| Many new fishermen are tempted by the huge | | | | much time and it helps to practice fishing |
| size carp can reach but need to know more | | | | marginal swims where you can actually observe |
| about baits for this especially hard fighting | | | | how fish react to you bait and rigs. |
| fish. Carp fishing beginners often lack the | | | | Different things occur in or over silt and |
| experience of fishing for other species to | | | | water weeds of different descriptions and |
| help them in their quest and often fishing | | | | fishing over gravel bottoms can require |
| for this fish is far from easy, so any little | | | | specialist rigs too especially where carp can |
| edges can make all the difference! | | | | normally see your line on the bottom. |
| | | | |
| Your bait choice is of paramount importance | | | | Most beginners start out carp fishing by |
| and too much time and money spent on tackle | | | | buying readymade bait while they are in a |
| alone with little thought about bait can | | | | fishing shop getting those hooks and other |
| produce less than the results you are hoping | | | | essentials. Bait for carp fishing can be |
| for! Carp fishing is incredibly exciting, but | | | | extremely costly and many beginners are |
| it helps to be catching a few fish regularly | | | | amazed by the amounts of bait often used by |
| along the way. Catching fish is the fastest | | | | successful fishermen. Clever leveraging of |
| way to learn, rather than not catching fish! | | | | bait is really 'where it's at' for the |
| Like anything else in life, feedback or your | | | | average angler even for more experienced |
| good and bad catch results guide you on the | | | | anglers. |
| path to more consistent catches and this can | | | | |
| takes years of experience. | | | | As for bait, let's keep it really simple. The |
| | | | fishing magazines are full of all kinds of |
| However, a few simple bits of advice can help | | | | advice. Much may well come across as |
| multiply catch rates enough so can get all | | | | contradictory or confusing. I've often been |
| the positive feedback (catches) you need to | | | | asked "What bait are you using?" The clue to |
| learn fast! | | | | success is not necessarily what bait, but how |
| | | | it is presented to the fish. In some swims |
| Find a range of easy waters to fish. Many | | | | there is literally only one small spot that |
| beginners make the mistake of trying to catch | | | | carp will feed on and correct presentation of |
| a big fish from a big fish specimen water, | | | | your bait is vital. The successful use of |
| which can lead to many new anglers becoming | | | | red-dyed sweetcorn (pre-flavoured) on a river |
| disheartened or even catching the fish of a | | | | where carp confidently eat free baits of |
| lifetime immediately and then feeling like | | | | yellow corn, but find it easy to detect and |
| they have nowhere left to go. Even if they | | | | reject hook baits for example. |
| only have smaller sized fish in them, the | | | | |
| experience of mastering fishing for these | | | | On some waters there is a 'going bait.' |
| fish will really boost your experience and | | | | Basically there is a bait on one particular |
| confidence. You may be very surprised to | | | | type being constantly introduced which the |
| discover that there are some very difficult | | | | fish treat as natural food such is its |
| to catch smaller fish! | | | | abundance. Certain manufacturers' boilies for |
| | | | example can dominate a water for long periods |
| Fish with a more experienced carp angler, | | | | of time. But do not be fooled, you will catch |
| maybe someone with a couple of year's carp | | | | fish on other baits with persistence. If the |
| fishing under his belt. Finding someone keen | | | | most popular bait is a boilie or pellet then |
| to share their knowledge of their waters and | | | | why not 'top' it to get better results than |
| baits, rigs etc with you is invaluable and | | | | the average guy also using these baits? The |
| this really will help you progress. Having 2 | | | | key is to make your bait a bit different to |
| people's input is especially useful because | | | | the ones that have hooked them previously, |
| often the other person experiences different | | | | but are similar enough for the fish to |
| things to you in terms of how fish act in | | | | recognise and readily eat. Soaking baits in a |
| their swim and to different tactics. Fish | | | | watered-down flavour solution is a simple |
| location and ground baiting and new bait | | | | quick way to do this. |
| establishment is that much easier too. | | | | |
| | | | Making your own paste or dough bait to wrap |
| Many beginners start by buying the cheapest | | | | your hook in or put on the hook itself and to |
| hooks they can, or even buying hooks which | | | | use as free baits and ground bait is a very |
