Best Carp Fishing Winter Baits: A Total Fishing Tackle Review

There is more to carp fishing than boilies, and in the winter months, anglers often turn their attentions to a host of other carp bait to put carp on the bank. Our resident angling expert Andy Grenfell takes a look at some of the best winter baits you can use. You might have seen the piece I wrote on the best winter carp fishing boilies. If not, check it out! In this piece I will be concentrating on my favourite carp fishing winter baits other than boilies, have a read and see if you can put some of what I am about to tell you into your fishing to keep those bite alarms chirping all winter!

WINTER BAIT OPTIONS

One of my favourites and of many anglers who carp fish through the winter. Tigers are a sweet, crunchy bait that has caught stacks of carp and will continue to do so. I tend to use Tigers when the fish are having a bit of a feed and fish them with a spod mix over the top containing chopped tigers, chopped worms, hemp, maggots, and casters. Rigwise I use a simple blowback rig with a trimmed tiger threaded on the hair and tipped with a fake red maggot. I balance the rig so it turns into a wafer bait with the fake maggot providing the buoyancy. As I mentioned earlier, I tend to use them only when I know the fish are feeding or in a well-stocked venue where there will be fish in front of me at some point throughout my session. Because of the spod mix I use. I can utilise a variety of hookbaits, a trimmed or whole tiger, a piece of worm, or some fake casters. Loads of companies are doing ready-made tiger nuts, but check fishery rules to make sure they are allowed!

Sometimes a single hi-vis, high-strength flavoured pop-up can be the only way to get a bite when all else fails, and no doubt you will all have your favourites. For me, single hookbait fishing is all about attracting the fish to your bait to get more of an inquisitive bite, perhaps the fish aren't up for feed, but the temptation is too great. You know how it is with us, we stuff ourselves with a Sunday Roast and can't resist the last roast spud on the tray even though you are already fit to burst! Some of my favourites are the Sticky Baits Signature pop-ups, the CC Moore NS1 Northern Specials, Richworth Tutti Fruitti, and Mainline Pineapple Juice Pop-Ups. It's always worth changing the colours up, some days a bright yellow will be the one, and other times it will be a washed-out pink that the carp prefer. When fishing, keep your eyes peeled, and if you see a fish show, a single hookbait on its head can usually provoke a bite.  

99% of the carp we fish for have been fed on pellets in their early lives, so it stands to reason that pellets can be a great winter carp bait. Many lakes even feed their fish over the winter on a pellet-based diet to keep the fish in good condition and keep them feeding. The only thing you need to be aware of is to avoid the high-oil trout and halibut pellets. Stick to the carp pellet in your favourite flavours or use them plain, both work just as well. Take a golf ball-sized PVA mesh bag of your favourite pellet in 4mm size and nick it onto the hair of a combi rig with a trimmed-down boilie hookbait made to look pellet-shaped. Use a small size 10 or 8 hook, and with regular recasting, you should find a pocket of fish willing to feed. If you start getting a few bites, then catapulting a few of the PVA mesh bags of pellets around your rigs can also be a really good way of keeping the fish in your swim. A great choice of the best winter carp fishing bait. 

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Munch Baits Cream Tigers!

CC Moore Carp Freaks Pop Ups!

Sticky Baits Manilla Pellets!

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