Carp Fishing at the End of Winter – How to Catch More as the Water Starts to Warm

Carp Fishing at the End of Winter – How to Catch More as the Water Starts to Warm

Winter can be hard going but the end of winter is one of the best times to catch carp, if you get it right.

When the days start to get longer and the sun has a bit more warmth. The water will slowly begin to wake up and the carp will start moving more and feeding a little more often each week.

But you must remember it’s still not fully springtime yet, so you can’t rush things.

In this guide, we’ll look at how to catch carp at the end of winter. This will look at, where you’ve got the best chance to find them. Also, we can look at what bait is best to use, and how to maximise your chances of catching a carp as conditions change.

Why the End of Winter Is Different for Carp

After a long cold winter, carp are sluggish and hungry due to their bodies shutting down and they will still be cautious.

What they will do more:

• They will move more than mid-winter using energy.
• So, they start looking for food
• They will follow the sunlight and look for warmer water
• But they will still avoid big meals

The water temperature is the biggest trigger for the carp and even a small rise in temperature can switch fish on to move more and feed.

So, this means you can have some great sessions but only if you stay patient and fish carefully.

Where can you Find Carp at the End of Winter

Your location can be more important than the bait at this time of year.

Here’s what to Look for:

• Try fishing shallower areas that get sunlight on them
• Sheltered corners off the back of cold winds can hold fish
• Darker lake beds can warm up faster
• Fishing against reeds in the margins on calm days because this area can be warmer.

Carp love warmth and if one area of the lake gets a few hours of sun, that’s often where the fish will be or seek out and end up there.

So, if you can have a quiet walk around the lake looking for those sorts of spots, this can often tell you more than just sitting in the first spot you come to.

Some of the Best Bait for the End of Winter when Carp Fishing

The carp are starting to feed more now, but you still don’t want to overdo it with the bait.

Good fishing baits to use in the end-of-winter are:

• Micro pellets, these are small, won’t fill the carp up and keep them occupied loner
• Crumbed Boilies or 12mm soft boilies.
• Sweetcorn can be an amazing fishing bait this time of year due to its colour and natural attraction.
• Maggots or Dead Maggots can also work very well. At the end of the day, fish love them.
• A Small wafters or pop-up can also be very effective when the carp don’t want to eat much.

I personally like using pellets this time of year because they break down fast and are easy for the carp to digest.

The best way to feed with free offerings is to start small and build up putting a little more bait in but only if you start getting bites.

How Much Bait Should You Use?

This time of year, Less bait is still the best way to go.

You can try:

• Using a small PVA bag, just giving the carp a mouthful of food.
• Also a light scatter of pellets can attract them down to your feeding spot.
• Or you can Just try one or two small spombs or spod to start without over doing it.

If you start getting regular bites, you can always slowly add a bit more bait.

But if you put too much bait too early, you can push fish away or make it harder to get a bite as the carp will fill up on free offerings and not your baited rig.

Her are some Simple Rigs That Work Well

You don’t need anything fancy to catch carp.

Try and Stick to:

• Rigs with short hooklinks as carp can be warry feeders in the colder months and a shorter hooklink can help with indication.
• Also Try using smaller hooks with a smaller hookbait like 12mm pop up.
• A rig with a balanced hookbait on can be a great choice
• Keep your rig clean and simple so it works every time.

This time of year, a good rig presentation matters more than clever rigs that can tangle and go wrong. So, at this time of year, keep it simple.

When’s the Best Time of Day to Catch Carp

At the end of winter, the time of day you fish can make a big difference.

Some of the Best times are often:

• Late morning when the carp want to get moving looking for food.
• Early afternoon if the fish have been moving around and need to feed for more energy.
• When the sun has warmed the water and the fish are looking for a warmer area of the lake.

Early mornings can still be slow, especially after cold nights so chose your spot wisely.

If you can, fish an area of the lake where the sun has been on the water for a few hours or where you know the part of the lake where the sun is going to be concentrated and warm the water columns. 

Keep an eye on the Weather

Often small changes in weather can make big difference in fishing. Just a change in the air pressure is all you need sometimes.

Here’s some Good signs to look for:

• Keep an eye on the weather and look for a few warmer days in a row.
• Light warmer winds can often get the carp on the move
• If its cloudy with outbreaks sunshine, try fishing where the deeper water rises to shallower water as the fish will want to feel the warmth of the sun.

Hard frosts and icy winds can slow things down again, so always try and be adaptable with your plans and go on a more favourable day.

Take Your Time On The Bank, Keep Quiet and Don’t Bang Around

Carp can still spook easily in cold water. Don’t forget, not many anglers have been around the lake so they need to get used to the new noises.

Try to:

• Try Walking softly around the lake watching where you tread because you don’t want to spook carp already in the swim if they are there.
• Cast gently. Try using a 1.5 or 2oz Tournament casting style lead as the shape allows them to enter the water quieter.
• Try to keep bank noise minimal as it’s hard enough to get the fishing into your swim.
• Also don’t overcasting. Try and limit to one cast per spot.

If you take your time and keep your noise minimal, you’ve got more chance catching a fish.

Final Thoughts

Carp fishing at the end of winter can be very productive.

The Fish are starting to wake up and move around a lot more, so this means they are burning energy and need to feed to maintain their strength but they’re still cautious. So  keep your bait light, your rigs simple, and your eyes open for signs of fish. Remember, you’ve gone to fish and not sit looking at your phone, keep watching the water for signs of fish.

The aim when fishing this time of year at the end of winter into early spring is to find the places where the sun will warm the water quicker. Find an area of the lake that goes from deeper water to shallower water because if the sun comes out for and starts warming things up you will be in prime position with the carp moving out of the deeper water to the shallows, then as it cools, the fish will come back out of the shallows into the deeps.

Do that, and you’ll have more of a chance putting a carp on the bank before spring even arrives.

Here at CPS Tackle, we believe confidence comes from keeping things simple and fishing smart so try not to over complicate it.

Tight Lines 👍