Generally, as water temperatures cool the carp, particularly in water with limited stocking levels, will become lethargic during the winter months and feed for very defined periods. Only by gaining experience on a particular water will you learn when those periods are.

A structured approach from many anglers is to fish with very little if any free offerings, in favour of dipped single baits or stringers etc. Fishing right through the last two winters I have personally found that this approach may not always be the best and a sensible introduction of bait during the session can pay dividends encouraging lethargic fish into moving therefore searching for bait which otherwise they would ignore.

My own top winter baits are sweet corn used in conjunction with trout pellets, betamine pellets and / or hempseed. If I am attacking a water where tiger nuts are allowed, then I will take some with me that have been cooked in coca cola. These used with hemp can be absolutely devastating on the right...