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Zig rigs can often be the only way to catch carp throughout the colder months; this is due to the fish sitting at a layer in the water column where they feel comfortable, often venturing outside of this zone very little when the water temperatures are at their lowest.

Location
As with any time of year, choosing your area to target is crucial, but even more so in the colder months due to the fish being a lot less active. You will often find a majority of them grouped tightly together the colder it becomes.

When turning up at the lake you have to think from a carp’s perspective; where is going to be warmest and will this change? At the end of the day, they are cold blooded creatures so any variation in temperature is going to make a huge difference to their habits!

I normally look for areas that see the sun, predominantly throughout the day; these may only be half a degree warmer, but the carp will no doubt notice and will feel more comfortable! Failing that it’s well worth targeting the shallower areas of the lake, if the sun is out and shining these areas definitely warm up quicker.

If my chosen lake has features like reed beds or lily beds these can also be fantastic holding areas as they retain heat from the sunlight really well. If the lake is featureless but has weed in, I would look for areas that are denser; these spots will also hold a bit more heat than others and will no doubt be riddled with natural food, which from Mr Carp’s point of view is an easy meal without having to put in any effort.

Lastly, from experience I haven’t found wind direction or speed to have much effect on winter carp, they are more tuned in to sitting where is comfortable for them. If you have nothing to go on when arriving at the lake, keep mobile and keep the zigs roving around until you find them.