ASK THE EXPERTS
Dear Panel
When fishing for carp, does the size of your bait play a part? For example, in the winter is it better to use small, medium, or large baits? Also, is it worth spodding out particle in the early months of the year, and, if so, how much around each rod for a 24-hour session? If it is better to use small baits in winter, then when should I start using larger baits?
Many thanks,
James Lynn, County Durham.
There are an awful lot of questions there James, and I will attempt to cover each one the best I can.
Size of bait: If you mean will larger baits catch larger carp, then the answer is no. The modern-day trend is for anglers to be using smaller and smaller baits. This, in turn, has led to carp becoming a little reluctant to pick up a larger, and somewhat more blatant hookbait. Just for the record, I believe the larger the hookbait I can get a carp to pick up, the more likely I am to hook him. It is just a little more difficult for the fish to deal with. Interestingly, I have had much more success in winter using smaller boilies, of, say, 14mm.
The trend is for smaller and smaller baits, but in my experience it’s easier to hook a carp with a larger hookbait.
Why this should be so I am not quite sure, but sometimes all we need to know is that it works and looking for too many answers often complicates the issue. One reason is that the smaller species, such as roach and bream, are, maybe, less active, and therefore the bait stays in position long enough for the carp to find it. And whilst I am on the subject of small fish, this is where a larger hookbait helps a lot. As I just mentioned, they may well be inactive during the winter, but as the weather warms up they will be on the lookout for an easy meal. This is the time when I start increasing the size of boilies I am using.
My favourite combination.
I have used particles in the wintertime, but I can honestly say they have been far less effective than the good old boilie. I think it is just that the carp have to expend a lot of energy getting anything from a particle mix, whereas a few boilies will give them just as much for very little effort. Much depends on the waters you are fishing, James; how many nuisance fish are there and how many carp are you fishing for? These all have a bearing on the way you fish.
Two 14mm pop-ups over a bed of 10mm boilies and Response Pellets accounted for this winter monster
I hope that helps fella, and all the best to you.
Chilly
