What are the Best Ingredients & Additives
to Include in Carp Baits
(and base mixes)
The best carp bait
ingredients and additives stimulate the big fish into feeding, even in the
most difficult conditions. Most of the basic bait ingredients will do this
to some extent, but often these baits are boosted by adding some of the most
effective carp bait additives. The exact reasons for why these are some of
the best bait enhancers are poorly understood, but often the catch results
prove their effectiveness.
Many of the successful additives give off a very strong food signal to big
carp. By including these additives in the best baits it’s possible to boost
a baits attraction to the point where some carp cannot resist eating them.
In some cases, if the bait has been introduced to a venue properly, the carp
may even seek out that specific bait just from its food signal.
Some of the best baits only include a small amount of these effective
ingredients. If too is added and the concentrations are too high it may have
the reverse effect and repel the fish away.
1. Casein
Casein is the main protein in milk. It can be used to make baits high in
protein. It comes as a dry ingredient.
The major benefit to using casein in your bait is it has a good smell which
will attract carp to eat food containing casein. It can also be good for
binding together other ingredients in the bait.
2. Calcium Caseinate
This ingredient is brilliant all-rounder for making baits with. It usually
makes up a third of the boilie mix and therefore provides the bait with good
protein levels. It gives bait a good taste and has plenty of attractive
smells to leak out in the water. It also, has some decent binding
properties, and it provides some nutrition for carp.
3. White Fish Meal
White fish meal is another top ingredient when making boilies. It contains
threonine and phenylalanine, both are essential nutrients. White fish meal
has good attraction properties; both smell and taste. This is why it can be
a good all-year round bait.
4. Anchovy
Anchovy included bait mixes creates a great flavour for high attraction
properties. It also provides some nutrition towards carp’s diet.
5. Robin Red
This is one of the top ingredients to include in any bait. It has accounted
for numerous big carp captures over the years. It has excellent attraction
properties, including a high smell and a taste carp would die for!
Robin Red is an incredibly successful ingredient made from a blend of bird
food, peppers and spices. It is bright red and will most colour baits deep
red. It is an attractant in its own right but its vitamin content also makes
it a valuable food source, especially when added to protein mixes.
6. Liver Powder/Paste
This can be a fantastic additive to include any bait making mixture. The
enzyme treated powder can be very effective for attracting carp, plus they
love the taste of anything liver-based. Plus it is packed full of nutrients
that carp require every day. Liver powder is a very successful meaty fishing
bait additive that most fresh water fish love. Use it in your paste or
boilie mixes at a rate of up to 30g per 1kg of bait, or sprinkle into your
groundbait or maggots for added attraction. Can be made into a paste by
adding water or for an effective bait dip.
7. Minamino
One of the best bait making ingredients you can use. One tip I found was not
to use it prior to boiling the baits. Instead, use 20ml/pound as a soak
during drying stages.
8. Semolina
Semolina is made from wheat, it’s cheap, and can be used as the main
ingredient in making boilies. Semolina along with soya flour can work as a
binding ingredient when making boilies. They can also carry flavours very
well so they’re good for attraction purposes and contain some good nutrition
for carp. Full fat semolina, which is yellow, contains higher nutritional
values for carp.
9. Egg Albumin
Egg albumin is a fantastic binding agent for use in making boilies. It also
provides carp with high nutritional value.
10. Betaine
Betaine is a highly soluble crystal extracted from sugar beet molasses
during sugar production. It has long been recognized as a primary feeding
stimulant by fish farmers as it improves the fish's appetite and the rate of
digestion and absorption of nutrients. By applying Betaine to your fishing
bait you will not only attract more fish but will improve its food value as
well. This is perfect for when you are regularly fishing a water as the fish
will come to realize that your bait is good for them and will actively look
for it. Mix in with any bait, but do so sparingly as this is powerful stuff.
11. Yeast Extract Powder
A fine powder that is highly nutritious with a particularly high vitamin
content. It is an extremely good binder and can be used to hold groundbaits
together or to act as a binder in boilie mixes. The yeast is deactivated so
that you can use it to fairly high levels without your baits suddenly
fermenting and going off. If you are using a CSL based product it is an
excellent addition. CSL contains small amounts of natural yeast so adding
more yeast will just boost the power of CSL even higher.
12. Kelp Powder
Kelp powder is an incredibly successful fishing bait ingredient made from
seaweed. It is loaded with the vitamins and minerals that fish love. It
naturally contains the fish attractant Betaine so it will really pull fish
into your swim. Use it in your boilie and paste mixes at a rate of 20g per
1kg of bait.
Applying a New Carp Bait
Fishing for Carp in Rivers
Locating
Big Carp in the Spring
Carp
Location in the Summertime
Finding
Large Carp in the Cold Winter
Location
of Most Carp in Autumn
The
Case for Quality Carp Bait
Fishing Tactics for Snags & Trees
Boilie Placement on the Hair rig
Different types of carp rigs to use
Attempting to Catch Wary Carp
A Carp's Digestive System in Detail
Common
Baiting Tactics When Fishing
The Various Carp Bait
used to Catch Bigger Carp
When to use Pop-ups or Bottom Bait for Carp Fishing
How to
complete a Baiting
Campaign on Lakes & Ponds
The
Basic Carp Fishing
Baits Used to Catch Large Carp
Fishing Tactics when Fishing for Carp during Long-stay Sessions
Advice & Articles on How to Fish for Big Carp