how come everybody seems to drop down to small baits in winter? what`s the story with this then. give me a 20mm bait anyday.

Im on 22s......

12mm with pva bags/stockings,16mm as single hookers.

I've never found any difference in using small baits, except more tench. I think it is just a fashion at the moment and it will come back round to big donkey chokers.

I use small baits all year round because I think they're much more readily accepted than big donkey chokers. If you look at the majority of naturals that carp eat they're a damn sight smaller than our baits. Can you imagine what a boilie must look like to a carp? Must be absolutely massive! how come people are happy to use small mass baits such as particle pellets etc. and be happy that smaller is better for getting em feeding and then whack out a great big ball of dough?
A smaller bait is much more readily accepted.I always have it in my head that carp start feeding on the smallest items they find as I'm sure they feel safer if you've ever watched carp over baits I'm sure you'll agree. I'll use 12mm's all year round. Nuisance fish don't bother me just ask trebor as he was sat next to me at a fish in on orchid when I had something like 15 tench in a ten hours!

I tend to use 16mm all the time, however I dont have to put them out a long way.

I do intend using a couple of 8mm on a smallish hook if I ever go fishing again this winter. I did a pound mix with my 8mm rollaball and they dont half look sexy !!

so what would you say is average bait size most people are using. i would personally say 16mm is average. but a lot of these anglers drop it down in winter, not a lot step it up to 20 and above. so anybody using the larger bait size stands out from the rest in my opinion. and this may put wary carp off the mark and result in more action. i would also use mass micro particles in a bag and a 20mm hook bait inside it. and it does work, i can vouch for that!! a mass of small baits in a bag with a small hookbait, now that is putting the carp in stealth mode.

Most of the time I tend to use 14mm baits, When i need bigger baits I will use two or even three. Lately I have been using Salmon pellets 14mm over 6.5mm trout pellets, the Salmon pellets even catapult a fair way too.
When in France I do use larger baits, why do those French carp have such huge gobs?

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All the Best
Andy