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Coated Boilies Match The Hatch Keep It Bright Winter Maggots A U T U M N W I N T E R I S S U E 0 4 AUTUMN/WINTER 2017 | FREE | ISSUE 04 STICKYBAITS.COM BAITING TIPS TO BOOST YOUR CATCH RATE FREE

STICKYBAITS.COM AUTUMN/WINTER 2017 FREE …stickybaits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Sticky-Guide-004_Mobile...out boilies. STEP 1 HAVING CONFIDENCE IN SOMETHING IS KEY AND BEN HAS

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Coated Boilies

Match The Hatch

Keep ItBright

Winter Maggots→ → → →

A U T U M N

W I N T E RI S S U E 0 4

AUT UMN/WINTER 2017 | FREE | ISSUE 04STICKYBAITS.COM

BAITING TIPS TO BOOST YOUR CATCH RATE

FREE

2

W E L C O M E

3

04 →COATED BOILIES Gaz Fareham

06 →GO SMALL AND CATCH BIG Rob Burgess

10 →THE HEAT TREATMENT Ben Hamilton

12 →MATCH THE HATCH Oz Holness

14 →INSIDE TOM'S BUCKET Tom Maker

16 →AUTUMN TOP TIPS Scott Lloyd

18 →STAY WARM, KEEP FOCUS Sticky Baits

22 →KEEP IT BRIGHT Myles Gibson

24 →RIVER CARPING Nick Helleur

26 →CATCH IN THE COLD Jack Funnell

28 →ZIG FISHING Jake Wildbore

30 →WINTER MAGGOTS Marc Cavaciuti

34 →MANILLA MIX Adam Penning

A U T U M N

W I N T E R

C O N T E N T S

We are rapidly approaching the end of what has been

another fantastic year. Records smashed, personal goals and targets achieved, the

long-lasting dreams of many fulfilled. There have been so many significant captures by not only our anglers using the bait, but to you lot too.

The Burghfield Common at over 62lb, an unnamed 59lb mirror, Yateley’s first 50lb common and the North West’s finest at over 57lb to name just a few. In this booklet we have assembled our team of anglers, old and new, to pass

on their vast experience and knowledge to help you in the months ahead.

As we head in to arguably the best time of year, what follows can be the toughest. In this guide we have a number of bait tips and tweaks that will certainly help you achieve your own personal goals in angling.

Best of luck!

Dan Wildbore

C O A T E D B O I L I E S

Add some boilies to a bag; Gaz is using a mixture of Manilla and Krill.

Pour over some Krill Liquid, enough to give the baits a glaze.

They should all look like this, with a nice glaze and sticky to touch.

2. 3.1.

C O A T E D

The transition from summer to autumn can come round in no time.

One week you have traps set, with a few boilies and

some seed, wiping sweat and mosquitos away, then you have chilly winds, shorter evenings and even frosts. Autumn has got to be one of the best times of the year to go fishing, but the season brings a transformation in weather and for me, a change in tactics.

I don’t use as many, if any, seeds in the autumn and

stick to fishing with boilies for the majority of it. I have always liked boosting both my freebies and my hook baits and with the use of a couple of products, you can really enhance them.

I start off by putting some baits in a bag, before giving them a dosage of the Pure Krill Liquid. Liquids like the Pure Krill or Pure Tuna and

G A Z F A R E H A M R E V E A L S A N E A T L I T T L E T R I C K T H A T H E L P S F U R T H E R B O O S T Y O U R B O I L I E S …

Coated BoiliesGaz Fareham

4.

Gaz doesn't hold back and adds a generous amount of the GLM powder.

He makes sure there is enough to cover all the baits in the bag.

After a good shake, the liquid will help the powder to stick to the baits.

5. 6.

B O I L I E Sthe L-Zero-30-T are very thick, which will give a sticky coating to the bait, which is essential for the next part.

