| Everyone has their favourite fishing baits and this is | | | | periods of time for particular reasons. Think of the |
| especially so when it comes to carp baits and | | | | success of particle baits composed mainly of starch |
| flavours. But in the far more competitive carp fishing | | | | or low protein nutritional value for proof of this |
| scenarios, the big question is, "Are your 'favourite | | | | phenomenon, even against the use of modern |
| baits' actually costing you more or bigger fish?!" | | | | popular 'commercial quality food baits.' |
| It costs most carp fishermen quite a sacrifice in time | | | | Whatever you do, it is best to keep the odds of |
| and money to go carp fishing these days. You really | | | | success in your favour. You may even be one of the |
| want to put the odds as high in your favour as | | | | first anglers on your water on a new bait. But this |
| possible. Unfortunately this does not always mean | | | | does not insure you against failure if your target fish |
| simply buying the successful anglers bait from the last | | | | gets caught first by another angler on the same bait! |
| session on a water. But why is this? Surely | | | | For example, I can think of one prime example |
| commercial carp baits are the best option for your | | | | where famous big fish angler, Dave Lane baited up |
| success and confidence, having been rigorously | | | | for months in an area of a large lake that was easily |
| tested and proven and almost inevitably having | | | | accessible to all anglers fishing the lake. He was in |
| already caught the big fish from your water. | | | | pursuit of another fifty pound carp at the time. |
| Did it ever occur to anglers that one guy's favourite | | | | He did the work, did the watercraft, and prepared |
| bait may indeed be exactly the same bait as another | | | | the swim, feeding in a commercially made "Mainline" |
| guy prefers to use also? But perhaps he's not alone | | | | boilie bait, regularly, to get the big fish feeding |
| and there are very many other anglers all fishing the | | | | confidently in the swim. Then just when conditions |
| same water with the same 'favourite bait.' Now are | | | | were ideal to catch the fish in the swim, another |
| all anglers equal? No. Therefore somewhere along the | | | | angler caught that fish on the same bait Dave had |
| line one or a handful of more talented, experienced, | | | | been worked so hard to establish. |
| driven and motivated or time rich anglers will be | | | | That devastated Dave's hopes of catching that fish |
| befitting the most from the use of all the other | | | | that season. But carp fishing is like that when you are |
| anglers using and baiting up with the same bait. | | | | dead set on using a bait which anyone has access to |
| Feeding a swim with ground bait or 'chum' (where | | | | and in a swim anyone has access to. The next |
| allowable,) at the start of a fishing session, is the | | | | season, Dave resorted to fishing in a very carefully |
| universally used 'method' for the majority of carp | | | | prepared swim, carefully cut out of the bushes so |
| anglers these days. However, much of this bait does | | | | forming a 'hidden' swim. Again he baited up for |
| not necessarily actually contribute to the capture of | | | | months as before and did succeed in catching that |
| fish by any particular angler who has baited up at | | | | fifty pound carp. |
| that time. In fact, this baiting-up will almost certainly | | | | But in your fishing, why should you bait up for others |
| benefit the angler who follows him into that swim if | | | | to catch fish on the bait you are using? Surely this is |
| he does not catch and has fished sensibly. Timing and | | | | going to affect your results. Catching fish on a bait |
| conditions play such a large part in fishing too. Carp | | | | that anyone can use is like a lottery because you |
| cannot always be caught 'to order' as it were! | | | | could do all the work putting in loads of bait and time |
| Some anglers catches will certainly suffer as a result | | | | to catch the biggest fish. Then anyone else who |
| of fish getting caught by other anglers and this is | | | | happens along using your commercially available bait |
| very obvious where a commercially made 'going bait' | | | | can exploit the situation perhaps inadvertently and |
| like those from bigger bait companies like "Nash," | | | | totally ignorant of your efforts and catch the biggest |
| "Mainline" or "Nutrabaits" are used. | | | | fish. |
| On most well stocked carp waters, almost any bait | | | | As you can see, this can happen all the time in carp |
| that has effective feeding triggers, appetite | | | | fishing. You do not always know if you are fishing |
| stimulators or other means of exciting carp into | | | | over other anglers' boilies, pellets, particles or other |
| feeding, will work. Not only this, but it has been | | | | baits and how that may have affected your catches, |
| shown that even on many waters where the latest | | | | or fish activity and behaviour, or even presence in |
| high protein or modern 'nutritionally balanced' boilie | | | | your chosen swim. But if your aim is to catch the |
| baits have been used for years, low quality | | | | biggest fish in a water, it can really make sense to |
| carbohydrate baits can still dominate catches, if | | | | absolutely ensure that your bait is totally unique. Even |
| enough quantities are applied. | | | | to the extent of using ingredients that the average |
| This may seem like a strange occurrence given the | | | | fellow angler fishing your water would never think of |
| theoretical 'superiority' of balanced nutritional baits. | | | | using. |
| However, there are variables of many kinds in actual | | | | If you simply make homemade pastes or dough baits |
| carp fishing reality, aquatic situations and nutritional | | | | and your normal fishing session results in even just |
| dynamics which most average anglers are not aware | | | | one fish rather than a 'blank' session, surely the |
| of. For example, how much of a carp diet actually | | | | attention to detail with bait is worth it. |
| benefits from the energy provided by cheap | | | | The greatest 'edge' of an angler's bait is the fact that |
| carbohydrate baits used in quantity, when compared | | | | ideally, it has not already caught or hooked the fish |
| to lesser amounts of nutritionally superior baits. | | | | you are aiming to catch. Sure big fish get hooked on |
| How much does carp stock density and availability | | | | the same bait on repeated occasions, but this is not |
| and benefits of natural food affect fishing results. | | | | putting odds in your favour and you do want the |
| How much does anglers daily baiting-up with high | | | | odds in your favour right?! |
| carbohydrate baits and protein or other balanced | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait 'edges' up |
| nutritional baits affect the feeding behaviour of carp | | | | his sleeve. Every single one can have a huge impact |
| in pressured watered where angling activity seriously | | | | on catches. (Warning: This article is protected by |
| impacts upon 'natural' carp behaviour? | | | | copyright.) |
| Baits of even low quality can dominate a water for | | | | By Tim Richardson. |