The Best Carp Baits to Use in Winter

Choosing the Right Venue for Winter Fishing

Before selecting your bait, focus on picking the right venue. In winter, targeting waters with winter form and a good stock of carp is crucial. A small, well-stocked venue is more likely to yield results than a sprawling 50-acre lake that only produces a handful of bites each year.

Firstly, ensure you select your venue wisely – ideally somewhere with a good stock of carp

The Best Winter Carp Baits

When it comes to winter carp fishing, some baits consistently stand out as winners. Here’s a breakdown of the top options:

1. Maggots

Maggots are a classic winter bait and for good reason – they can tempt carp even on the toughest days. Adding casters to your mix can also enhance your chances. However, maggots require preparation, such as tying them to floss and preventing them from turning, which can be a hassle for some anglers.

Maggots are a great winter bait, but they can be a pain

2. Boilies and Liquids

For a simpler yet highly effective winter baiting approach, small parcels of boilies paired with liquids are hard to beat. While some liquids, like oils, may lose effectiveness in cold water, certain soluble liquids, in particular DNA’s BetaStim, Calanus Hydro, Liquid Foods and Hydro Spod Syrups, excel, even in winter.

Calanus Hydro is a must-have liquid for the colder months

BetaStim will transform your boilies in winter

Why Use Boilie Crumb?

Using boilie crumb is a brilliant way to deliver liquid attraction directly to the lakebed. Grinding your chosen boilies into a fine powder allows the liquids to soak in and release a powerful scent trail that can draw carp to your spot.

Boilie crumb soaked in matching Liquid Food a very effective method in the cold

Pro Tip: Add liquids to your boilie crumb and boost it further with powders from the DNA Baits range, such as Insect Meal or Krill Meal. These powders enhance the flavour and scent profile, giving your freebies an irresistible boost.

Coating boilies in Insect Meal will ensure they leak extra attraction, even in colder water

Hookbait Choices for Winter

In winter, bright, highly visible hookbaits are a game-changer. Carp have reduced eyesight in colder months, so pairing a bright hookbait with attractive liquids is essential. A heavily glugged bottom bait or a small 12mm pop-up in eye-catching colours like yellow or pink is often the key to getting bites.

A bright 12mm fluoro will often succeed when other baits fail

Don’t Overlook Zigs

Carp aren’t always feeding on the lakebed during winter. On sunny days, they can be found higher in the water column, making zig rigs an excellent option.

• Use Candy Sticks from DNA Baits for a high-visibility, flavoured zig presentation.
• Alternatively, foam soaked in Sticky Sweet Liquid is another proven choice that works exceptionally well.

Try trimming down a piece of Candy Stick and dunking it in Sticky Sweet when zig fishing

Final Thoughts

Winter carp fishing may be challenging, but with the right bait and tactics, you can still have highly productive sessions. Focus on small, high-attraction bait parcels, bright hookbaits and the strategic use of liquids to draw carp in. Don’t forget to adjust your tactics based on the conditions – whether it’s switching to a zig rig on sunny days or tweaking your hookbait presentation for maximum visibility.

Happy winter fishing and tight lines!

Winter fishing can be magic!

For more winter carp fishing tips, see:

Top 10 Tips for Winter Carp Fishing by Alan Draycott

Winter Carp Fishing Guide: Top Tips to Catch Carp in the Cold by Steve Wright