Window of opportunity - Scott Sweetman

Making the most of your limited time on the bank

Location is always my top priority when I arrive at the lake, but this is never more vital than through the winter months. The amount of lake the carp will be covering is massively reduced, so having rigs in front of them is paramount.

It’s not just a case of getting the swim choice right, you really do need to pinpoint the exact zones they are willing to feed within the swim to give yourself the best chance of getting a bite.

Locating carp can often be harder in the winter, so it’s important to look for the subtlest of signs. Bubblers are a real key to success and one of the main things I try to look out for. If you can keep your eyes peeled on a flat calm day and manage to see fizzing, you have not only located them, but you have also located where they are happy to feed within that swim.

If I’m struggling with my location, I will even try to plan my trips on calmer days. It’s much easier to spot any activity with no ripple on the water.

Showing fish is obviously a dead giveaway to their location. I have found that just on dark, and into dark is a good time in the winter, and it’s worth concentrating that little bit harder around this time. It can pay not to rush into a swim, keep walking and listening right into dark to make sure you are on them.

Climbing trees can also help with location, especially on those cold sunny days. the water clarity is generally good in the winter, and on the right days you can sometimes see them just under the surface, getting the last of the days heat on their backs.

How I approach angling for them depends on the signs I have seen. If I have seen bubbling, I would be clipping both rods to that range with as little disturbance as possible, then applying a small amount of bait.

Naturals, or something attractive and digestible would be my go-to. I would apply this with a Spod if possible, they make far less disturbance than a Spomb clattering in.

If I found them showing, and felt like they were feeding shows, I would cast bright single hookbaits to the area to try and nick a quick bite. If I did get a bite, I would then investigate the zone and get some wraps written down for future trips.

Sometimes, you will see shows that look like the carp are spending time higher up in the water. In this situation, I would be casting zigs at different depths in the vicinity of the shows, trying to find the depth they are sitting at.

The feeding windows are so much shorter in the winter. It is paramount to pay attention to the time you see feeding activity, get bites or hear about other anglers captures. This will come with experience when fishing your chosen venue, but if you know the bite time is say, 2pm-4pm, make sure your rods are out fishing an hour or two before and all the disturbance it out of the way. Really look hard within that period when the carp are feeding and giving away their location, and if you’re not on them, you can react.

Winter fishing can be extremely productive if you get it right, as carp can become quite predictable. I have always fished right through the winter, really enjoying the change in the tactical approach.

Everything is that little bit harder earned, making every capture through the colder months really special. There is always that dream of catching my target fish on a cold frosty morning, in absolute prime condition that keeps me driven no matter what the conditions.