How To Achieve Winter Success

After hearing about their superb Alders farm winter league victory, UKMA gave Bag'em Matchbaits/Tubertini backed rods, Matt Grant, Mike McMillan, Steve Potter and new recruit for the 2010/2011 winter league, Tubertini/Ringers Bait backed bagging machine, Barry Mason a call to find out exactly how each of them adapted their tactics and feeding through out the series to secure consecutive victories on this prolific venue. Obviously location pays a major part in any angler’s success in winter but if your tactics or feeding approach is wrong even the best of draws during the colder months can be wasted.

This well established group of anglers have all worked hard to perfect the tactics and skills required to produce good section points from even the toughest of sections on the very hardest of days. Their results over the past two years on all lakes at Alders Farm fishery clearly demonstrate that winter fishing is about ability and judgement  and not just about a good draw. So with that in mind, over the next four weeks we will introduce you to the members of team Tubertini/Bag’em Matchbaits and get them to reveal a few of the winter tips and tactics that have made them so successful.

Part Two - Winter Groundbait For All Species

Tactical Decisions

As a team we had decided to fish the same lake for the duration of the winter league, this allowed us to tune in with the lakes moods throughout the series and reflect on methods and baits being used. The selection was made and my home for the series was to be the Silver fish lake. Now the name is slightly deceiving, because in fact there is a larger head carp in there than silvers, having said that there is still a healthy head of large skimmers and tench, which are well worth targeting. The carp average between 2-5lbs, with plenty of smaller fish in the 1lb range.
While most people opted for the popular ‘standard’ winter tactic of corn over micro pellet, my approach throughout the whole series was very different. As I mentioned before there is a large head of skimmers which do occasionally show and with conditions being somewhat adverse this winter, I wanted to give myself the best chance of putting fish in the net when others struggled to catch carp, let’s face it this wasn’t an individual event and therefore focusing on valuable section points was the aim, rather than a match win.

Rigs

My approach therefore was to fish pinkie/maggot over groundbait to target the resident silver fish and corn over mirco pellet for the carp. My rigs for the groundbait line were either a 4x12 or 4x14 in a kc Carpa Gent pattern, to 0.12 Tubertini Gorilla pole line and 0.11 hooklength of the same material, finished off with a Tubertini 808 size 18 as my chosen hook pattern. The shotting was a bulk of no.10’s with two no.11 droppers and this rig was fished anything from dead depth up to 2inches over depth depending on conditions.
The mircro pellet feed and corn/pellet hook bait line was fished with identical rigs, as before with the only difference being the shotting pattern. This time I opted for a strung out bulk of no.8 shot, spread out 2cm apart with the last shot 18inches from the hook. This shotting allows my hook bait to fall through the water more naturally. My chosen groundbait throughout the series for this line was Bag’em baits XPD dark; this is pure expander pellet that has been ground to a fine grade. This is a darker version on the XP, which lends itself better for the cold, clear waters we are faced with during the winter.

Bait Preparation

Mixing the Pro-Competition XPD groundbait is very simple, poor the dry ingredients through a flour sieve to remove any large particles (I do this twice) then simple place in a groundbait bucket and add water slowly, mixing rigorously and leave for 10 minutes, you will find that the groundbait dries out considerably, so repeat this process until the groundbait stays at a moist consistency, then leave the groundbait overnight, and riddle in the morning (I do this twice) This creates a groundbait that is low in food content and very inert, which is perfect for catching all species of fish including roach, rudd, skimmers, tench and carp.

Winter Tactics

My opening approach was to feed two lines at 10 and 2 o’clock with a small tangerine sized ball of groundbait with dead pinkie at 14.5m. The other two lines were fed at 9m using a toss pot, half filled with mirco and 6 grains of corn. It was then a case of rotating lines, taking two fish from each, before resting. The interesting point to make was just how long the initial ball of groundbait held fish in the swim, compared to the micro pellet. I was taking some 5-6 fish on the groundbait line before re-feeding, compared to the micro pellet line which needed topping up after every 2 fish.
I think this really does show the effectiveness of this groundbait approach and its ability to hold fish, without over feeding, something I felt the micro pellet done. I then cut out the pellet altogether and reverted all my lines to the groundbait to continue to catch for the duration of the match. Having worked out this feeding strategy in the opening round, I then used this approach for the remaining rounds and went on to record a section win, a second in section and a lake win, to mark up some good section points on a far from easy water and to help the team win the title for the second year on the bounce.

Next time you’re out in winter………leave the micros at home and reach for the XPD dark.

Foot Note

Mick like all his team mates has worked hard on his feeding and bait preparation to get the very best from his swim during the bleak winter months. Using the best baits available will give you an unprecedented advantage over your fellow competitors and could mean the difference between success and failure. Add well balanced rigs to the equation and your on the right road and potentially heading regular success and good sport even on the hardest of pegs.

Team Tubertini / Bag'em Baits are sponsored by the below companies.