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Baits for fishing Here is a list of everyday baits used for fishing. Scroll down and you may come across something different that takes your fancy for when you plan that next trip. It is absolutely vital that all particles are cooked to the recommended cooking time from the soaking and cooking menu Particle Baits Particle baits, which include practically every seed, bean, pea or nut, can be every bit as successful a carp catcher as the most expensive boilie. What is more, with the vast majority of them, success is much more instant. Some of the most widely used particles, soaking and cooking time menu below.
All of these particle baits have, and still do, catch lots of carp. There are drawbacks to particles in that none, with the possible exception of tiger nuts, are selective. The more that go in a water, the more other species get turned on to them. In fact other species need only have tuned on to one or two particle baits before they go for any new ones right from the start. With the first ones used however, it is often carp which are the first onto them. Maple peas, chic peas, black-eyed beans and peanuts are probably the most widely used and overall, successful, of the particle baits. There are few waters where they will not succeed in the first instance. Tiger nuts are an exceptional carp catching bait. These nuts are very selective because of their hardness - other species find them difficult to digest. You'll still catch the odd bream and tench but not as often as with most of the other particles. They are very hard to break down, and the chances are any thrown in will stay where they are until they are picked up by carp. A lake may respond to them for several seasons, on a kind of on/off basis. On most waters they are not as instant as say sweetcorn, maize, chic peas, black-eyed beans or peanuts, but once fish are on to them, you can expect great sport. In the past tigers have received 'bad press' because there may come a time when, after heavy feeding on these nuts, a lake will go completely dead for weeks on end, when it seems practically impossible to catch on any bait. I've never experienced this myself so I'm not sure how true it is. Smaller dark seeds, particularly hemp, can be very effective when fished along side other baits. That is to say, they get carp feeding, but catching them can be a devil of a job, even when you fish hemp hook baits. At other times, hemp will provide a feeding response when carp are quite willing to pick up other baits fished over the hemp. Tares and dari seeds are both likely to give similar responses. Consider allowing them to germinate before you cook them. Germination can usually be achieved by first leaving them out in sunlight in a shallow tray, the seeds being covered in water, for a full day. Then bring them slowly to the boil. Twenty minutes simmering and they are ready to use. Less widely used, but still effective are broad beans, sweet lupins, almonds and hazel nuts. With nuts it can be very hit and miss. Ones that have been in stock a long time will very likely float, so make sure the ones you buy are fresh. Sweet lupins are not commonly used in the UK but vast numbers of carp have been caught on them, particularly on the continent, where some anglers regard them as the particle supreme. The most used and universally regarded particle bait would have to be sweetcorn, but there are plenty of others found in tins on the supermarket shelf which can score heavily. Baked beans and red kidney beans to mention a couple. Always buy good quality particles from a reputable supplier. Some particles, notably peanuts, can be potentially lethal to the fish in certain states. Look for 'human grade' particles and you'll be OK. Preparation On the whole, it can be said that the vast majority of these baits will work to one degree or another, merely soaked and not cooked. It must be said though that cooking produces a better bait, as it releases the full flavour. Cooking breaks down the outer skin allowing the natural oils to escape. Even if you don't cook the particles it is ESSENTIAL you soak them first. Some particles, notably chick peas and maples, swell up alarmingly as they take in water. If the carp eats them un-soaked this swelling could take place inside the fish leading to death. In general soak for at least 24 hours but longer in the case of tigers and un-prepared maize, where 48 hours is better. This is the time to add any flavours or additives. Additional Flavours With beans, you generally find the paler the colour, the less the flavour. For this reason, black eyed, soya, haricot and lima beans are generally more successful when flavoured. Soaking them overnight in flavour rather than just cooking them produces better baits. For the most part the darker baits i.e. maples, tares, tiger nuts and hemp have enough natural flavour, so adding flavours is not necessary. I've used flavours with particles but I can't say I've found it dramatically increases their effectiveness. However, if they've been used un-flavoured extensively on a water it might just add the difference that brings results. Cooking For small particles like hemp & dari just bring to the boil and then allow them to cool off in the same water. Harder particles like tiger nuts & peanuts must be soaked for 24 hours and then boiled for 30 minutes, again allowing them to cool off in the same water. I always try to store the particles with as much of the cooking water as possible - it contains a lot of attractive oils. If I'm using a groundbait with the particles, I'll use the water to mix with the groundbait. If you're not using the particles straight away they can be frozen at this stage. However, with tigers I like to leave them for 2 to 3 days until they start to ferment. The time depends on air temperature but you'll know when they've 'turned' because the water will go sticky, like syrup. I find them to be at their most effective at this stage. Application As with boilies pick the right particle for the job. On a hard bottom almost any can be used, but when fishing over silt, either use a very buoyant one or one with large flat sides such as broad beans, lima (butter) beans, red kidney beans or almonds. I regard boilie and particle fishing the same - I use the same methods and rigs for both. Particles, just like boilies, are particularly effective as a hook bait when popped off the bottom. To do this you can use a buoyancy aid such as a cork or rig foam, tied just above the particle on a hair, or the centre of the particle itself can be ground out and plugged with one of the said buoyant substances. Apart from the lack of selectivity, the only other drawback is the lack of distance such baits can be catapulted.Some of the best baiting methods for particles are bait boats, particle spod's, pva bags or strings and don't forget that great carp sport can be had in the margins right under your feet at times! A particularly inventive approach is to make up a standard hook link with bait, then drop this into an ice-lolly former. The rest of the cone is then filled with particles and flavour and the whole lot frozen. The frozen cones can be cast as far as most boilies! Particles are tremendous baits, and can be fished in most situations, when you put your mind to it.