| look big and heavy so they can get a big bait | | | | great edge indeed. Where most beginners would |
| on. Whatever hook is used must be needle | | | | use a readymade boilie or pellet, why not |
| sharp. Carp are incredibly talented and | | | | break them up and use them as the base for a |
| resourceful at getting rid of fishermen's' | | | | paste. A food blender or food grinder in |
| hooks. Very often this will be without any | | | | combination with bait meals or powders and |
| knowledge of a bite having ever taken place. | | | | binders like eggs has been used for decades |
| Often a hook which is not sharp enough to | | | | with great success. |
| penetrate deeply enough initially gives the | | | | |
| fish the easy change to wriggle free. Using a | | | | On many waters, ground baits using ground up |
| hook sharpener before every cast is my number | | | | pellets and boilies can be very much more |
| one tip for consistent success after great | | | | effective than their 'whole' round or pellet |
| location skills and rig and bait use and | | | | shaped counter-parts. Bulking out your ground |
| application is understood. | | | | baits with bird or pet foods works a treat. |
| | | | Bread based ground baits are great and very |
| Of course, using rigs that do not allow the | | | | few carp refuse bread. In fact try this tip: |
| fish to use your weight as a fulcrum or lever | | | | Use a boilie and a pellet on your hook or |
| to get the hook out are a great edge on many | | | | hair and add a big coating of bread flake |
| waters today. Light 'running leads' with a | | | | covered with a layer of bread paste with |
| back-stop on the line to bump your hook in | | | | yeast extract like 'Vegemite' or 'Marmite' or |
| are very effective and often give great | | | | even cheese powder or garlic granules with a |
| confident bites compared to using semi-fixed | | | | little salt. |
| heavy leads where sometimes only a couple of | | | | |
| 'beeps' might register on your bite alarm. | | | | Why not try soaking your hempseed and other |
| | | | particle baits in yeast powders or corn steep |
| Many carp anglers use a 'semi-fixed rig' of | | | | liquor for boosted attraction, or add chilli |
| around 8 inches in length and this will catch | | | | oil or halibut pellet oils for instance. Cat |
| you fish on most waters. This is usually | | | | foods and dog foods with added liver powder |
| attached to a swivel which fits inside a lead | | | | and green lip mussel extract make excellent |
| weight or sinker and the weight of the sinker | | | | ground baits. These raise the amino acid and |
| helps hook the fish initially, sometimes | | | | betaine levels in your bait which carp |
| making it 'bolt' or flee, resulting in a | | | | seriously love. Even ordinary flavour-soaked |
| full-blooded take. The safety of fish is to | | | | corn flakes or pre-soaked cooked cracked |
| be considered as there have been occasions | | | | corn, (sweetened with brown sugar and lightly |
| where fish have been lost and the main line | | | | salted,) will work. |
| has broken, leaving a fish trailing the rig | | | | |
| and lead, which is not good for the fish and | | | | Regular effective ground baiting by various |
| can end up with a fish being fatally | | | | techniques and the learning of this art, |
| tethered. The only way to really have | | | | involve some one of the greatest secrets in |
| confidence in every | | | | carp fishing. |
| | | | |
| There are very limited choices of rigs that a | | | | The numerous options for differentiating your |
| beginner can use with confidence. The | | | | bait from every other angler are fantastic. |
| conventional hair rig with a 'line-aligner' | | | | Making your own versions of adapted or |
| bit of tubing is absolutely fine for most | | | | enhanced readymade baits can produce amazing |
| situations. This design when teamed with a | | | | results. That's the joy of 'topping' a |
| combination 'rigid' plastic coated and inner | | | | popular bait; let everyone else do the |
| supple braid hook length such as 'Kryston | | | | expensive baiting up work for you. Just keep |
| Snakeskin' or 'Suffix Stealth Skin' is very | | | | on slightly adjusting your bait based on the |
| successful. Varying the use of different | | | | most popular others are currently using and |
| colour hooklengths, in braids, plastic coated | | | | keep ahead of your fellow anglers and the |
| braids, monofilaments, multistrands etc, | | | | carp at the same time... Good fishing! |
| gives a varied experience of these materials | | | | |
| and where and how they are best used. | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait |
| | | | 'edges' any of which can have a huge impact |
| Getting to know which rig and rig material to | | | | on your catches. |
| use in different fishing situations can take | | | | |