The Best Carp Fishing Baits: What You Need
Carp fishing is a popular sport among anglers, and choosing the right bait can make all the difference in attracting these elusive fish. Carp are known for their cautious behavior, making it essential to use a bait that will not only entice them but also seem natural and nonthreatening. In this article, we will take a closer look at carp fishing baits and explore the different types of baits that are available for anglers to use.
Boilies
We have started with Boilies as this is one if not the most common Carp bait out there, Boilies seem to always be within a Carp Anglers bait supply, whether that be in solid form or ground up into ground bait mixes. Boilies make for a perfect hook bait coming in various size such as 10, 12, 15 or even 20mm if you are aiming for very large Carp. Boilies are extremely effective as a bottom bait or when combined with other to make for a more complex presentation. When using boilies for Carp fishing it’s always wise to take into consideration the water depths as carp will like to feed at different depths depending on the water temperature, you may also find that one flavor of boilie works better than others in certain areas so be sure to try a few and find out which works best. For more info on Winter Carp fishing click here
Boilies are made up from a mixture of ingredients, such as eggs, flour and flavors. A well-made batch of Boilies will have all the correct nutrients that the fish will need along with many attracting substances “fish safe of course” to allow the Carp to pick up the scent and start to seek out your hook bait and baited area’s. If you are going Carp fishing at any point in the near future then you should be sure to try out a batch of boilies as they will more than likely become the staple in your Carp fishing venture.
Sweetcorn
Sweetcorn has been used as Carp fishing bait for decades, the main reasons for this I would say is the fact that it not only works all year round but it is also very cheap and regularly available from pretty much anywhere as sweetcorn can be purchased from basically all supermarkets and grocery stores worldwide. Corn can used for Carp fishing or for species like Bream and other freshwater fish, more on freshwater fishing here
Sweetcorn has a natural sweet scent with in which the fish can pick up on easily and is also bright yellow so it can be seen by Carp in even the murkiest of waters. I have personally used Sweetcorn on many occasions and caught loads of fish doing so. Sweetcorn is a great ingredient to add to a mixture of baits so it can be utilized as part of a ground bait, adding flavor and smell, and also providing extra visibility to any ground bait mixture. If you happen to be new to Carp fishing or course fishing in general then absolutely you should go a pick up a tin or two or even a frozen bag of sweetcorn as it will only set you back pennies in comparison to some more specialist baits out there.
Bread
Another cheap but effective Carp bait used by many. With bread you have the option to fish with this on the surface or fish with this as a bottom bait (explained further below). You are probably more than aware that Bread is also a very cheap, but a very effective bait to use when Carp fishing, using bread to test area’s especially in the summer is the perfect method to seek out Carp by simply throwing some Bread in so it floats on the surface, this will give you the chance to observe the fish and see if any hungry Carp come up to take the Bread from the surface, giving away there locations and letting you know that fishing on the surface is a worthy option in that case but I would refrain from using too much bread as it my belief that large amounts of bread used for Carp fishing can’t be to good for them in the long run due to the ingredients which bread consists of but it is definitely up for debate between anglers as bread has been used for years and will no doubt be used for years in the future.
Bread As A Floating Bait.
To use bread as a floating bait you will want minimal force/pressure applied when molding the bread around your hook so that the bread is kept in its most natural form. Keeping the bread slightly fluffy instead of turning it into dough will ultimately allow the bread to float on the surface “for sometime that is” before sinking under the surface.
Bread As A Sinking Bait.
To do this will be the total opposite to the above statement, here you would want to compress the bread around your hook, making a more solid hook bait presentation and also allowing for the bread to sink like most other hook baits,
Pellet
Another great bait not only used for Carp specifically but also for course fishing and fishing matches when targeting small silver fish, but never the less pellet has caught me loads of Carp just recently and works perfect when method feeder fishing, more on feeder fishing here.
