| Fish over forty pounds and more are caught on | | | | my rod tips while rods on main spots have not |
| worm baits of various kinds; so to exploit | | | | been fishing at that time of day. |
| something a little different read on now and reap | | | | Many carp anglers seem to shun methods that |
| big rewards! | | | | risk catching species other than carp and some |
| I caught my first ever carp around 1975 - on a | | | | carp anglers even have some kind of warped |
| worm for bait. Things in my carp fishing have | | | | abhorrence for other species which is pretty |
| changed very much since that time but worm | | | | closed-minded in many ways. These other species |
| baits of various kinds just keep catching. Being in | | | | will always teach you lots of invaluable lessons! For |
| horticulture it has been easy to get hold of | | | | example, catching them provides information |
| enough worms to make homemade boilies and | | | | about the links between seasonal conditions and |
| ground baits based on them. I have over the | | | | spots in swims, natural food items and weed |
| decades confirmed that some worms and worm | | | | developments, undercurrents and fly hatches |
| products are far superior to others! | | | | occurring and how and where fish are feeding and |
| Unfortunately due to rising costs, the lobworm | | | | their dynamics with each other and carp, and so |
| extracts often available today are | | | | on. |
| synthetically-based and so are missing all those | | | | If you know how to use your gear to indicate |
| stimulatory amino acids in the profiles and ratios | | | | this and know what you are looking for they can |
| that carp love so much in lobworms. (Do check | | | | even indicate to you pretty much where carp will |
| with your supplier if this is the case!) Most usually | | | | be feeding or not. The presence of crucian carp, |
| in reality these additives are composed of | | | | tench, roach, and bream and so on can even be |
| synthetic flavours, taste enhancers such as | | | | exploited to pull in the carp and can be utilised to |
| ribonucleotides and amino acids complexes etc, | | | | clear spots in silt, over gravel and in weed etc to |
| which despite trying; do not replicate the ideal | | | | prepare new clean feeding areas for carp. |
| palatability of the genuine natural product! | | | | At times I have fished the first session on new |
| In terms of carp, in over 30 years pf carp fishing | | | | waters with lobworms on a rig alongside my |
| I have not found any worms as successful and | | | | homemade boilies or homemade pellets and |
| appealing as lobworms; despite trying lots of other | | | | pastes. The live aspect of a bait is a dimension |
| species found in the UK as well as and other | | | | that carp certainly get fooled by! Also, having |
| imported ones (plus foreign ones farmed | | | | fished predominantly for a period of 5 years for |
| intensively in the UK.) | | | | big catfish in the recent past, I discovered loads |
| Some carp anglers consider that float fishing with | | | | of ways to exploit natural baits along with my |
| a lobworm is not a big fish method but the truth | | | | homemade baits which just happened to |
| is the opposite! In summer and winter this is a | | | | occasionally hook big carp as well as big catfish. |
| brilliant method and requires all those good old | | | | This lead me more into using natural baits |
| skills of stealth and watercraft that any angler | | | | alongside boilies on my rigs at least on a third rod |
| really deserving of a big fish will have developed | | | | and it can pay off on many days those carp need |
| usually through an apprenticeship in float fishing for | | | | something a little bit alternative to fool them. |
| smaller species. | | | | Although worm meal is expensive the bloodworm |
| In winter worm-based baits and ground baits can | | | | products available today are obviously another |
| often catch you fish while other anglers blank | | | | well-proven option. The higher the level of this |
| around you. On many occasions I have hooked a | | | | extract you include in your baits the better! |
| bonus carp on a worm bait float-fished right under | | | | |