Once they are glazed with the liquid, I then add a good dusting of the GLM. This is one of my favourite additives of all time and when mixed with the Krill Liquid, it smells and tastes sensational.

I then leave them to dry,

sometimes giving them another process of the liquid and powder. What you are left with is a dry coating around the boilies, which is all goodness, salts and attractants and fish simply love it.

I try to be different to everyone else, no matter where I’m fishing. For example, most of the anglers

on where I am currently fishing are using bigger baits, so I have chosen to use 12mm boilies. I can do the bait up before I go fishing and I don’t need to use a lot of bait. I don’t get a lot of time to fish, so when I do I need to know that the bait that I am using is full of attraction and the carp will eat it when they are in the area.

54

GO

6 7

R O B B U R G E S S

E X P L A I N S H O W

F I S H I N G W I T H

S M A L L E R B A I T S

C A N A C T U A L LY

H E L P Y O U C A T C H

B I G G E R C A R P …S M A L L

I do a lot of fishing on busy, pressured circuit waters. Lakes such as Farlows and

Linear hold loads of very big fish, but are under immense angling pressure most of the year. When fishing these sorts of lakes, you are always looking for that extra edge to help you get more bites.

I am in no doubt that the fish

are often either swimming over the top of your rigs, neglecting or ejecting them on a regular basis. It is because of this that I make sure I use the best possible bait for the given situation. Picking the right boilie is a tough choice and is often decided by confidence. If you are not confident in a bait, have a look

and see what the majority of anglers are having success on.

In recent years, Krill and Manilla have been firm favourites of mine; I can take them anywhere and know that carp will eat them. Choice of hook baits and rig set up is often what people get confused about.

I would guess that over

80% of the anglers fishing on these lakes will be using a hook bait of 15mm or above, some bigger. This will no doubt catch fish and I myself have had plenty of captures using bigger baits, but in the colder months carp can get very wary of something they have seen regularly throughout the year. ▶

T I P 1

A CHOD RIG PRESENTATION

IS PERFECT FOR LAKEBEDS

COVERED WITH DEBRIS.

SMALL FREEBIES ARE LIGHT

AND WILL SETTLE ON TOP

OF ANY BOTTOM DEBRIS.

CHECKING THE RIG IN THE

EDGE IS SO IMPORTANT

BEFORE CASTING IT OUT.

A DROP-OFF SYSTEM IS

GREAT WHEN THERE IS ANY

WEED ABOUT.

A SMALL 12MM POP-UP,

IS DIFFERENT TO A USUAL

SIZED CHOD POP-UP.

A QUICK SPRAY GIVES

THE BAIT EVEN MORE

ATTRACTION.

T I P 3

T I P 5

TIP 2

TIP 4

TIP 6

A N D C ATC H B I G

Go Small And Catch BigRob Burgess

8

Go Small And Catch BigRob Burgess

9

It is because of this that I have started to use small baits. A 12mm bait is still big enough to use in conjunction with a good sized hook, but a lot smaller than what the majority of other anglers are using. This can be a particularly good advantage when chod fishing. Due to the nature of the rig and the required buoyancy of the hook bait, anglers will stick to a 16mm bait. However, with a neat little trick, you can use 12mm baits on chod rigs.

I simply bore out a 12mm pop-up and plug some foam

in it. Not only will this add buoyancy, but it will also ensure that despite the fact that the bait is pierced it will maintain its buoyancy for a long period of time.

I have caught lots of fish using small, bright pop-ups, particularly over low-lying weed or bottom debris and I am sure it is down to the small baits. As the cold weather draws in, leaves will be falling from the trees and into the lake creating a layer of litter. This, on top of any existing weed, can cause presentation issues. Enter the Chod Rig!

The Chod will fish over virtually any lake-bed, particularly one that I have just described.