Pellet works by adding water to it, you would soak the pellet in a bait tub for a specific amount of time depending on how you would like the consistency for your proffered tactic. I generally soak the 2mm pellet for around one minute and 30 seconds or two minutes maximum, this seems to give me my desired consistancy for most brands of pellet and sits well within the method feeder when cast out to the depths without coming off on impact with the water. There is no right or wrong timing for this but just take note that the longer you soak the pellet the softer and more mushy it becomes which can sometimes cause difficulty when preparing your feeder for casting and will effect how your bait prensents itself once on the lake bed for periods of time. 2 minutes seems to be an ideal soak time for 2mm pellet.
Pellet come in many sizes, you may find pellet ranging from 1mm to 15mm, which ones to use will all depend on the type of fishing you are in to and other variables like hook sizes but for the most part pellet is certainly a bait you will want to try out, If you are using a method feeder then I would opt for 1 or 2mm pellet for the feeder and 6-8mm for you are hook bait just as an example to get you started and then you can change this up to suit you are preferences. Pellet is not overly expensive either, a 1kg bag of 2 sizes would probably cost in the region of $10 or £8 give or take.
Maggots
Maggots are the larvae of flies and are absolute perfect for freshwater fishing, Now if we are talking Carp fishing baits then we can’t miss out Maggots, these Wrigley little creatures are one of the best known Angling baits out there, it doesn’t come as any surprise because they have been used by pretty much every Angler I would say over the years, If you have been Fishing on lakes, rivers, streams etc then there is high likeliness that you have used maggots before.
Maggots are a great all round bait, the fact they come in many colors, are a live bait, can be used as a hook bait or added to any ground bait and are relatively cheap means they are the perfect bait for any angler if I’m honest not just Carp anglers. Maggots are a massive attractor for freshwater fish due to the fact that they move within the water luring the fish in to feed and with their rich nutritional profile they are a superb natural bait for the fish been full of protein and amino acids.
Good quality maggots can be used as a direct hook bait, meaning you can easily use the hook to penetrate the maggot so it sits directly on your hook, or they can be added to PVA bags for example as part of a mixture to bait up you are spot. You can also use them alongside other hook baits such as boilies and sweetcorn so that your hook bait has the attractive movement, smells and taste to entice the fish further.
Ready Made Ground Bait
This will generally come in a powdered form or can be made yourself by adding fine particles of feed together, using a whole mixture of different ingredients to help attract the fish. ground bait can be used as a base for adding such things as whole or ground boilies, sweetcorn and also other additives like oils and flavored liquids which we will go in to more detail about in a later section.
Carp Anglers tend to use ground bait when feeding an area in which they wish to catch from, for instance they will use such tackle as a spod to cast out large amounts of ground bait to a specific area of the lake then cast their rig and hook bait to that very same area so they can create a spot which is built up of bait along with there hook and hook bait laid within. When the ground bait is dispersed under the water it leaves a cloud like effect of attractive smells which will entice the fish to investigate and hopefully feed, this will also provide an area where the fish will feed and hopefully stick around. Using a ground bait mixture helps due to the fact that it has a spreading effect under the water giving you a wider range of area for the fish to feed from. Ground bait can be found in a whole array of flavors and ingredient mixtures and as I’ve mentioned try out you are own mixtures by blending baits together to make for the perfect Carp feeding frenzy.
Remember not to overuse ground bait as on some occasions you may find that the Carp could fill themselves up on your ground bait and totally disregarding your hook bait resulting in missed opportunities. In the Summer months the fish will be feeding more frequently so you might not come across this issue but consider smaller amounts in the seasons where the fish are not as active.
Pop Ups
Pop ups are used as a hook bait only, these are normally brightly colored with potent flavors and attractors, Pop ups are perfect when using a Carp Rig like the Chod rig or Hair rig for example. You would use a baiting needle to pierce a hole through the middle of the pop up and then thread you are chosen hook bait material so it attaches your Pop up to the hair that is attached to your hook.
