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