Catch more coarse fish in winter: location, depth and feeding
Course pack: Winter decision sheet and practice card. Coach Willy, our virtual AI coach, can explain each step, set you a practice task and check your understanding.
Who it's for
New to this? Perfect — no experience needed.
Where and when
Done on the bank. Best in: winter.
What you'll work through
- 1Choose a realistic target and suitable water
- 2Observe and investigate depth
- 3Build a restrained feeding experiment
- 4Review presentation before changing everything
Step 1: Choose a realistic target and suitable water
Alright mate, let's get stuck into catch more coarse fish in winter: location, depth and feeding. I'll walk you through what to look for, what to try and how to tell whether it helped. We'll start with choose a realistic target and suitable water, then work through a proper practice job at each step. Take it at your own pace and keep a few notes so you've got a useful plan for next time.
By the end of this step
Have a go at: choose a realistic target and suitable water.
Check first
Never walk on ice. Check the bank is safe in frost; slippery staging and steep banks are a real winter hazard.
Willy’s take
Winter doesn't automatically mean fish are in the deepest hole, mate. A sheltered bay warmed by weak sun or an area holding natural food can be worth a look too. Choose water with recent winter form, confirm permission and the current season rules, then walk it before settling. Look for fish showing, shelter and depth changes.
I'd plumb both a deeper line and a sheltered shallower one, then start with the clearest useful clue rather than a rule about depth. Try a simple float rig with a single maggot where allowed and only a pinch of feed.
Give that one line a fair look, watching how the float settles and whether you get proper bites, before feeding more or trying the other depth.
Kit I'd start with
- For winter coarse work keep it modest: a 12-13ft waggler/stick rod suited to the float and line you plan to use or a light feeder rod, 2500-size reel loaded with 4-6lb mainline for small to medium stillwater fish, stepping up to 6-8lb if snags, pads or bigger bream and tench are about — don't run 2lb line near sunken branches hoping it'll cope.
- A selection of suitably loaded insert wagglers and light stick floats, a few shot sizes (No8 down to No10), size 16-20 hooks to nylon for maggot or caster, and a small bait box with maggots, casters and micro pellets. A plummet is essential, not optional. A landing net with a soft mesh protects cold, slower-moving fish.
- Keep a flask and extra layers — winter sessions are about staying out long enough to let a swim develop, not toughing out discomfort for its own sake.
On the bank
Worked example
Say you've got two options: a shallow weedy pond you did well on in August, or a deeper club lake nobody's mentioned lately. Hypothetically, which would you plan your winter trip around, and what would you check before booking the day off?
Your turn: Choose a realistic target and suitable water
- 1
Confirm the venue and season dates are legal to fish
- 2
Pick a swim with genuine winter depth
That's the free sample — this is where it stops
The full step keeps going with the rest of the practice job, common mistakes and fixes, a check-your-understanding quiz and your Winter decision sheet and practice card. Then 3 more steps, each with its own task, and Coach Willy on hand to talk it through.
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