Using a Pop up allows for you are hook to have buoyancy needed to float just enough to keep your hook and hook bait (Pop up) from laying flat on the lake bed or above the weeds. Although Pop ups are not used as a feeding bait like Boilies for example, they are fish safe of course and are soluble over time. The benefits of using a Pop up is that once you have you are rig set in place the pop up is very tolerable to other pest like smaller silver fish for example in which you are probably not looking to catch, it can especially help if you use a large pop up like a 15mm one for instance as this will not be consumable for small fish due to its size so if anything it should give you a better chance of receiving those bites that you actually want from the big Carp.
Pop ups are brilliant for helping to dictate how your rig and hook sits on top of many varients of substrate, for example if you are fishing over a flat bottom, lets say silt, gravel or sand you can set your rig up so that the pop up and hook floats a couple if inches above the bottom of the lake which in theory should be the perfect trap for a Carp, the same concept is applied when fishing over tricky substrates like weeds and other vegetation when using the correct rig like a helicopter rig for example with a pop will give the hook the buoyancy it needs to rise above the tricky substrate so that your hook bait is then floating above for the Carp to easily locate.
Bandum Wafters
I have used Bandum wafters on many of my own angling sessions, especially when fishing with a method feeder. A wafter works very similar to the Pop up, the wafter once attached as a hook bait will give the hook the buoyancy needed to move naturally in the water so that I fish will hopefully see this as an attractive bait to feed on. Any slight current under the water will cause this effect on the hook and hook bait (wafter) and if your rig is presented correctly then this should have you catching with consistency if all the other aspects that go into your angling are aligned correctly.
Bandum Wafters can be used on loads of different rig set ups but I personally like the ready made banded hook lenghts due to the fact that the elastic band that is attached to the hook allowing for a quick and easy change of hook bait which works perfectly with Wafters as the sit very secure within the elastic band ready for casting. Again, just like Pop ups they come in many sizes, colors and flavors, I like Pink or Yellow wafters but I may be biased as these have been colors that seem to work best for myself, be sure to experiment yourself and find out what works for you.
The only downside I have found from using wafters in 6 to 10mm sizes is that there are times that I end up catching a lot of Bream, Perch or Roach which is not a bad thing when fishing, after all if you are general course fishing then it the situation this would be great but if you are targeting the bigger fish like Carp then catching a lot of Bream isn’t always ideal. This is just something to consider when choosing you are hook baits as larger hook baits will keep smaller or unwanted fish at bay.
Tiger Nuts
These are widely known as been a spectacular bait used for Carp fishing, especially in Europe. It’s suggested that the sweet sticking coating that accumulates around the tiger nut itself is said to be irresistible to the Carp, Tiger nuts can used as a hook bait or added to a mixture of ground bait. There are some red flags when it comes to Tiger Nuts though, you may notice at some venues they do not allow you to use tiger nuts as there is sometimes concerns that you may over feed the fish with these and because they are not the best in terms of digestibility this may cause discomfort or harm to the fish which is the last thing that we would want, that been said they are great to use if permitted in which case a couple of handfuls can help massivley at certain locations and under the right conditions.
Tiger nuts should only used in small amounts, having half a dozen to a dozen of tiger nuts around a well presented hook bait should be more than enough, or the same amount thrown in with your spod/ground bait mix. If you are planning on using tiger nuts then only use optimal amounts, there are plenty of other baits out there to use more heavily when fishing for Carp, consider some of the above for example.
Hemp Seed
Hemp is a fantastic bait to use for Carp fishing, this will be another particle style bait which will work great when mixed with ground bait for example as part of a spod mix, this should aid in keeping the carp around feeding for hours. Hemp seed can be used whole or as a ground up mixture. You will find a huge array of different types of hemp seed mixtures online from many manufactures offering all kinds of nutritional additives that will make for the perfect ready to use bait.
You can buy Hemp in bulk and prepare this yourself by soaking a pre determined amount in water for around 12 hours before cooking. If you are looking to have lets say 2kg of cooked hemp then you will want to soak around 1kg of dried hemp as hemp almost double’s in weight once cooked. Once boiled for around 30 minutes you will notice that around half of the hemp seeds have begin to split and a light colored shoot will appear, protruding from them, this is how you will know that they are cooked.
