Hello to all the CAG Members past and present. It is an honor to take the reigns as Editor in Chief of NACA. Joining me in new CAG Roles are Bob Giordano as President and Iain Sorrell as Vice President; welcome to both. A big thanks go out to all of the volunteers who give tirelessly of their own time to make this magazine a reality each and every edition. Some of you may know me, some may not. I am an ex-pat, originally from the North of England and have fished in one form or another for over 35 years. I started like most of you, fishing for anything that was interested in a maggot or worm but as I progressed I gradually moved through the species and became interested in catching the biggest freshwater fish in England, the carp. My journey took me from small Estate Lakes and ponds, to larger Reservoirs and Syndicate waters. In my mid-twenties I moved to the USA, coaching soccer all over the country before finally settling in Pennsylvania for a year, Maine for 4 years, Rhode Island for 2 years and my current location of Massachusetts for the past 7 years, where I met my wife. During most of that time I was busy with my career and life in general and while I fished occasionally, I had no idea carp were even an option. Fast forward to 4 years ago, when I adopted a new puppy. I decided to take my dog for a long walk along the Blackstone River and Canal and it was while walking I started to see some interesting dark shapes swimming along the far margins of the canal. On closer investigation they turned out to be carp, at which point I took to the internet and found out not only were carp available, there were myriad options open to me. Over the last 4 years I have discovered my old passion for carp fishing which has taken me to various lakes and rivers, going from small fish to the fish of my dreams. In this time I have been amazed at the amount of waters where carp reside and I truly believe we have the best carp fishing anywhere in the world. I know that’s a strong statement, but if you are willing to explore you will find carp between 10-50lb’s possible, and all are wild
fish. There are no carp with names, no bivvies lining the banks and no exorbitant fees. For the price of a State License you can literally fish where ever you desire. Yes, there may be negative attitudes to carp but these attitudes are changing as more and more people discover the wealth of fishing available to them and the wonderful fighting qualities of the carp. Why did I decide to become Editor in Chief? Fishing has provided me with many great experiences and memories. Over the last 2 years I became involved with Big Carp News as an Editor and I saw the site grow and grow, with many people contributing. The feedback has been positive and it made me realize how much I enjoy giving back to the carping community. Some of you work very hard at the local level trying to change regulations, some of you organize tournaments and if I can make NACA a bigger success and promote the wonderful carp fishing we have available here in the USA then I will be happy. With all that said, you will see some changes and new sections in NACA over the next few issues. I am excited as to some of the content we will be publishing, with Guest Articles from some very big names in the fishing industry. This Edition sees one of my personal favorites in Frank Warwick who should need no introduction and expect to see more big names as we move forward. We will also continue to highlight CAG Events and Competitions as well as member content and pictures. As this journey continues we hope to see NACA increase its’ readership, move to a more progressive media platform and become financially self-sustaining so that we can publish ‘Special Edition’ printed magazines each and every year. All very exciting and something I am proud to be a part of. Until next time, be lucky.
Dean Brookes
PA G E 2 8
PA G E 7
PA G E 1 3
PAGE 5
PA G E 2 3
CAG Members section
Catch Pictures by members!
