Spicing Up the Golden Balls

CC Moore Bait Edges.

With the weather still incredibly inconsistent and the night-time temperatures often looming around zero degrees, there is no wonder that carp captures are thin on the ground. It’s without doubt the trickiest time of the year to be out there catching consistently. With the majority of carp waters having not done bites for several weeks, winter can often feel like a long drag through until spring. With the long nights and cold daytime temperatures, catching carp in the winter is often a tall order.

There is no doubt about it, location comes above all other variables in the winter, but closely behind that is bait choice and, more importantly, the cold-water attraction properties of the bait you choose to use. Single hookbaits are without doubt a long-standing, effective winter tactic. Those bright, potent ‘pots of gold’ can often be the key to success when all else fails. A bait straight from the pot will often do the trick, but imagine boosting the baits tenfold in order to release further attraction into the water column. Boosting single hookbaits certainly isn’t a new idea; it’s been around for many years. Saturating the chosen baits in liquid that is then slowly drawn into the skin is a process that has accounted for many carp in the harshest of conditions during the depths of winter. Like most other tactics, these begin to lose their effectiveness as the cautious winter carp slowly wise up to the method.