Carping in the cold

These days, the carp fishing cognoscenti look forward to the local pits finally being empty of the "fair-weather" crowd. And consider a Cambridgeshire carp, resplendent in its winter colours—deep, dark bronzes and clean, crisp scales—a worthy, rewarding and achieving target.

Let’s be realistic, though: winters on the bank can be bitterly cold. Your fingers may turn blue tying rigs, and you’ll spend more time watching the birds than the rod tips. But for the truly ‘hardcore’ the many upsides outweigh the down.

Peace and Quiet: The crowds have gone. Meaning no more dodging wayward bait boats, drunken socials, or listening to someone’s Bluetooth speaker three swims down. It’s just you, the moorhens, and the mist over the water.
The Look of the Fish: Carp go through a transformation in the cold. Their colours can become incredibly vivid. A common carp that looks "alright" in July looks like a bar of polished gold in January.
The Challenge: Catching a winter carp isn't about luck; it’s about being in the right place at the right time. When you finally get that tentative twitch on the bobbin, you know you’ve chosen right. But how to get to that point?

Location: Finding the Huddle

In the summer, carp move around like Japanese tourists in a National Trust gift shop—they're everywhere. In the winter, however, they’re more like retirees at a bus stop. They find a spot they like, usually where the water is a fraction of a degree warmer or where there’s decent cover, and they huddle up.

If you’re fishing a ten-acre lake, the fish might all be packed into an area no bigger than your living room. If that. Meaning you can have the best bait, rigs and tackle in the world, but if you’re 50 yards away from that huddle, you’re just feeding the ducks.

Look for:

The North Bank: This side of the lake catches the most winter sun and the warmer winds. Even a tiny bit of warmth can draw fish in.
Dead Reeds and Snags: Deep water isn't always the answer, but shelter is. Overhanging bushes or sunken trees provide a bit of a "blanket" for the fish.
Bubbles and Twitches: Keep your eyes peeled. A single tiny bubble or a slight swirl can give away the whole shoal.

The "Feeding Window" and What to Feed

Here’s the rub: a winter carp might only decide to eat for 20 minutes in an entire twenty-four-hour period. Their metabolism has slowed down to a crawl. They aren't looking for a three-course Sunday roast; they’re looking for a light starter.

So, if you go in heavy-handed with gallons of hemp and kilos of boilies, you’ll ruin your chances. You’ll be fishing over a pile of bait that the fish won't finish until April.

The Strategy: Little and Often (Mostly Little) You want enough bait to grab their attention, but not enough to fill them up. A few crushed boilies, a handful of micro-pellets, or a few grains of the "old reliable" sweetcorn is usually plenty.

The Bait Choice: Assuming our first-choice, maggots and worms, are “verboten” on your chosen venue, we’re big fans of boilies that have stood the test of time. Our preference: Nutrabaits’ Trigga Ice. Ot Mistral Bait’s CM1.

High-leakage baits are your friend here. Since the water is cold, oils don't travel well. You want something that breaks down and sends out a signal even when the lake feels like an ice bath.

Bright Is Right: A single, high-viz pop-up (pink, white, or yellow) is a classic winter tactic. It’s a "curiosity" bait. A carp might not be hungry, but if it sees a bright little morsel floating right in front of its nose, it’ll often have a go just to see what it is.

Rigs: Keep It Simple, Keep It Sharp

You don’t need a rig that looks like a NASA engineering project. In fact, simpler is often better. Because the fish aren't moving much, they aren't going to "bolt" and hook themselves as easily as they do in June.

Short Rigs: If you’re fishing with a small PVA bag of pellets, a short hooklink keeps everything tight.
Zigs: always worth a go on at least one rod - as the carp are often more comfortable up in the water, during the colder months.
The Hook: This is the most important bit. It needs to be sharp enough to catch on a passing thought. Gardner’s hand sharpened hooks get our vote.

Gear for the Long Wait

Winter fishing is only fun if you aren't shivering. If you’re uncomfortable, you’ll start cutting corners, and that’s when you miss fish. So, check your local weather forecast, “layer up” with cold weather clothing - from (blatant plug) your Navitas base layer and thermal socks to your Cult Tackle technical bivvy coat, gloves and beanie - and make sure you have plenty of gas for your stove.

And a good five-seasons sleeping bag, naturally.

Whatever you need, we’ve got you covered.

At Fenland Tackle Exchange, we’re not about the hype. We’re about getting you out on the bank with gear that works.

Whether you’re fishing the local rivers and drains, a quiet pit in Norfolk, or one of the many Cambs club waters, we’ve here for you. We have a massive range of terminal tackle, proven baits, and quality new and used gear that’s been checked over by people who actually fish.

Plus, you’ll enjoy:

Free Local Delivery: If you’re in the Fenland area and spend over £25, we’ll bring the gear to you. No need to trek out in the cold.
Out of Hours Collection: Working odd shifts? You can book an appointment to pick up your bits from our trade counter in March at a time that suits you.
Weekend Warehouse Sales: Every Saturday, come down to City Road, March. We run a weekly stock clearance where you can find some real "old school" bargains.And on Sundays, you’ll find us at Skylark Boot Sale, too.

And of course you can browse and order online anytime, right here.