How to use PVA in winter
Make the most of PVA...
The most important thing to know when using PVA in the colder months is that it can be seriously affected by oil. This really only apples to the funnel web type mesh that is so popular at anytime of the year. Many anglers still use oily Stick mixes and once the water temperatures drop, melt rates can dramatically reduce if oil from the bait is allowed to soak into the PVA fibres. It can render it totally useless! The last thing you want to be doing is reeling in a two-inch Stick that’s covered your hook and been out there all night!
Things to remember...
1 Make sure you buy a decent mesh from a reputable supplier, Korda’s 4 Season mesh is recommended.
2 Avoid using thick oils in any Stick mixes or glugged baits.
3 If you use Tuna, try the Brine version.
4 Don’t make your Sticks up the night before; make them as you need them!
PVA stringers
Another fantastic winter tip is to add a stringer to the rig, this is basically a few baits threaded on to some PVA tape and hooked over the hook to give a small tightly presented group of bait next to the hookbait. I have found the 10mm PVA tape to be the best for winter, ideal for baits down to 14mm, anything smaller then you’ll need the 5mm version to stop them splitting.
A variation would be to use the Boilie Funnel Web and the old exploding stringer. Simply push three baits into the system and then jiggle into a triangle before tying a knot in the mesh. Now if you straighten them out and into a line of baits, it takes out any slack in the PVA mesh. By threading one of the end baits onto the Hair and using it as a hookbait, you’ll have a very aerodynamic rig that will not only cast further but will also literally explode on the bottom, sending the two freebies away from the hookbait and will not be as obvious as a standard stringer.