If you find the fish, a couple of casts made to an area using chods, armed with bright ones, followed by a scattering of boilies, can be deadly. I have found that once the water has cooled down, the fish move around a lot slower. By spreading the bait in an area, it keeps them grazing round the zone for a while. A highly boosted and attractive bait sat around a spread of bait will often pick up quick bites too.

ROB HAS CAUGHT A

NUMBER OF BIG FISH USING

SMALL, BRIGHT POP UPS.

A SPREAD OF BAIT, LITTLE-

AND-OFTEN, IS A GREAT

WINTER APPROACH.

JUST LOOK AT A 12MM

POP-UP IN A 25LB CARP’S

MOUTH, IT’S TINY!

T I P 7

TIP 8

S T E P 1 STEP 2

STEP 3 STEP 4

Insert some buoyant foam in to the bait.

Take a bait punch and remove around 4mm of the pop-up.

Trim off the foam once it is plugged in.

The hook bait is done, now just attach it to your rig.

A D D I N G E X T R A B U O Y A N C Y T O

A P O P - U P

10

The Heat TreatmentBen Hamilton

11

Evenly pour a kettle full of boiling water over them.

Next add a good glug of Pure Krill Liquid to replace lost flavour.

Once at the lake, I am left with very fishy, washed-

out boilies.

STEP 1

HAVING CONFIDENCE

IN SOMETHING IS KEY

AND BEN HAS 100% FAITH

IN THIS HEAT METHOD.

STEP 2

STEP 5 STEP 6

Drain the liquid out and repeat step 2 and 3 to thaw out the bait.

Then while the bait is soft add a good helping of GLM to the mix.

STEP 3 STEP 4

Start off by putting some Krill freezer baits in a bucket.

B E N H A M I LT O N R E V E A L S A N E F F E C T I V E B O I L I E T R I C K U S E D F O R H I S S H O R T O V E R N I G H T S E S S I O N S …

W ith most of my sessions being spur-of-the-moment

overnighters, I want to use fresh bait. If I make a last-minute call to go fishing, I do something with my baits that not only allows me to use frozen boilies, but also give them a real boost.

By adding boiling water too them, draining the liquid and repeating the process again, the baits will thaw out. Not only this, they will have a washed out appearance and soft texture too, due to the heat of the water.

While the bait is soft and

taking on water, I add some GLM powder to the mix. GLM is one of the best carp attractors I have ever used and by adding it to the warm liquid it mixes in with the water and pumps through the baits.

I also add some of the Pure Krill Liquid, which not only matches the boilies that I feed; it is also one of the best liquids around. It is packed full of nutrients and attractors and gives the baits that extra smell that they have lost in the thawing-out process.

Once I have done this, I make my way down to the lake and by the time I’m set up and ready to fish, I’m left with the most amazing-smelling baits. They smell fishy, yet look like they have been out in the pond for a couple of days, which I am sure helps me get bites on those short sessions.

12

O Z H O L N E S S E X P L A I N S H O W M A T C H I N G Y O U R H O O K B A I T S T O Y O U R F R E E B I E S C A N T R I P U P T H E B I G G E R F I S H …

Match The HatchOz Holness

13

MATCH THE

HATCHK E E P W A T C H I N G T H E W A T E R

When boilie fishing, match the hook bait to your freebies.

Use a bottom-bait and pop-up for match-the-hatch fishing.

Carp will be actively looking for good quality bait in autumn.

Dont be afraid to ‘give it to them’ when the time is right.

Investigating with a rough lead will identify natural food.

TIP 1 → TIP 2 → TIP 3 → TIP 4 → TIP 5 →

TIP 6

The mellow months of autumn are both an atmospheric and

productive time to be on the banks. The longer hours of darkness and cooler

temperatures can often see the carp feed harder and longer in the countdown to winter. To fully capitalize on this period it can often take a little thought and careful preparation to ensure success, for a number of reasons.

Consideration must be given to the long months of pressure the carp have been under since the spring and, generally speaking, by now they will have seen it all on the busier waters.

