ADVICE YOU PRIZES! !


CAN TRUST NEW


In association with


void WINNER


GREYS ROD


the weather turns colder. Can you please give me some tips on how to avoid blank sessions? Aaron Seaborn, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.


Q


Dave Coster says… The main thing to remember is fish are cold blooded, so they become sluggish in late autumn and winter, moving around less frequently and requiring less food. The good news is you can carry on catching but you need to modify your tactics...


I always struggle to catch fish when


1 POLE PRECISION


A lot of anglers use long poles when the going gets tough. This is because fish move out in clearer water, also going deeper when it’s cold. The pole offers spot-on presentation, which helps to induce more bites and fewer are missed with the pole tip hovering just over the float! Running line rigs still work, but are not quite as effective as ultra-fine pole tackle, especially when targeting shy silver fish.


2 GROUNDBAIT GULPERS


When fish are interested in what you feed, but not really hungry, they often nitpick free offerings. This is frustrating because you can see bubbles fizzing on the surface, but your hook bait is ignored. You can try switching baits, but very often the fish will have become preoccupied with your groundbait. Try making up some soft groundbait paste, which can magically transform a session.


3 GOING SOFT


Winter fish will still feed on pellets, but are less likely to compete for hard ones like they did in the summer months. Try switching to soft hookers or expanders, which tend to be sucked in with far more gusto at this time of the year. Soft pellets are also lighter, so when fish are grazing on the bottom these baits disturb more easily, lifting up enticingly as a shoal forages for your feed.


4 CUTTING BACK


The biggest mistake many anglers make in hard conditions is feeding too much. You need to coax fish into action gently, cutting back drastically on the amount of bait that you put in, also trying smaller offerings. A great technique with the pole is to install a sprinkle pot, dribbling tiny amounts of micro pellets over the float. These pots are also good for dripping in hemp, squatts, pinkies and maggots.


5 TRIMMING DOWN


On some occasions the fish become wary of full-sized baits. It may be that they are not feeding properly, or just that they have become ultra cautious. A brilliant way of tricking finicky feeders is to trim baits down. Trimmed pellets and meat baits look less uniform, which often helps to pull bonus bites. Also, try much smaller segments of live baits such as worms and maggots, scaling down your hook size to suit.


SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE ✆ 0844 848 0848


6 FINER POINTS


When bites are less positive, bumping fish off the hook can become a big problem. You’ll lose far fewer fish by switching to lighter wire gauges and needle point hook patterns. Many modern hooks have extremely sharp points, and this is vital in connecting with shy bites, whether on a float or feeder. Lighter hooks also offer less resistance, so they tend to be sucked in more positively.


ON SALE TUESDAY anglersmail.com 29 >>


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74