PAGE 32 PA G E 4 9
Contents
CAG CLUB NEWS
Making the Most of Method PAGE 50
Particles 101 PAGE 61
PAGE 70
BREAKING DOWN BOILIES PAGE 7 7
CLUB NEWS
in NJ, I spent As a young boy growing up g for bass, catmost of my free time fishin I used was light , fish and sunnies. The gear allow and the fish the ponds I fished were sh was a great way were small but plentiful. It day. for a young boy to spend his ty five pound tell me stories of twen uld wo e m an th er old about 10 years me how to My neighbor who was me his gear and teach n loa uld wo he id sa al honey hole. He me so we fish that roamed a loc ed like a great deal to em se is Th y. ida Fr ch just cut his grass ea catch them, if I would long friendship began. ory. They shook hands and a life ll burned into my mem sti is ce rfa su e th r de swimming just un and float The first day I saw them would use stale bread we at th d ine pla ex d en d ever seen. My fri h then were the biggest fist I ha ed the bread in. The fis ck su d an ed en op th tched as a giant mou was the our baits to them. I wa e scales at 22lbs. He th d pe tip rp ca st fir y M am off to the deep. a carp turned its head and sw mmer day. I was now su rm wa at th e m d ge caught. The fish chan biggest fish I had ever for life! we put fisherman and would be r hurt the big fish, so ve ne to e m ld to d en on those banks. My fri re we I learned many things the bank side up befo up an cle e m e ad m s ay into the water. He alw day. each one back safely sons are still with me to les life e os Th . re tu na in respect for everything left and he taught me do. I s a CAG member can ing th nt rta po im t os m e to carp fish is one of th rp I believe teaching kids I’m passionate about ca h. fis ing tch ca t ou ab t jus more on the bank than e believe kids learn a lot to increase our influenc rs be m nu hip rs be em m our believe we must grow a and their protection. I they are. I want being h fis t or sp e tru e th r fo ized want carp to be recogn we with state agencies. I oup working together gr a as ow kn I st. fir erie about fun and camarad member of CAG to be to meeting all of you on d ar rw fo k loo I . nt ide ur Pres . I’m honored to be yo can reach these goals the bank side.
AF Bob
North American Carp Angler
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CLUB NEWS
G has led the way Over the past 20 years CA ucing hundreds of with its mission by introd ent years, with the people to carp fishing. In rec re has been an exgrowth of social media, the ups. plosion of carp related gro except opportuniHowever most deliver little rights or serve only ties for ‘instant’ bragging oks and interests. their own commercial outlo d camaradeFacebook the real spirit an on e on me so d’ ien ‘Fr to ys da While it is all too easy these you’ve never side with fellow anglers. If nk ba t en sp t bu e -lin on e m tim rie of fishing comes not fro u to do so. fish-in then I would urge yo ate St al loc a or C CC the as attended a CAG event such
on the St hosted junior tournaments ars ye ny ma for s ha o arn b Giod begin Our very own President Bo This is how true friendships t. en ev ch ea at rs gle an g 100 youn n sat in Lawrence that attract over butts bank side rather tha Its . ort sp at gre r ou to ed introduc and where new anglers are lly count! front of a computer that rea
ing se CAG membership. In do rea inc y ntl ca nifi sig to aim e set out my rp In my role as the new VP I’v t to also ensure that as ca bu er mb me G CA a ing be more value to so I not only hope to bring needed recognition aim to increase the much r ou in ice vo E ON th wi k anglers we can truly spea nued support of ks everyone for your conti an Th . ca eri Am rth No in h for carp as a true sport fis ers in the coming months. mb me w ne ny ma ng mi lco we CAG and I look forward to Tight lines,
Iain Sorrell Vice President
BIG 14
FOUR
20
The CAG Spring Big Four contest is always eagerly anticipated and sees numerous anglers all over the country competing for bragging rights of who can catch the biggest four carp over the course of a month. The 2014 competition was no exception to the rule with some amazing captures and an absolute beastly total of 170lb 11oz leading the way. Here are the final weights and a few pictures of some of the most memorable captures.
1) Daniel Slaby
170lbs 11oz
4) Adam Cieplik
137lbs 1o z
2) Pawel Salamon 154lbs 4o z 3) Brian Wingard 143lbs 4o z 5) Barr y Howard 6) Brad Thomas
7) Dave Pickering 8) Mark Golba
130lbs 5o z
126lbs 4o z
122lbs 12oz 121lbs
9) Matt Janiszewski 120lbs 110z North American Carp Angler
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Daniel Slaby and his 40+
Pawel and this 55lb 6 Oz beast
Matt
Biggest weight logged
Dave Pickering Big Mirror 40lb+
Frank Rink First fish and most fish
Brian Wingard 38lb+
North American Carp Angler
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If there’s a little magic swirling around the St. Lawrence International Junior Carp Tournament, maybe it’s because the event was the brainchild of a wizard.
