Rob Swan's Top 5 Winter Snake Lake Tips

Making Noise

Carp and F1s are not really searching for food at this time of year; they're lethargic and reluctant to feed. So, with this in mind, I always try to make noise with the bait that I'm feeding, whether that be with a catapult, a sprinkle lid on my pole pot, or loose bait, to make some noise and drag fish into my swim.

Soft Baits Are Key

Softer baits seem to work better for me in the Winter, as opposed to hard pellets or corn. My go-to hook bait and feed combo is a 4mm Neutral Mainline Match expander pellet and softened down micro pellets. Being very soft baits in terms of texture means they're easy for the fish to swallow and eat.

Scaling Down

Dropping down your hooks, line, and elastics is vital to maximising your sessions in the Winter. My spring and summer set-ups will be much more positive as, naturally, you get more bites, and the fish are fighting more aggressively. However, when the temperatures drop everything down, so I will reduce my hook size to a 16 or an 18 F1 Pellet hook, which'll be matched to 0.11mm N-Gauge hook lengths, 0.15mm N-Gauge main line, through to an orange or even blue Hydro. A well-balanced set-up that will land pretty much every fish you're you're to hook.

Go Red!

Maggots are a fantastic bait in the wintertime and the most reliable. I always use red maggots when the water goes a bit clearer. It might be a confidence thing, but I have a lot more faith in this colour and feel the fish naturally respond better to red maggots than white or other brighter colours. Another little extra tip, make sure you hook your maggots through the thinner end. This will leave more hook point showing and reduce any chance of the maggot folding over the hook, resulting in potential lost fish.

Prime It Short!

A short maggot line is a MUST in the Winter! This line is so important to have up your sleeve for a late run of big F1s, especially when the light begins to fade, and the fish decide to have a feed. Don't drop on this too early, though; I won't even look on this line until the last 1.5 hours of the match or pleasure session. The best way to feed this line is to constantly feed a pinch of maggots every 5 minutes and build the swim up. You don't have to go crazy with the feeding, but you must keep ringing the dinner bell and let the fish gain confidence. That'll give you the best chance of having a brilliant finish to your day.

For more information on Rob's winter fishing, watch his latest Mini Masterclass below.