Zig fishing in winter can be the best way to catch carp. When they are in the mid / upper layers you can never go to wrong with a zig. Here is some tips for winter zig fishing and why they could be essential for you.

Zigs are more subtle that pop ups.

A zig rig is more subtle than a pop up or a single hookbait. If you think about it you are using a smaller hook and a lot smaller bait. When the appetite of a carp is low, I'm certain that this could get you more bites than a 15mm pop up.

Where do Carp Spend most of their Time?

You may be surprised but on shallower lakes, carp can spend more time in the mid / upper layers of the water. The reasoning for this as the shallow water gets colder a lot quicker. The carp will move to the mid / upper layers where the water is warmer during the day. These layers will warm up before the bottom layer of the water after all!

Why Can't I Get a Bite although I'm on Fish?

If you've been sat behind motionless rods and feel like you should have had a bite then it can always be worth making a change on a rod from fishing on the bottom to a zig. The fish you could be seeing show could quite happily not be on the bottom but in the mid or upper layers.

Some tips to Zig Fish Effectively in the Winter

Always remember a marker rod. Before tieing your zigs figure out the depth of the water you are fishing. To do this accurately use a marker set up. This will mean you can tie your zigs as accurately as possible. For an example if the water is 6ft deep, you know to tie your zigs 3ft in length if you want your zig sitting halfway up the water collum.

Try different colours and different depth on each rod. When you start catching on a colour or depth then change your other rods to that depth and colour. More often or not majority of the fish will be at the same depth, especially in the Winter as they all shoal up.

Soaking your hookbait in a thick liquid additive will give your zig the most attraction. You want your zig to be as smelly as possible to really catch the attention of a carp!