North NorthAmerican AmericanCarp CarpAngler Angler
1313
The catch-and-release tournament has brought more than 1,200 boys and girls to the banks of the St. Lawrence River, at the top of New York State, U.S.A., since it began in 2003. In its inaugural year, the Grand Marshal was Tom Felton – the British actor best known as the sinister Draco Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” films.
Felton and his brother Chris had been carp fishing on the renowned St. Lawrence the year before, and broached the idea of a local tournament for young anglers.
The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce jumped at the idea and has hosted the event every year since, with the help of countless volunteers and local CAG members.
Tom Felton fishing
Kids have come from Great Britain, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada, and across the United States to fish alongside the local boys and girls who grew up with the St. Lawrence River in their backyards. And it’s that chance to make new friends and re-establish relationships that has kept many of these young carp angling enthusiasts entering the tournament year after year, until they “age out.”
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There have been milestones over the years.
He won the grand championship plus a special
The biggest fish caught to date was a 44-pound,
cash prize when his four biggest fish tipped the
8-ounce common carp caught, kissed, and re-
scales at more than 100 pounds. In 2012, the
leased by Millie Mason of Hyde Park, NY in 2004.
tournament saw its first female grand champion,
In 2011, Tyler Mitchell of Hogansburg, NY pulled
Bryaunna Murray of Massena. The tournament
in a 40-pound, 8-ounce beauty.
even has produced one marriage!
Cash prizes are usually several thousand dollars for the grand championship, although one year the haul for young angler Connor Loomis of Waddington, NY was $15,000.
In2011, Tyler Mitchell of Hogansburg caught and released this 40+ pound carp
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Open to boys and girls ages 11 to 18, the tournament is held the third weekend of August on a 30 mile stretch of the river from Massena to Ogdensburg.
Registration covers all activities, including the popular Mort Backus & Sons Fishing School led by local adult carp anglers. (Regional and world carp championships for adults are common on the St. Lawrence, one of North America’s best carp fisheries.)
Joseph Greene with a winning carp
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Find out more about the Junior Carp Tournament, and carp fishing on the St. Lawrence – visit the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce at www.NorthCountryGuide, or call the Chamber toll free at 877-228-7810.
Alison Power
Tourism, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce 101 Main Street, Canton, NY
13617
315-386-4000 apower@stlawrencecountychamber.org www.northcountryguide.com
P R A C
Carp of the Month 2014 Contest so far
Since the start of 2013 BC Tackle and BC News have partnered
with CAG to run the ‘Carp of the Month’ contest. Each month con-
CARP
OF THE
E H T F O H
testants submit their catches, all caught within that calendar month and then a panel of judges vote to decide a winner.
Each month over $100 worth of prizes are given away and each
MONT
H
monthly winner is entered into a final end of year contest that the CAG Membership votes on themselves. The yearly prize has a value of $500.
T N O M
Here are the monthly winners so far in 2014.
JANUARY TO MARCH Vinsanity
North American Carp Angler
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APRIL Dave Pickering
MAY
JUNE Erich
JULY Hawkeye
North American Carp Angler
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AUGUST Rebelcarp
P R A C
CARP OF THE MONTH CONTEST
CARP
Sponsored by Big Carp Tackle, Big Carp News & Carp Anglers Group
E H T F O H
Hosted by Carp Anglers Group & Big Carp Tackle
OF THE
MONT
This contest is open to everyone
Rules to submit Carp (Cyprinus Carpio only) Common, mirror, leather, koi, etc
H
T N O M
-Deadline is midnight last day of the month. Carp needs to be caught the same month as submit-
- Monthly winners will win a previously announce
prize worth:
ted. If it’s close to the end of the month it may be
* $100 Big Carp Tackle Voucher
submitted the following month. (3 day exception)
*CAG membership and/or extension for 1 year
Fish can only be submitted once.
