough concentration of the oxygen. In the lakes, where oxygen is low, you can’t find him, just like the crucial. In rivers, you can see him in pits, and places, with a high current. In reservoirs and lakes, the favourite fishes spots are marked with significant accumulations of roots. If the waters have a dam, you can find it there. Fish is located in depth of around 2 meters but sometimes elevates closer to the surface, to warm in the winter sun.
In winter time carp is not so strong, as in summer, so catching it won’t be too hard. Rod should not be as active as summer one. If the place of fishing is filled with roots, you need to use stronger hooks and line, so that after he bites, it will not fall off. Of course, if the rod is seriously stuck, you can’t save it.
Best way to catch carp in winter
If in summer times carp is moving freely around the water, in winter it’s standing in one place, that’s the feature of the winter carp fishing. Some fishers that visit one site know all the areas of carp stops. In our time – you can find them with sonar, which can be bought in exclusive stores. In winter time fish eats less, because of that, we don’t need a lot of lures.
Excellent results can be obtained if you start luring the place of carp stop in the autumn. It gives a guarantee, that it won’t change its location, and that you can expect a good catch. In autumn in the area of carp stop, a 0,5 kg of a lure is thrown, or 3-4 kg in a week. In that case, carp will come to this place instinctively and won’t have to search for it, besides, in winter carp stands in place, and if he doesn’t find a home, he will be without food, to the spring.
Best way to catch carp in winter with the stock
Carp can be found with the winter rod with a nod, using stock as a bait. This rod has a more extended bow, that way it will be easier to notice the bite. You can use a network with the diameter of 0,08-0,1mm, or a mono file line – 0,12-0,16mm. I prefer system as with the less diameter it is as strong as a mono file, and a less diameter is not so noticeable for fish. Carp bite very fast, and you need to be ready, to not miss the bait. Sometimes you can catch with the flashing for carp fishing.
The best carp stocks are stock in the form of metal pieces. Additionally, a bit of worm is added to a share. Carp doesn’t like noise, so the stock should be still. The bite should be slightly noticeable, and the moment of capture should be swift. You don’t need to start with the pulling. You need to give it some time for the more secure taking of the bait. The diameter of the hole for catching a carp is standard and is equivalent to a default ice drill. It’s quickly taken out of the hole. If you have troubles, you can use a fishing pole, or grab the fish by the gills.
Lures and baits
The trick can be bought in any store in the dry look, and then watered to a needed consistency or made the home. Many fishers do that – it’s much cheaper; besides, you don’t need much food for carp. Every angler has his mix with not so secret ingredients: millet, pearl barley, mixed fodder, dry snacks, worms etc. The lure can be transported by the boat or by using a feeder rod with a particular feeder, with when falls in the water, opens.
You can use dry, or boiled lure for carp. The dry bait is a mixed fodder, which is used in fish farms, for growing carp in artificial conditions. And still, the best lure is a mixed one with dry and boiled food mixed.
As bait worms, bloodworms, sponge and sphere-boilies can be used. Boilies have a broad spectre of taste and aroma. In general, it’s the food that carp likes and wants to taste with pleasure, eventually showing up on the hook.
The technology of making the boilies
Boilies, just as a lure can be bought in stores for fishers. They have a wide assortment of production with a different spectre of taste and aroma. Many companies keep their boilies composition in secret, but for our fishers, today’s mysteries is no longer a secret, they make domestic production, that is not worse than buying one. Making of boilies by yourself is a good option if you visit the same waters, and know what tastes and aromas fish likes. To make them, you don’t need to think but need a little bit of time, and ingredients.
The main recipe of boilies is:
- Making the dough with different kinds of flour and adding different products;
- Making small sausages of around 1-1,5 cm, which afterwards are cut in the equal pieces of 1-1,5 cm;
- Rolling balls from the sausages;
- Then you can freeze, boil, or cook the boilies in the microwave;
- The final step will be drying them for some time.
As for the additional products you can use spices. Cinnamon, spices for making a curry, red pepper, grated anise seeds.
As for the adding, you can use liquid aromas, which before making the dough are added to baked eggs, and stirred. While catching a carp in winter, you need to know, that in this period carps like boilies with a high content of protein, and you need to remember it when making them.