The fishing bait anglers use for each trip is very important. Attractive bait catches bigger fish, making the person using it more confident. In a nutshell, the key to successful angling is using the right tackle and quality bait.
Carp.com offers top-notch choices from all the leading brands when it comes to frozen boilies. If you scroll through our products, the bait ranges are extensive and will stir you to want to go fishing. No need to travel far off-tackle shops; we can deliver what you want to your front door. That also applies if you wish to use liquid favours or additives to enhance the bait you take on your next fishing trip. You can discover everything you need in our online fishing tackle and bait shop.
The internet and our online shop allow you to find bait additives, you do not need to find a fishing bait shop near me, you can find liquids, flavours and many different ingredients to create your special fishing baits, not just for carp online. Carp.com stocks coarse bait, too, no matter what species you aim to land or groundbait you intend to use.
Fishing bait appeals to each angler’s requirements differently. Therefore, our ranges cater for a wide range of angler’s needs, with products from many leading bait suppliers. You will find the best brands, Nash and Sonu Baits, which will catch you more, no matter what species you wish to aim for.
Boilies
Boilies designed for carp are generally at least 14mm in diameter. Fishing with boilies allows anglers to use them whole or crush them into smaller fish-attracting particles. Bait size choices can vary based on the size of carp you wish to catch. You can also choose between shelf life and frozen versions. Many experienced anglers consider the latter the best because they are free from preservatives. The only problem with using frozen boilies is they are higher-priced and don’t last long after being defrosted. This means you must carefully try and work out how much of this frozen bait will be needed for each trip to avoid wasting any of this highly effective but single-use product.
Boilie flavours range from fishmeal base mixes to sweet milk-protein versions, the latter type often used in winter so as not to overfeed fish. In the summertime, fishmeal favours are favourite when fish eat more and are very active. Sweeter, less oily options tend to perform best in the winter, being easier to digest in cold water. However, the boilies you end up using are ultimately down to personal choice. The most popular frozen baits are Mainline Cell and Krill boilies.
Anglers normally rely on free offerings to pull fish around their hook baits, which is standard practice on day sessions or when pre-baiting an area for several days before fishing commences.
Anglers use special bait buckets, cool bags and carryalls to store bait correctly to keep it fresh.
The advantage of preservatives being added to boilies is they remain effective for extended periods and don’t go off like frozen versions. Shelf-life baits allow anglers to control the amount they use with no wastage, lasting over multiple fishing sessions. You will discover the best shelf-life carp boilies available for anglers are fully explained on our website.
Bait manufacturers make pop-ups that interlink with their normal sinking bait. Anglers often use a pop-up rig to make the bait visible over weed or soft silt. Pop-up hook baits are highly visible to fish and are usually made in super-bright colours to stand out even more.
Groundbaits
Groundbait is mainly used by coarse and match anglers to attract fish to their swims and encourage them to feed. It’s made up of finely crushed particles, alongside breadcrumb and biscuit powder, coming in sweet or fishmeal versions. Sweet (non-fishmeal) recipes work better on wild venues where little or no carp feed goes in, while fishmeal or ground pellet mixes are more effective on commercial fisheries, where lots of carp are stocked and regularly fished for. Liquid flavours can be added to make groundbaits even more potent. Fishing with groundbait is highly effective. It can be purchased in various colours, flavours and consistencies. The primary colours are brown, black, green and red. The colour choice of groundbait is up to the angler. Many use bright colours in murky venues and darker mixes in clear water.
Sticky, binding mixes are ideal for method feeder fishing, helping to anchor better to streamline frames and holding hook baits in place during casting. Anglers create combinations based on what they wish to catch and how they want their feed to break down in the water. Some like mixing hemp seed and other particles like pellets with their groundbait, helping it hold fish in the swim even longer. Hempseed makes groundbait more effective, being very oily. Live baits like maggots, casters and chopped worms are also added to groundbaits for extra pulling power.
Groundbait can be fed in different ways, firing it out with a catapult, balling it in by hand or getting it out there with various swim feeders. Pole anglers often cup in balls of groundbait, which can be fed inch-perfectly this way. Groundbait is very versatile and is widely used by coarse and match anglers.
Pellets
Pellets are brilliant bait for carp and other coarse fish, especially ideal for commercial fisheries where they are used extensively. Pellets can be purchased as small as 1mm in size, going up to much bigger gauges. Most types break down quickly and can be used with various in-line feeders, also added to groundbait mixes.
Pellets offer a wide array of types, such as sinkers and floaters, also fast and slow breakdown versions. Feed pellets are hard and sink straight from the bag, while expander versions float and need to be soaked in water, then pumped to make them sink. Once they turn soft after treatment, expander pellets make good hook baits.
Sinking feed pellets can be slightly wet to soften them and break down faster. Being allowed to take in some water also makes feed pellets heavier, so they can be catapulted out further.
The number of pellet favours and colours is endless. In most cases, pellets can be purchased in 500g, 1kg or 5kg bags, depending on the type or brand.
Particles
Particles used for fishing have evolved, with hempseed, tiger nuts and sweetcorn either being used on their own or mixed together to make a great fish-attracting feed. Anglers often mix particles with groundbait, which improves fish-holding power. Another advantage of particles is this bait doesn’t break down quickly, keeping fish grazing for long periods once they arrive in a swim. You can buy particles in bulk, which is not very expensive. In addition, particles can be purchased ready-prepared or in a dried format, which works out even less pricy.
Artificial Baits
Artificial fishing baits have been around for over 20 years. They allow favours to be added by soaking in liquid. Anglers use these rubber baits to offer improved presentation, plus they are produced in bright colours which fish can find easily. They can also be used repeatedly and are robust enough to survive attention from small fish. In addition, many of these imitation baits are buoyant, which helps to pop them up above soft silt and weed, a big advantage in many venues.
Artificial baits include sweetcorn, hemp, bread, pellets, worms, maggots, casters and tiger nuts. The most prominent company making imitation baits like these is Enterprise Tackle.
Liquid Flavours
Anglers use liquid favours to boost their baits and pull fish faster. Flavours are good at attracting fish activity without actually giving any food value, a good trick in the winter months. The best way of using liquid favours is pre-soaking baits with them, so they take on the oils and aromas, which slowly leak out into the water.
Match and coarse anglers often mix liquid favours with groundbait to help make it more potent, doing the same with pellets, especially fishery pellets, which can otherwise be bland. Carp anglers glug boilies destined for the hook considerably boost their attractiveness.
Top bait brands, such as Mainline, Dynamite Baits, Sensas and CC Moore, have liquid favours in their ranges, complementing or boosting their different products. This allows anglers to create bait recipes to suit the species they wish to catch because other fish are attracted to different types of aromas.