Oscar Thornton - Top 5 Winter Tips

Carp Advanced

Oscar shares his top winter edges, and how he uses these to get the most from the colder months.

Prioritise Your Comfort

Winter fishing can be brutal, but staying warm is one of the biggest advantages you can give yourself. When you’re cold, it’s easy to lose the drive to sit up and listen for shows or even wake up in the middle of the night. But if you’re wrapped up in warm clothing; thermal jackets, salopettes, and thick socks etc, you’ll find yourself more likely to get up through the night to listen for those crucial shows. Winter carp will often become a lot more active in the late evening and throughout the hours of darkness, so don’t let comfort stop you from making the most of those night-time opportunities! Look after yourself, invest in some proper clothing, footwear, bring the bivvy, lots of nice warm meals and make it comfortable.

Layered Up - Korda Kore Thermal base layer and Thermal Salopettes, Korda Insulated Jacket.

Effort Through The Night

Alongside staying warm, set an alarm and commit to getting up through the night, trust me, it's worth the effort. A quick one-hour or two-hour listening session in the early hours could give you all the information you need. You might only need to see or hear one show to find out exactly where the fish are holding. One show could give away the entire stock's location, and could be the zone they spend their entire winter. Don’t settle for just starring at your phone scrolling, make it count and put in that effort.

Working through the night.

Natural Baits - The Secret You Can't Ignore

Natural baits are your best friend in the winter months. Maggots and casters are proven winners in these colder conditions. The carp never tire of the crunch and movement these baits offer, making them a staple in your winter approach. I’ve had plenty of sessions where, without these naturals, a blank would have been inevitable. Winter isn’t the time for complicated rigs—stick to the basics, and the fish will do the rest.

As deadly as it gets - 35 red maggot balanced with a 15mm Milky Toffee pop up, set up D Rig style

Zigs - The Underrated Weapon for Success

Zig rigs can be a massively underused tactic during winter, and that’s a mistake. During the colder months, carp spend the majority of their time off the bottom, looking for that slightly warmer water that will often be in the mid and upper layers. A common mistake people make with zigs, is doing it half heartedly, where they'll just use one rod and give up on it too soon. You have to fully commit and really work them. Put them on all rods, experiment with colour and flavours and keep working the depths until you find what works. When you get them dialled in, zigs can change the game in winter and early spring. The key is persistence - Don’t just try one and hope for the best. Be dynamic and proactive with your approach.

Size 8 Kamakura Wide Gape with a 12lb Guru N-Gauge link.

Monitor The Weather - Don't Miss Your Window

Winter fishing often revolves around the weather, and you’ve got to make the most of it when the conditions shift. I'll always be monitoring the weather, constantly checking the forecast for updates. A big low-pressure system or a temperature rise is a signal to act on, if there's been weeks of cold or high pressure, then you see a shift, it's worth making the effort to get out fishing. Often, all you need is a few hours in the right place at the right time. I’ve fished sessions where I knew exactly when the bite window would open, between 14:30 and 16:00, and it was all about being in the right spot at that moment. Sometimes, all it takes is a focused window and you can reap the rewards. Get the rods out quietly, PVA bags positioned in the right zone can be deadly.