-Quality photo of the Angler holding the fish (As
- All monthly winters will be entered into a Grand
this is a most important) with a date/time stamp of
Champion Winner for a prize January 2015 voted
capture date.
on by CAG Members for a $500 prize determined
CARP by BCT.
-A short paragraph giving details/tactics. This will
play a role and help in a tie breaker type situation for the judges.
- If the winner is chosen from CAG event may
OF THE
also eligible for a bonus prize. i.e. FFF, ATC, Big 4, Discover month, CCC, etc.
- Judges decision is final. Any submission that seems strange or the angler has a past history of questionable entries will most likely be overlooked
- Winners are responsible for shipping expenses
and import duties to countries outside the USA.
MONT
by the panel of judges Big Carp News Contributors & CAG Bod Members. Pictures posted on
Big Carp Tackle FB that receives the most likes/
shares will count a 1 vote towards the Winner as well.
H
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Discovery Month
About CAG Discovery Month – October
Introduction
North America is a huge continent with a lot of water and very few anglers fishing for carp. CAG discovery month is about opening up unfished waters. It might be the gravel pit down the road, the tiny park lake that people keep telling you has monster carp, the big drinking water reservoir that is a pain to fish as you need a special permit, perhaps a local lake that you are not even sure has carp in it!
How to participate
To participate simply follow the rules given below. The CAG Discovery Month is entirely free for CAG members.
Rules
1. The CAG Discovery Month is a month long event which takes place in October. Participants can fish
as much or as little as they want over the course of the month. Anglers can fish more than one swim.
2. Locate one or several swims that to the best of your knowledge a CAG member has not caught
a carp from within the last three years. Anglers are encouraged to fish as far away as possible from
known swims. At the very minimum, participants should at least not be able to see a known swim from the spot they are fishing from.
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3. Document your adventure with photographs and a good story. Past winners can be seen
below. Remember even a blank can make a great story!
4. You can fish the way you want, using as many rods as locally allowed, using whatever fancy
gear, pre-bait, boats, baitboats, whatever you like, but please catch carp with a single hook and practice catch & release.
5. Although this event is centered on Cyprinus Carpio, feel free to document incidental captures. 6. Carp anglers from any country, any age, and any gender are most welcome. The more
participation, the better! Non-CAG members (guests) are welcome to fish with CAG members during the weekend however they will not be eligible for prizes.
7. This event is run on the honor system. Anglers do not have to disclose venues if they do not
feel comfortable doing so. Please no cheating, you’ll only be cheating yourself.
Prizes
In order to qualify for the prize you must write up a story and document your story with photographs. The main prize will be awarded based on a vote that will take place here in the forum. All members will have an opportunity to vote. Entries will be judged based on originality, quality of story, and quality of pictures. The intent of the event is to encourage discovery, undoubtedly the more adventurous the angler and story the better the chance that you will win. Other prizes vary year to year.
Harbor hogs bait war and more My discovery month search for the prefect fish in location Crack or be cracked
Check past winners
Super cddm success in record form Discovery 2008 Discovering Pennsylvania Saturday night fever in vermont
Click on the links to go to the winner’s original article
Andy Sprinkle - 2011 and 2012 Winner
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CAG Members section We invite all of our CAG Members to contribute with both catch pictures and scenic shots for each issue of NACA. We have had some wonderful offerings this month and if anyone would like to contribute in the future please send all pictures and reports to naca@carpanglersgroup.com
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Adam Cieplik Boat shot
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Adam Cieplik River shot
Photo by: Brendan Pass
North American Carp Angler
Photo by: Brendan Pass
3
Photo by: Josh Bergeron
North American Carp Angler
Keith Beardsworth - TN River
Adam Cieplik - Action shot
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FOCUS ON
THE FALL
Now that Fall is well and truly underway in most of the country we look at a selection of different
We then come to one of the most respected thinkers in carp fishing, Frank Warwick who
baiting approaches that you can utilize as the
discusses plastic baits which only a few short
colder weather approaches. First up we have Iain
years ago were laughed at and which now are
Sorrell giving us some great insights into the dif-
a mainstay. Finally, new Editor in Chief, Dean
ferent aspects of groundbait and it’s uses.