The days of chucking single bright ones into the rings of showing fish, so successful in March and April, will quite often be treated with contempt by the old carp come the autumn.

This is the time of year when the hard work baiting spots and the careful, consistent application of quality food bait will come into its own; payback for all those hours of watching and learning. In my own experience, the carp will be fully

tuned into to any available food sources and I want to capitalize on that natural desire to eat.

Spots that have been visited over time will see me present balanced bottom baits perfectly matching my free offerings. Hand rolled corkball pop-ups will be cast onto the dirty spots ripe for harvest…again matching-the-hatch so to speak. This is the time of year to take advantage of your baiting strategy!

14

Inside Tom's BucketTom Maker

15

STEP 1 STEP 2

STEP 4STEP 3

Start off by adding some chopped Krill boilies.

Then add an equal amount of sweetcorn.

Pour over some Cloudy Krill and allow it to soak for an hour.

You are left with a very visual, digestible and attractive mix.

A Krill Wafter tipped with corn is the perfect hook bait.

People often ask me what bait I use and I always seemed to be doubted

when I answer. Anglers think that there is a wonder bait that helps certain people catch more than others. There isn’t a wonder bait, but there is good bait and that can play a huge role in

whether you catch or don’t. My mix is ultra-simple, but

carp adore eating it. I use both Krill and the Manilla, depending on the time of year and the lake that I am fishing. The mix will consist of one or the other, some sweetcorn and the matching cloudy liquid.

The mix is very visual, easily digestible and super attractive. Everything that you could want in a mix is there and only with three ingredients. At times I do add some hemp or Bloodworm Pellets, but the mainstay of my

angling, no matter where I go, is the boilie-and-corn mixture.

Sweetcorn is a very cheap bait and I buy it all in bulk. I break the boilies up in to halves and small bits. This makes the mix go a lot further and you don’t have to break the bank to use it. For hook baits, I stick to a matching wafter tipped with a bit of plastic corn. It matches the freebies that I am putting out and sits nice and balanced, which I think helps when the carp are picking out those small items of food.

T O M M A K E R R E V E A L S T H E S P O D M I X T H A T H E L I T E R A L LY T A K E S E V E R Y W H E R E W I T H H I M …

1716

Autumn Top TipsScott Lloyd

G I V E I T T O T H E M

It is staggering just how much bait carp can get through. This is the only time of year that I actually want to be fishing over big

beds of bait and feel that it is an advantage to do so, as the fish will be actively looking for food. I prefer boilie only, but if that

is too expensive, bulk the mix out with some pellets too.

L A R G E W E E D B E D S

The weed will be dying off and it will expose the natural food larder. Couple this with the safety a large weed bed offers a carp; these can be the perfect area in which to find and fish for them. I have always found that the largest weedbed in the lake will often

hold carp, so try and find a spot as close to it as you can.

F I N D T H A T S P O T

Spend as much time as you need trying to pinpoint that spot. I am looking for something that has a good drop going down and a smooth pull over it.

I want it as big as possible, because I believe the fish at this time of year want an easy meal. It is different to the summer, where small holes may be

more fruitful. A large, silty area that the fish can use to graze over is ideal.

C H O P P E D B O I L I E S

The fish will be looking for boilies, but after a year of being caught on them, they can be a little cautious around them. I do something

very simple to my bait, but I feel it entices quicker bites and feeding responses because of it. By breaking the baits in to halves,

chops and crumb, the carp don’t feed as cautiously on it.

B R I G H T O N E S

I will often fish a match-the-hatch type of bait in the autumn, but I always carry some bright hook baits, just in case the

right opportunity presents itself. Fishy baits such as the Signature Squids are an absolute classic and will work

brilliantly over a bed of bait, or as a stand-alone single.

