salokcinnodrog

I'd eat the Marmite, but leave the sweetcorn. Sweetcorn in Marmite, that sounds like an interesting idea. A bag of frozen sweetcorn in a bucket, put in 50ml of Marmite in water to cover it...

I didn't get time to make my full point when I posted, I was getting ready for work. It is the same with other species as well. I enjoy winter fishing, for numbers of species, but I try to go where the fish are. There is no point fishing certain spots of the river for roach in the winter, because the roach have gone into particular winter quarters. Same with pike, 90% of the river can be devoid of fish, they are all crammed into the two deeper swims next to the roach. Exactly the same in a lake, the fish migrate to areas that provide the best winter habitat for them. Carp are no different to any other species in that they go where they are most comfortable. It may be an area that is broken up by islands, it may be silt beds, dead weed or next to drop-offs or natural food. Not all lakes are the same, some are waters that will produce in winter, others won't. Now there are some anglers who blank, they are trying to find the fish. Fishing around the lake, trying a zig, ten blank sessions (or more) until they catch on a 20foot zig in 25feet of water. Others count their blank sessions, and make a big deal out of blanking; arrive at the lake, cast out, zip up bivvy, smoke their minds blank November through to April, then catch when the fish start to wake up.

The catch reports are skued! In winter carp can use the same areas year after year, so why do anglers set up at the opposite end of the lake? Not being funny, but most anglers turn up and blank because they don't set up on fish. They fish a spot because its big enough for their bivvy, or because its closest to the car park. They haven't done their research on where the carp are likely to be. Or they put fish off at the start by putting enough bait in to feed the whole lake. Yes, I know carp can eat plenty, but not all the time. I mentioned Earith, I knew roughly where the fish would be, I set up on them. Two blanks when the lake froze over is acceptable. Other anglers in the syndicate blanked because they were not on fish.

I only put 150 metres on my marker rod, no point in more, I can't cast any further, and its not like I cut the end of regularly to change it. My last Berkley Gorilla braid was on the reel for 10years+, but I did switch to Fox braid, one which they have now stopped selling😖😱 I know its only 18lb, but stick a 30lb mono (Amnesia) leader on the end, and it works. Got a mate who uses it for drop-shotting and marker float. https://www.fishingmegastore.com/braid/fox-rage-warrior-braid-150m~42707.html

Ho, ho, hoe

Welcome to Carp.com. Finish your bowling before you go fishing😅😖 Sorry historical joke, enjoy your fishing

It comes from Sainsbury's and mine is so old the 'best before' date has long gone😉 I also use braid hooklink materials for hairs as crayfish can't cut through it as they sometimes do with dental floss.

I test pop-up rigs Either in the margins, or my dogs bowl😅😉😱 I would prefer to use putty than pop-up weights for critically balancing, but sadly crayfish mess that up as they pinch the stuff. Can reel in a popped up wooden ball not knowing if I have been fishing a mini zig...

Welcome to Carp.com. You need real life to make you enjoy your fishing time😉 Have fun

I must admit I have not thought of a heavy weight making the hook drop into the lip with a pop-up, possibly because I don't usually fish pop-ups as my main tactic, yet I do use it to hold the bait to the bottom. I don't often want the bait drifting around being so critically balanced that any current it moves, only just holding bottom. My usual pop-up rig is currently a D-rig and I avoid carp taxed pop-up weights, and dive over to match anglers olivettes. There are two types; through the middle of the olivette, or held in place with a plastic sleeve. I think they are more streamlined than carp pop-up weights.

I think it was probably Rod Hutchinson who publicised particle fishing from his 70's exploits on Redmire. I know sweetcorn was supposed to have 'blown' and then came Kevin Clifford, and instead of using a small tin of corn was using a catering tin to bait up with. In fact Chris Yates I am sure caught the Bishop on sweetcorn in the 80's. I know there are a couple or three particle chapters in The Carp Strikes Back, Mike Wilson on Savay, **** Cauldwell in Kent and Hutchy's own particle ideas.

Fashion!😅😉 Before the days of Danny Fairbrass and DVD's there was groundbait fished Method style, but as a serious point to a flippant answer, those DVD's have made the spod mix the fashionable way to fish. Particle fishing has been going on since the 1970's, and firing out particle by catapult in those days, was the way to catch. Mixing particles in a spod mix works, as does adding groundbait, milk, tuna, or even pellets. It is down to the angler to find what works on each water.

Hello, good afternoon and welcome

Nice one

Fishing in winter has produced a lot of fish, some waters I knew I could catch carp, and not just small ones. At Earith, I was catching carp, often 2 or 3 over 2 nights to over 20lb. Almost all of The only blanks I had in 2 years were when the lake froze over. I was also catching at night, rarely in the day. Thwaite I was catching even in the depths of winter, in 1 week session 10 carp, and it was a water I used to use to test baits, rigs and lead set-ups. Onehouse, a day ticket water that a mate and I would go to to be sure of getting carp. Nazeing, my largest ever carp came in winter, and it has winter form, at times more so than summer. Even on the Lagoons, I have had bigger multiple catches than in the summer. Every single one of those lakes produced to boilie tactics, and they are not all shallow waters. Brackens and Lagoons drop to over 20feet. I fish the same, either days on local waters, or couple of day sessions on the further away season ticket lake. I can cope with cold weather because I am prepared, because I have the right gear. In winter I can equally blank for pike, roach or chub in day sessions, to be honest there is no differential between cyprinids or predators, all can move or shut up shop, or disappear as they seem to have done locally in the river. The Romans were moving carp all around their empire, which did include Britain, as well as parts of Asia, Greece, and North Africa. Think Italian strain... Saying that, Frank probably has a more definitive explanation. Carp are also a European fish, NOT just Asian, essentially being first found in the European Danube, but for thousands of years taken further into Asia as a food source, then into China and Japan for domestication and aquaculture. A 5th century BC tract recalls how carp were raised in ponds!