We’re in the last days of winter now, when feeding minimal amounts and sometimes nothing at all is what’s needed on commercial fisheries to catch a few carp.
For this reason, the art of dobbing has become a must – simply placing a large, highly visible hookbait in front of a carp and seeing if it will take it.
This style of fishing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if it’s the only way I’m going to get a bite, then I’ll do it. To be honest, there’s nothing complicated about the method. Location is perhaps the most important part to get right but, when you do find a few fish, it pays to have the right thing on the hook to take every chance you’re given.
Bread is, of course, the go-to bait for dobbing – and rightly so – but not every fishery allows it, and this means other options need to be up your sleeve.
I’m a big believer that in winter, if you place a bait in front of a carp, it will take it, but there are some offerings that will get you more bites than others – and some are on the shelves of your local shop!
One piece or two?
One piece of 6mm or 8mm breadpunch is enough, but I may fish two for a bigger bait. Just before punching the bread, I compress it with my knuckles to help it grip the hook better.
Try maggots...
On venues that ban bread, try dobbing maggots. Carp, rather than F1s, love two live maggots lowered slowly in front of them – two whites work best to keep the visibility thing going.
...or a corn skin
A great change bait is a corn skin, a grain with the hard centre squeezed out. This almost flutters through the water and, being bright yellow, can be picked out with ease by a fish.
Stealth bombing
We can also dob with a bomb, using bread, corn, or a fluoro wafter or pop-up boilie. In coloured water, though, a cube of meat glugged in a smelly liquid can be brilliant too.