N O C T U R N A L A C T I V I T Y

The carp tend to be much more active during the hours of darkness. Quite often, you don’t see anything show during the day and it can make you feel a little despondent. However, by sitting up at night, you will find that most of the activity is happening then. If you want to find where the fish are feeding, set a few alarms and sit up to listen.

K E E P L O O K I N G

This goes for every month of the year, but particularly when the water cools the carp will hold up in numbers. Spotting that one show can be the difference between blanking and catching a few fish. Having a set of binoculars, polarising glasses and the drive to keep walking and looking will help you find them.

AUTUMN TOP TIPS

S C O T T L L O Y D G I V E S U S H I S T O P

T I P S T O M A K E T H E M O S T O F T H I S

F R U I T F U L T I M E O F T H E Y E A R …

A cracking 38lb mirror, caught early this autumn over a big

bed of chopped boilies.

01

02

03→

04→

05→

06→

07→

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

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Stay Warm, Keep FocusSticky Baits

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I D E N T I T YH O O D Y S

The zip hood is fully lined with warm sherpa fleecing inside the hood and throughout, along with useful zip pouch pockets keeping your essentials close and the cold at bay. The adjustable drawcord hood and ribbed trim locks in valuable heat, making this heavy-duty hoody an angler’s winter essential.

The pullover hoodie is lined with light fleece, has an adjustable drawcord hood and ribbed trim to lock in valuable heat, making it perfect for the bank all year round. The large pouch pocket is ideal for carrying essential loose items, while having a separate and specifically designed pocket for your mobile phone.

1 . PULLOVER HOODY

11

2

2 . Z I P H O O DY

We pride ourselves on our high-quality bait, and the same

attention to detail has gone into our newly refreshed clothing range. Collaborating with our manufacturers, we have created a wider range of fashionable items, which fully meet the demands of the users whilst keeping stylish, and on-trend.

20 21

I D E N T I T YH E A D W E A R

I D E N T I T YT E E S

Available in two attractive colourways, our 100% cotton tees have had a stylish refresh. Complimented by subtle high-build logos, the comfortable tees remain hardwearing and functional.

3 . I D E N T I T Y T E E

A firm favourite from last year’s collection, the Bobble Beanie is here to stay, along with a newly added colourway. Knitted using a Jaquard knit, this will help keep your head warm during those colder sessions.

4 . B O B B L E B E A N I E

The Knitted Beanie is available in two trendy colours with subtle branding. Knitted using the Fisherman’s Rib Stitch, the stylish beanie will keep your head warm during those colder fishing sessions.

5 . K N I T T E D B E A N I E

Our classic military style cap is fashionable and functional. Complimented with subtle stitched branding and a fully adjustable strap. A useful sunblock, even when locating fish in the colder months.

7 . M I L I TA R Y C A P

Classic styling and fit with high-build tonal branding to keep everything clean and simple. The ID Cap is great at keeping out harsh sunlight making it essential for finding those winter carp.

6 . I D E N T I T Y C A P

3 3 4 4

5 5

6 6

7

Stay Warm, Keep FocusSticky Baits

22

Keep It BrightMyles Gibson

23

Myles is a big fan of using boilie crumb and small food items.

Bright pop-ups are great for tipping bottom baits.

His homemade little fruits have caught him 1000's of carp.

Myles uses a rig, which sits like a claw, perfect for clean bottoms.

P E R F E C T F O R D A R K L A K E B E D S

M Y L E S G I B S O N E X P L A I N S W H Y B R I G H T H O O K B A I T S WO R K F O R B I G

F I S H A S W E L L A S S M A L L O N E S !

I have been a huge fan of bright baits since I can remember. Fishing in the

Northwest, especially on lakes such as Redesmere, it was all about those bright hook baits. We fished single hook baits a lot and the idea of something bright, with the right attractor levels out there would give you that confidence that the fish would find it easily.