Meat baits Meat baits are an excellent yet well under used group of baits that can really catch well on the toughest of waters. I've caught loads of carp on meat baits in the past and they will still catch you carp today and can compete against boilies on many waters. I'll go through most of the good ones here, give em a try they do work! Spam & Luncheon Meat - I've put these two meats together because they are both very similar in taste consistency and how will use them .... These great baits will catch you loads once the carp get the taste for them, you can cut them into cubes and place them straight on the hook if you wish or you can fish them on the hair as you would a boilie, they are quite soft baits and can come off the hair very easily when casting so what can you do to stoop this? Cut them into the required size and shape and freeze them, leave an open flask in the freezer for an hour before going fishing then put the frozen chunks of meat in the flask... use em straight from the flask (frozen) and you'll be able to cast them any distance you like, use a big hair stop or a small twig to keep them on the hair..... a great and very cheap bait! Peperami - Another good meat bait which is very easy to use, it's has a very tough skin which means its excellent for the hair, it has a great smell and leaks oils probably along with flavor and smells............ good bait! Meats Commercially Produced for Angling - Some of the well known bait companies are now producing their own meat baits which can be used just like luncheon meat and spam, these come in a variety of flavors shapes and sizes, most of these baits are made from processed luncheon meat. if you want to try these baits then look out for these manufacturers; Sensas, Dynamite and Van Den Eynde ..... all these are worth trying and all will catch a variety of species, not just carp. Meatballs - I've never used these but I have heard of them being used with some success in particular the ones made by Campbell's...... worth a try but I don't think I would use them were small fish are present as they are quite soft. Cat food - Yes the tinned pet food, especially cat food with a high proportion of fish in their ingredients is a good bait, especially for carp. The tin should be opened at the bank, and moulded into bait sized lumps. You need to be careful of the cast because the bait has a tendency to fall off. Meats can be a great catcher where boilies nuts and so on have been done to death, fry em, freeze em, liquidize add eggs flavour and boilie em ... "Give em a try you might get a nice surprise"
Other more popular baits Maggots - The maggot is the most popular coarse fishing bait used in Britain. Almost all our freshwater species may be taken on it, major competitions have been won on it, and it has accounted for some record fish. Maggots are small, easy to buy, transport and use. Maggots cost about £1 a pint. They are sold this way because pint glasses were once used to scoop them up for sale. Casters - The chrysalis, or pupa of the fly is known to anglers as a caster. At this point in its lifecycle (from egg to grub) it is an excellent bait. First made popular by match anglers in roach waters. As well as roach, chub and dace are partial to it and it has accounted for bream, gudgeon and tench. When first introduced to a stretch of water the fish may be uninterested but, once sampled, every caster is likely to be taken. Casters can be purchased from a tackle shop and kept in a refrigerator for about a week. Sweetcorn - Carp are particularly attracted to sweetcorn, but there are several other fish for which it is equally effective. Other than the predators most fish, including tench, rudd, roach, bream, chub, dace and barbel, can be 'educated' to take it readily. Sweetcorn's greatest attractions are its availability and convenience. It is ready to use from the can and can be put on the hook without any preparation.
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