Burley is a must have at any time of the year, but especially in the middle of winter. In the dead of winter, schools of hungry fish actively move through the water body and rarely linger somewhere for long. An active bite in such conditions is possible only occasionally and even then it doesn’t last. That’s exactly the problem burley solves. It keeps the fish around the fishing spot.
Basic rules feed the fish
- Rule #1 – don’t be too generous, otherwise, the fish will quickly get full-bellied and will no longer be interested in your bait.
- Rule #2 -do not use cereal grains and similarly large components.
- Rule #3 – summer burley mixtures are a poor match for the winter period. Instead, the mixture should be crushed almost to a powdery state and blur with the bottom.
Ready Made Burley
These days, you can buy everything online, and that includes burleys: from typical bagged dry mixtures to smelly tubes and special liquids. They may be good for summers, but we would not count on them in winter. Most ready-made burleys are made with oils, and they do not exactly dissolve in cold water well soluble in cold water. And the liquids get on the line, and then on the hands. It’s almost impossible to get rid of their smell when fishing.
Miniature flavored sticks for fixing on the fishing line above the jig or hook are definitely popular among fans of ice fishing. Many are satisfied with their effectiveness. But here’s a curious fact: bites often continue after their smell is completely exhausted. Perhaps it’s not the attractive aroma but the attractive shape.
The main advantage of ready bade burley mixtures is that they are immediately ready for use and have the most effective composition precisely for the type of fish for which they are intended. But then, it’s only like that if we’re talking about products from serious and proven manufacturers.
Home Made Burley
Instead of using chemicals rich mixtures, liquid additives, and fragrant tubes, you can cook burley at home from readily available ingredients. You can even use ready-made burley as the basic ingredient. What you need to remember is that winter burley needs to be finely powdered and odorless. If you don’t use a ready-made burley, try semolina, breadcrumbs, sunflower meal and other small additives. Critters are a must have. You need to add at least 10% fodder bloodworm, crushed worms or other worms and insects.
Making good burley is not enough, you also need to use it right. Since we’re talking about winter fishing, you want to feed small portions to avoid overfeeding the fish. When fishing at shallow depths and when there is no current, the mixture may be fed into the well dry, not soaked. After you’ve thrown dry burley into the well, gently stir it with a slotted spoon. The particles will gradually swell and slowly sink, forming an attractive-looking feed pole. We recommend dump-feeding on rivers with a noticeable current.
For greater efficiency, try drilling and feeding several wells at once. You can then change the wells in case of unstable biting.
Get your big fish!