As a single it was perfect, but equally, over a bed of bait, it acted like a cherry on top too. I would and still do, use bright hook baits over a bed of bait and with such confidence too. A lot of people think that they are a small-fish tactic, used

when trying to get a number of bites on highly stocked waters. I actually use them for all of my big-fish fishing too.

I do occasionally go for a match-the-hatch bait, if

the fish are lazing around and carefully selecting and sieving through looking for that bait. It is often during the summer that I do this, but for the rest of the year, my

hand-rolled baits suit every situation that I am faced with.

I know that the fish see bright hook baits a lot and get caught on them too. This would make you believe that

they would associate them with danger. I have never found this, but what I have noticed is that certain colours will work better than others.

In the winter, I tend to fish over a bed of crumbed Manilla, sweetcorn and if

the rules allow it , maggots too. A small, balanced bright one over this mix is such a great way of catching carp, it is my go-to method as soon as the water cools down.

A 42lb 4oz pearler, one of four forties caught last winter for Myles using bright ones.

24

River CarpingNick Helleur

25

N I C K H E L L E U R E X P L A I N S T H A T N O M A T T E R H O W C O L D I T G E T S , R I V E R S W I L L C O N T I N U E T O P R O D U C E C A R P S H O U L D Y O U G E T I T R I G H T …

Cloudy Manilla soaked boilies are easier for carp to detect.

TIP 6A prime example of the stunning carp that call the river their home.

T I P 5

Travelling light makes roaming the river easy.

T I P 2

Keeping warm and motivated will help you catch more carp.T I P 1

Small bags of Bloodworm pellets, full of attraction.

T I P 3Bait a few likely looking spots along the river.TIP 4

RIVER CARPING

F irstly, it is important to pick a stretch of the river that you know has

carp in it. I have gleaned this information after years of fishing various rivers, but there is enough information out there from either the Internet or local tackle shops.

Once you have found a stretch that holds carp, it is then a case

of trying to find a likely looking spot that they are held up in. Boats are an obvious place, as they provide shelter, warmth and even food. The fish won’t be looking to move around as much as they would in the warmer months, so areas with less flow are good places to look. Similar to the boats, snags or obstructions are often holding areas, so trickle a bit of bait in to anywhere that looks likely.

If the fish are there, it can be pretty instant. I travel really light for that reason, I may fish a dozen spots in a day. I carry the essentials to get me a bite and if it hasn’t happened in an hour, I may move on to

the next likely looking spot. I keep the bait really simple,

carrying some glugged-up Manilla boilies and Bloodworm pellets. The boilies act as the loose feed and pre-bait, with the pellets helping me create a small but attractive PVA bag.

I like to use a 12mm White Manilla pop-up as the hook bait, as it stands out and looks like a bait that has been sat there for a while. If you are fishing somewhere regularly, pre-baiting is a huge edge. It doesn’t have to be with a lot; just a handful over each spot is enough. That white one plopped in gets really quick bites, even in the coldest of weather.

I T RY TO D O E V E RY T H I N G A S AC C U R AT E LY A S I C A N

T H E M I X R E M A I N S T H E S A M E W H E R E V E R I G O

26

Catch in the ColdJack Funnell

B R I G H T, S M E L LY P O P - U P S A R E A LWAYS A W I N N E R

T H AT E X T R A E F F O RT C A N B E T H E D I F F E R E N C E

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J A C K F U N N E L L H A S A K N A C K F O R C A T C H I N G C A R P T H R O U G H O U T T H E C O L D E R M O N T H S , H E R E ’ S H O W …

Even in the coldest of temperatures, I still like to go fishing. It can

be harder in the winter for

sure, but if your approach is right the results can be amazing. The first thing I would recommend is that you pick a lake with a good stock of carp and with a bit of winter form. I generally bounce between Farlows and St Johns; both are well stocked and have great winter track records.

Once I have found the fish, I settle on a nice firm spot in the area they are showing or holding up. Once that spot is located, I fish all three rods on it and tr y and do ever y thing as accurately as I can.

