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BIG FISH CARP BAITS

A list of some of the best boilies to catch the biggest carp.

Trigga
Active-8
Bioplex
NRG
Pro-active Pineapple
Scopex Squid Liver
Many of the Liver Extract Types

In order to catch big carp you’ll more than likely need to select the correct bait. This doesn’t just mean boilies that are fresh and made from top ingredients, it means a quality bait which also hasn’t ended up becoming ineffective through angling overuse on your chosen venue. This may sound strange, but read on!

It is well recorded that all the baits in the list above have caught some of the largest carp in the UK, but this doesn’t mean they’ll keep catching the biggest carp in every lake. If all anglers on any given lake constantly use one of the top baits, there’s a very high probability that many carp, including the bigger carp in the lake, will have become accustomed to the scent or flavour, and thus developed a nervous memory for that specific bait. This is especially true if the majority of the carp in the lake have actually been caught on these boilies over the previous few seasons. In a case such as this, the big carp may only feed cautiously on these boilies, if at all. When this happens it can render any top quality bait, including those in the above list, as almost ineffective for catching the bigger carp in the lake.

Big carp need to feed strongly and in a greedy manor in order to give us a better chance of catching them. A big fish coming in on our bait patch will mostly be able to suss out the hook bait if feeding in their normal, suspicious way. If the bigger, wiser carp cannot see the rig, then they’ll often work out where it is when the smaller carp either get caught, or have trouble dealing with the hook bait as they try to eject the rig after taking it in. I personally believe we would all be shocked if we really knew exactly how many times a big carp has looked at, or even “tested” our hook baits over the years!

Now this doesn’t mean we should avoid using the same bait as many of the local anglers on our lake. Using the same bait that has gone into a lake regularly can actually be the best way to catch many carp. In effect, it’s similar to a long pre-baiting session. How effective the regular bait will be for catching the big fish really depends on where in the “life cycle” the bait is at. Boilies which have caught the majority of a lake’s carp will be less effective than boilies which has been introduced many times with little captures. This is because numerous captures has allowed the fish to wise up to the bait.

It can be difficult to identify where in the life cycle a specific bait is, and so it may be best simply try it first. If you happen to see any feeding activity where your bait lays, then the bait may still be good, even if you’re not catching on that day. Not catching may simply mean the fish have sussed out your rigs. However, if you’re not seeing any feeding activity, bubbles, movement in the area or not had any takes at all, yet you can see many carp in the area, then it may be best to move onto the next quality bait.

This really does illustrate the importance of research when targeting the biggest carp. Chatting with regular anglers and looking into records in the carp magazines will always yield valuable information on the best bait to use for targeting the biggest carp.

Tactics for Help in Catching the Biggest Carp in the Lake

Big, heavy carp feed every day, in fact, they must feed more regularly in order to maintain their huge size and weight. Yet, the biggest fish in the lake tend to get caught the least – I wonder why!!!

You need to think differently if you wish to catch the biggest carp. Your target carp needs to feel the bait you’re using is “safe” and thus it’ll naturally tap into its greedy mind set. In fact, this is where a BAITING CAMPAIGN can work wonders!!

A big carp pre-occupied with its own greed as it feeds, or when it competes with other fish before the food source runs out, will lower its guard and this will always lead to capture sooner or later. It’s this kind of situation that you need to try to create in an area where your target fish is known to patrol.

Getting your target fish to feed strongly enough to be caught is going to take time and effort. Firstly, you need to research and find out where the bid carp has been caught before. Also, it’s important to have an idea about the bait it’s feeding on. Certain baits appeal more to big carp over others, and it’ll be your job to find this out. Asking the local angling or bailiff is a great start, so never dismiss their advice. If you can’t find out this information through talking to others, then why not try placing very general types of boilies, such as fish meals, in an area where the big carp is known to patrol. Chuck out a kilo or so in the sides or any place where you can come back a few times in the week to see if it has been eaten. A good idea when doing this is to use very large boilies to cut down the chance of small, nuisance fish taking the bait before carp. One of the days you may well see the carp taking the bait, and if it’s a bigger fish then you’re onto something.

Also, try not to always fish in the more popular swims on the lakes. Very often the bigger carp know that these areas contain a supply of food but they’re also aware that it means greater danger, thus they may avoid these areas altogether. A popular peg may produce a couple of twenties and many doubles over a weekend but, the bigger fish will probably be caught in other areas. It could be the case that the bigger fish are often found in swims rarely used by anglers. These “poor” swims may mean a much longer wait but if it produces one big thirty then it’s all been worth the wait.

Try to look at what other anglers are doing when they fish for carp. For instance, if many anglers are using bait boats, or if they can row out their bait, then it’s probably a case that they always pile in tons of bait. It may be the case that carp have become accustomed to finding 1 foot square patches of boilies. Also, tightly baited areas will probably be common to the larger carp, so look at finding a new element of surprise. Maybe put free offerings out in lines in order to confuse the fish, this may be enough to make them relax into feeding strongly. In fact, a situation like this would be an ideal time to target the carp using single hook baits, or maybe just a few on a stringer. Always try to think laterally when fishing for big carp.

When fishing for biggest carp you need to except the slowness and be patient. Anglers rarely catch the biggest carp quickly. They often have to target them with a sound and solid approach. Researching about the type of bait, and the correct location, as well discovering a carp’s patrol route can be invaluable when targeting the biggest carp in the lake.