After having done some research and joining most of these communities, I can assure you that these 5 forums and groups include a ton of valuable ice fishing tips and very active, engaging, and helpful members.
The best way of catching cold water carp is by using 12-16mm fruit-flavored baits on the simple hair rig or the pop-up rig. You can significantly up your chances by fishing in deeper water during the day and in milder weather conditions. Drop-offs are a real hot spot for cold water carp and should never be disregarded.
All you need in order to tie your own pike or zander trace is a dependable wire material of 15-30lb, size 4-6 treble hooks, crimp sleeves, a crimping tool, shrink tubing, as well as barrel swivels, lock snaps, and a few minutes of your time.
Most zander venues also hold a lot of pike, which is why you should always use a wire trace when fishing for zander. As the zander is a fairly precautious and line-shy hunter, your best choice is a soft 15lb titanium or steel trace, as these materials are very smooth, flexible, and barely noticeable underwater.
Boilie stops, which are also called hair or bait stops, are inserted into the loop at the end of the bottom rig’s hair in order to literally stop the boilie, which is also threaded onto the hair, from falling off. Boilie stops are usually made of plastic or rubber.
From late summer all the way up to the spawning season, male carp will excrete milt and female carp smaller amounts of eggs if light pressure on the stomach or genital area is applied. Right after the spawning, one can determine the gender by checking the carp’s vent.