I like bright , smelly pop-ups in the winter and the Signatures, boosted

with some Signature Bait Spray are always a winner. To be a little bit different , I sometimes floss a couple of maggots on to the top of the pop-up. It ’s something that does take a little bit of time to do, but that ex tra effor t when times are hard can be the difference.

The mix remains the same

wherever I go, depending on the rules. I star t off by adding some broken and crumbed up Manilla boilies. I then add some sweetcorn and a handful of maggots. This is then soaked in some Cloudy Manilla or the Manilla hook bait glug.

Ever ywhere I have taken this mix I have caught carp,

it is ex tremely visual, highly digestible and pumps off a heap full of attraction. Even in the coldest weather, the mix has the ability to entice fish to drop down and feed. At times, I have used more bait in the winter than I have in the summer; such is the frantic action that can follow when you get it right .

Z igs are without a doubt one of the most effective tactics when the water

is at its coldest. I have always found that December through to March is when they are at their best, and not the warmer months. The carp will be sat up in the water for a lot of the winter, searching out those

warmer thermocline levels. For me, the high-pressure sunny days and cold nights scream out for Zigs.

The key is to get the right depth and starting off at three quarter on one rod and working up and down from that with the other rods, is a great starting point.

In terms of hook baits, small 12mm pop-ups or foam will always work. The smaller the better in my opinion with each bait filled full of attraction. My pop-ups already smell and the unflavoured foam will take on flavour well. I simply hold the foam in some liquid, squeeze the foam and release the

pressure for it to absorb the liquid quickly. Alternatively give the foam a boost with some bait spray. This will absorb all that flavour, which will leak out in the water for hours.

When fishing highly stocked waters, spodding over the top can be very effective.

Where I fished growing up,

this was the only way you would catch carp in the winter months. I have a mix of Manilla Pellets, Active Mix and Cloudy Manilla. Before I add the liquid, I pour some boiling water over the pellets, which speeds up their leakage. You are left with a mushy mix, made up of minimal food but heaps of attraction.

ZIGFISHINGJ A K E W I L D B O R E R U N S U S T H R O U G H H I S T O P T I P S F O R F I S H I N G W I T H O N E O F T H E M O S T E F F E C T I V E W I N T E R T A C T I C S I N R E C E N T Y E A R S …

28

Zig FishingJake Wildbore

Add your prefered amount of Manilla Pellets to a bucket.

Pour boiliing water over them and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Then add Manilla Active Mix to the bucket to coat the pellets.

Finally some Cloudy Manilla to create the perfect, cloudy mix.

C L O U D Y M A N I L L A M I X

A CLOUDY LIQUID WILL HANG

UP IN THE WATER FOR LONG

PERIODS OF TIME.

Jake always carries a selection of small hook baits. Squeeze the foam and spray the liquids on to them.B R I G H T & S M A L L S Q U E E Z E & B O O S T

S T E P 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4

29

WINTER MAGGOTS

30

M A R C C A V A C I U T I R E V E A L S A

S I M P L E W A Y O F C A T C H I N G C A R P,

E V E N I N T H E C O L D E R M O N T H S …

Winter MaggotsMarc Cavaciuti

31

START OFF BY ADDING SOME L-ZERO-30-T TO THE MAGGOTS.

ADD SOME KRILL ACTIVE MIX TO PREVENT THEM FROM SWEATING UP.

THEY SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS, FULL OF ATTRACTION.

O V E R N I G H T B O O S T E D M A G G O T S

Maggots are a superb bait in the winter and are my go-to tactic

when times get hard. The key in the cold is to use the maximum amount of attraction and minimal food. I see a lot of anglers using buckets full of maggots, but I really don’t think you need that many.

If you can find the fish at this time of year, you only need a small amount of food

to tempt a bite. The reality is, you are only ever going to be nicking the odd bite because multiple catches are few and far between, but can still be achieved with small bags.