Preparing you are own will obviously be a lot cheaper and this also goes for such baits like Corn and Tiger nuts, so if you are in need of some heavy batches of bait for long sessions it might be a thought to knock up some ground baits yourself to save money and have more bait overall.
Attractors
Now that we have looked at some of the more common Carp baits out there, we are now going to go over some Attractors in the form of Liquids/Oils which you can use on most baits, this will give your bait that little extra kick in regard to smell and taste in hope for more bites, Attractors and liquids are not mandatory as such but just something to give you an edge when fishing pressured waters.
Liquids/Oils and How They Work
Liquids/oils are used to Glaze or soak your baits prior to use which we will go into more detail later, meanwhile the way that liquids work is pretty fascinating, When you have an oil soaked bait and you cast it out to your chosen location it will break the surface of the water and then travel down to the bottom leaving a trail of scent throughout that path of water that can lead roaming fish to your hook bait due to the scents given off by the liquids/oils and primary bait.
Liquids used in fishing are mainly oil based and as oil is less dense than the water, meaning that it floats, so basically it will end up in either a mist of flavor and smells leading down to your hook bait or it will leave a sort of oily bubble throughout that water column that you have created from the intial cast, this is great for attracting the fish to the area as the oil will present itself through many depths of the water, meaning it can home the fish in to your hook bait easier at any level within the water. Liquids will also cause a sort of cloud effect around you are Baited area in hopes to draw the fish in and get them feeding confidently while keeping them interested in that specific spot.
You can buy liquids in large amounts like 1 litre bottles used for heavy baiting preparation or in small 50ml bottles, small bottles of attractive liquid can be used to soak single hook baits like Boilies or Pellet for example, large quantities will be needed let’s say 1 litre or more if you are on a real serious multiple day session where you will be mixing heaps of ground bait and spod mixes ready to send out to the desired spots within the lake.
The idea when mixing liquids is to gradually add the liquid over a reasonable amount of time, you would not want to have a bucket of Boilies and then throw in a full litre bottle of Liquid, because you are looking to just glaze or coat the Boilies in the liquid and not saturate them as such, adding small amounts and then mixing in between will be the best way to go.
Take your time and do not rush the process, more is certainly not better in this situation, having an evenly spread liquid on your batch of Boilies or other baits will ensure that you have the optimal amount for the perfect ground and hook bait. Using a thin Natural liquid like Hemp oil to soak/Glaze you are Boilies or Pellet is always a good option as with Hemp Oil been an all natural additive you can not really over do it when it comes to feeding, hemp oil will give off an all natural nutty scent, antioxidants and taste that the fish will love, you will also have peace of mind knowing that there are getting a safe meal when feeding.
Some of the more Natural liquids and oils are as follows….
- Hemp Oil
- Cap Oil
- Salmon Oil
There are many brands out there to choose from, with a whole host of different flavors as more and more come out all the time, be sure to opt for all natural liquids as these have such additives as calcium and all the necessary vitamins and other nutritional contents which are specifically added to the blend for the fishes benefit, Companies like “STICKY” add such ingredients to there baits and liquids solely for the fishes well been which means a lot really as profit is not the only driver there obviously. Try to stay away from liquids which have loads of preservatives as a lot of these ingredients will be unnecessary and will not be ideal for the fish in the long run.
Conclusion
In this post we have gone over some of the most common baits out there used for Carp fishing, if you feel that there is anything that deserves to be on this list then feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments section. If you would like some more tips on all things fishing then be sure to check out some of the other pages here at Lake Amenity, we are looking to update regular, giving information on certain subjects relating to all things fishing so that you can seek the information you need to help you catch more fish. IWe hope you have gained something from this post and others on our website.
“Carp baits are not a one size fits all, some anglers have their preferences when it comes to baits so try out your own mixtures and see what works best for you”.
martin@lakeamenity.com
