Damian Green reveals the rod and line tactic that can tempt big carp into feeding when other approaches struggle to raise an interest
GOOD rig and bait presentation is key at any time of the year, but never more so than in the depths of winter.
How your bait is sat will ultimately dictate whether a big carp decides to scoff it down without hesitation, or give it a wide berth.
Unfortunately, there’s no magic formula that will guarantee a ton of bites every time you hit the bank, but those anglers who arrive at the peg with several options in their armoury are most likely to taste success.
When it comes to rod and line tactics, there are a few cold-water favourites that spring to mind. Popped-up bread discs can be used to create single, highly-visual baits that waft
enticingly off the deck, while casting out a tiny Method or Hybrid feeder can be equally effective on its day.
Damian Green enjoys his fair share of commercial fishery sessions in winter and has another tactic tucked away up his sleeve that he has found to be among the most reliable of the lot.
“I’m always ready to give a pellet cone a try, and I’ve lost count of the number of times that it has transformed a session,” he said.
“People tend to shy away from it for a number of reasons, but the cone offers a different style of presentation to anything else, and can prove irresistible to big carp.”
A PROVEN WINNER WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS
Winning qualities
A pellet cone creates a small mound of dampened micros that are packed tightly together and threaded onto your hooklength.
It sits just above the hook, creating a miniature pile of loosefeed a couple of centimetres away from your hookbait. When a carp inhales, everything goes into its mouth, including the hook.
“Some people will say that it does a very similar job to a Hybrid or Method feeder, but there is one big difference,” Damian revealed.
“The frame of the feeder is often enough of a deterrent to the fish taking the bait, but there’s no such worry with a pellet cone, which leaves the
