Twelve months of carp fishing: February, only the lonely

February is the most difficult month for carp fishing. We are now in the middle of winter and are hoping for warmer temperatures, which won't be noticeable underwater until March. Many lakes are simply frozen over. And when they are open, carp fishing is almost hopeless. That's why 99% of carp anglers don't fish in February.

 

However, there are waters where you can still catch carp in February. These are usually smaller, wind-protected lakes, ponds, ditches or enclosed oxbow lakes with a dense carp population and relatively little natural food. If you throw in one or two hands of sweet boilies close to the shore every day in mid-February, you can harvest as early as the end of February.

 

 

Alternatively, for the connoisseurs among us, now is the time when even totally overcrowded waters in southern Europe are almost deserted. Now you can move freely, search and even catch fish if you follow a few rules. Firstly: Feed as little as you can. Secondly, fish very shallow and close to the shore. Thirdly, don't expect too much and just try to catch a single carp, no matter how big. The rest will come by itself; or not. Because even in the south, February is hard work. The water temperatures are at their lowest, as is the metabolism of the carp, the roe invest all their energy in their roe and are difficult to catch from now until the spawning season and the carp in general move so slowly now that it becomes difficult to hook them, if they are interested in the food at all. 

 

 

That's why small baits, hooks and short leaders are essential in February. You should make your fishing as inconspicuous as possible. The search for food in the often very shallow water only complicates things further. Just like the fact that carp are now more active during the day than at night. Shallow water, sunshine, mostly clear water in February and hardly any hunger: the wheat is now separated from the chaff among anglers and every fish is doubly and triply deserved. Those who are still on the ball now are doing it for themselves and not for the likes of others. February is therefore also the month for the fanatics, the dreamers and the passionate among us. Most carp anglers can count the number of carp they caught in February on one hand. 

 

 

However, if you can hardly stand it in February and finally want to fish successfully again, you need to head to the south of Spain. There, the switch flips in mid-February and the hot time for the really big ones begins. I have already experienced this myself. In the south of France, on the other hand, February has never been very successful for me. Although I always felt that anything was possible, I had to fight hard for every fish, no matter how small. At the beginning of March, however, the world looks completely different. But that's what the next column will be about.

Until then,
Only the lonely,
Alex Kobler