Mild winter, stay positive! Top Tip with Chris Vandervliet «

Mild winter, stay positive! Top Tip with Chris Vandervliet

Weather at the moment is very uncharacteristically mild for the time of year (I’m sure we’ll pay at some point though!). Such mild winter days has kept the fish feeding well all over the country. Bait-Tech’s Chris Vandervliet is one man who knows a thing or two about taking advantage of feeding fish. We asked him what he does to stay ahead of the game.

“You have to try and maximise your opportunities in any situation. Typical winter fishing means scaling down on lines, hook sizes and of course the amount of bait you feed. The key is being able to spot any possible change in feeding techniques as quickly as possible. I will always start cautiously but will react to any signs telling me that the fish are willing to feed well. With the weather being so mild I always look to try and push my swim a little more as they will be more willing to feed and therefore you can increase your catch rate by just being aware that this could happen and reacting to it becomes easier and quicker.”

One

Bait for this type of fishing has to be super attractive with medium to low food content to maximise attraction but with enough there to hold the fish for long periods. My favoured mix for most of my commercial fishing is the brilliant Bait-Tech Special G Gold. This is fine textured but packed with the GPS90 fishmeal which is really powerful and a great attractor

Two

Method fishing in winter can be a waiting game but again you must think about the situation as milder weather means I may cast a lot more regularly to try and kick start the swim. Hookbaits are simple, 6mm X-Treme pellets – soft, juicy and packed with flavour, one of these is rarely passed up by a feeding fish!

Three

Pellet baits are key in commercial fishing and really excel at this time of year (especially if it’s mild) two baits I am never without, the Bait-Tech X-Treme pellets and X-Pand expanders. Brilliant at any time of the year but for mild weather winter fishing, in my opinion there is nothing to rival them! Hookbaits of the very highest quality.