I like to prepare my maggots differently, as I don’t just want straight from the shop maggots. Applying liquid to them the night before allows the maggots to absorb all that flavour. The L-Zero-30-T is a

great addition, being naturally very salty and fishy, left overnight maggots will take on that salty taste by the morning.

I ask for my maggots to be sieved, which means they will sweat up quickly. To prevent this, I add some Krill Active Mix or Powder. Krill works brilliantly with maggots and they will take on the flavour of the powder as well as the liquid.

I use this mix in a PVA bag ▶

S T E P 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

A STUNNING THIRTY CAUGHT

USING MARC'S SIMPLE BUT

EFFECTIVE COMBI-RIG.

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Winter MaggotsMarc Cavaciuti

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TAKE A 12MM POP-UP

OF YOUR CHOICE.

THREAD THE POP-UP

ON TO THE HAIR.

CUT OFF A LENGTH

OF BAIT FLOSS.

M A R C ' S M A G G O T C O M B I - R I G

THREAD 5-MAGGOTS

ON TO THE NEEDLE.

THREAD THE FLOSS

THROUGH A NEEDLE.

GENTLY PULL THE MAGGOTS

ONTO THE FLOSS.

MOVE THE MAGGOTS UP

TO THE HAIR.

TIE A COUPLE OF

OVERHAND KNOTS.

YOU SHOULD BE LEFT WITH

THIS NEAT LITTLE SET UP.

and add some crumbed Krill boilies too. I hook this onto my rig in order to have all that taste, smell and small amount of food around the hook bait.

On the rig, I like a 12mm Signature Pop-up that is fished off the bottom. Then, with the loop on the hair, I floss five maggots on to it.

I find that five is enough to catch the carp’s eye, but not as many to affect the movement of the rig. By having too many, there is a chance that they can change the way the rig is sitting.

This is fished with a simple Combi-rig, with the supple section near the hook. This allows the pop-up to sit just

off the bottom, anchored down by a good blob of putty.

Fishing these tactics has helped me catch some special fish in the last few years. During this autumn, I have had a number of fish to over 41lb, when the lake hasn’t been fishing well and the carp have been hard to catch.

S T E P 1 STEP 2 STEP 3

STEP 4 STEP 5 STEP 6

STEP 7 STEP 8 STEP 9

34

Manilla MixAdam Penning

35

S T E P 1

Firstly I blend up Manilla in my Kenwood into a fine crumb. Quantity depends on venue choice but typically I will knock up around 3 kilos of crumb. Any bait not used isn’t wasted and simply frozen for my next trip.

S T E P 2

Next I add a tin of Carnation Condensed Milk to a pan to heat on a stove. You can’t overdo this stuff but I usually add a tin per kilo of crumb. Gently heat the condensed milk, stirring frequently and do not allow it to burn.

S T E P 3

Once warm, I add a good glug of Cloudy Manilla Liquid to help thin the milk further. Continue to keep stirring until both liquids are nicely combined and warmed through. Do not let the mixture boil!

S T E P 4

The next job is to add the crumb to this delicious blend. Add the crumb bit by bit, until the crumb is just damp. You don’t want it saturated because it will clump on the bottom, you need just enough so the crumb will lightly squeeze together.

S T E P 5

It is a wonderful smelling and super-effective winter mix. Add maggots and corn to make it go even further. Adam finds a subtle approach is key and a 12mm trimmed-down Signature Wafter is perfect over the top.

S T E P 6

The simple mixture can be used in various forms of PVA bag but Adam prefers to use a small, golf-ball-size PVA bag on the hook. If the conditions are looking good then a few Spombs to each spot can keep the carp in the area.

MANILLAMIX

A D A M P E N N I N G W A L K S U S T H R O U G H T H I S E A S Y M I X , I D E A L F O R T H O S E C O L D W A T E R C A P T U R E S …