Lessons learnt this winter - Alex Dockerty

28 března, 2017 | Soutěžní & Běžný Rybolov | Tipy | Novinky

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I’ve had a brilliant run this winter at Lindholme Lakes and I’ve been fortunate enough to win the league overall, with over 50 in the league and some of the top anglers in the area attending it’s certainly something I’m proud of! I’ve learnt plenty along the way and here’s a few tips I’m going to share to hopefully put more fish in the net!

2016 Lindholme Winter
League Winner

Be prepared! Whether this be rigs hooks or bait, when fishing it’s important every little thing is covered. How many times have you been sat thinking, what if I had this… maybe if I try that… by spending a bit of time preparing and making sure you’re organised it’ll help you get the most of your peg! Something we all fall short on from time to time. But by being organised and well prepared this winter I’ve definitely caught more fish.
Cover your options! There’s been many matches this year where I’ve felt certain I’d catch on one area when in reality it’s turned out to be the worst part of the peg. By having a few lines you can rotate it definitely helps to always keep dropping fish in the net and your weight ticking along regardless of whether these are carp or silvers! Less blank spells means a bigger weight at the end!
Another key point is the importance of colour! Corn and bread feature massively through winter and it’s the bright colour that really helps tempt those bites in the cold clear conditions! Since joining Dynamite the XL corn has become a firm favourite being a vivid yellow and also the grain used means it fires accurately, unlike some larger, softer varieties. Therefore you can feed a much smaller area and be really accurate!
Dobbing! Love it or hate it, it’s an important part of any winter commercial fishing! Helping to catch those fish mid water that don’t want to feed! When you’re on a pile it’s even a match winning tactic! But it is also helpful in a tight spot to help nick a few extra fish and top your weight up. Corn and bread are my favourites for this! Corn especially as I can miss a bite and simply lower the rig back in whereas bread you’re often re-baiting the hook!
72lb and a section
win on Beeches

Don’t ignore the silverfish! A couple of matches I’ve really gotten away with it. Targeting carp when fishing for silvers would of been a much better option. Groundbait and maggots with a catch everything approach would definitely of seen me put more fish in the net! An important lesson and one to bear in mind for next year! Especially on commercials the silvers are of a decent stamp and are worth fishing for! Swim Stim Black if my favourite mix for this but on the really hard days a more traditional mix such as the Frenzied Hemp Black or the Roach could well be the way to go if the fishing was harder!
Hard pellets! As the fish grow these are becoming an ever more staple part of their diet and a necessity in order avoid the smaller fish when a bigger weight is needed for good points and to frame! Many have issues with pellets floating, but by dousing them quickly in oil, whether this be the Scopex or any in the Dynamite range everyone has their favourites. But it helps ensure your pellets sink and will keep feed tight and help put more fish in the net!

So there you have it! A few nice winter tips and lessons I’ve learnt during this winters campaign at Lindholme Lakes! A big thank you must go to Neil and Aaron for running the league, and making sure we’ve all had plenty of bites this winter!