Brookes gives us some history and uses of boilies in the first part of a two part article.
We then have regular contributor Brian Wingard offering us lots of information of particles and how
Hopefully, you can all take something of use from
to not only prepare them, but how to get the best
these offerings and use it in your own fishing to
out of them.
capture a carp or two. North American Carp Angler
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Making the Most of Method
By Iain Sorrell
Instead of getting in the middle of the argument of method vs pack I’m going to look at why both are hugely successful, why I’m a fan of both and what you can gain from a better understanding of and use of the ingredients. For the purposes of this article I’m going to define Pack as being material squeezed into a ball around the hook bait and Method as being squeezed around a lead or feeder. No doubt that over simplification will have some rolling their eyes but so be it! It should also be recognized that you can also introduce the same materials used in both pack and method into the swim by hand or with the use of other devices such as catapults etc in the form of ground bait or ‘chum’ balls.
A Bit of History: Angling literature is filled with innovative ideas on how to improve your catch rates. One that has (literally) stood the test of time is the use of balls of ground bait (chum) introduced into the swim to build and maintain interest from the fish you plan to catch.
An excerpt from the Compleat Angler – Isaac Walton 1653 You shall take a peck, or a peck and a half (according to the greatness of the stream, and deepness of the water, where you mean to angle) of sweet gross-ground barely-malt, and boil it in a kettle (one or two warms is enough) then strain it through a Bag into a tub (the liquor whereof hath often done my Horse much good) and when the bag and malt is near cold, take it down to the water-side about eight or nine of the clock in the evening, and not before; cast in two parts of your ground-bait, squeezed hard between both your hands, it will sink presently to the bottom, and be sure it may rest in the very place where you mean to angle; if the stream run hard or move a little, cast your malt in handfuls the higher upwards the stream. You may between your hands close the Malt so fast in handfuls, that the water will hardly part it with the fall.
The earliest balls of ground bait were mostly a mix of either mashed grains or bread along with honey or malt. There are also early records of making balls of clay mixed with earthworms (night crawlers). Since those early days the range and complexity of ground bait, method and pack mixes has grown almost exponentially. There is also any number of commercially available mixes that all but guarantee success in exchange for you hard earned money.
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Why does work?
it
Frank Warwick showed that a single bait sitting out in the middle of a river or lake without any pre-baiting can be devastatingly effective. Carp, by nature are curious creatures and will examine anything potentially edible. This is especially true early in the season when the water is clear, food is still relatively scarce and the carps digestion is only just getting back up to full speed. However as the water warms introducing ground bait into a swim not only stimulates feeding activity but can often make even the wariest fish more confident and in some cases even feed with total abandon. While I prefer a well planned and long term baiting strategy over several days or even weeks this is not always possible and more short term strategies come into play. While it is relatively easy to introduce a ball of ground bait (chum) etc into a swim the use of a method feeder or pack bait guarantees the immediate proximity of hook bait and chum. As with any successful match fisherman the best method or pack anglers are usually those who can make accurate and reproducible casts to precisely the same spot. This ensures the feed is in a relatively small area and helps to increase competition among the fish as they jostle one another to get at the food source.
When fishing rivers a method or pack that does not break down until it reaches the bottom ensures the trail of feed is exactly where you want it, on the bottom and around your bait, rather than drifting down stream and invariably taking the fish with it. If you watch underwater video of carp feeding you can often see two distinct feeding modes: The first involves a direct and usually visual approach to a bait or food source. The carp can usually be seen lurking just outside the baited area before making a bee line to the bait and taking off with it. The second is akin to a cow grazing where the carp methodically sucks in small food items and blows out any unwanted items (such as sand, gravel etc). In the second mode the feeding can either appear quite relaxed and unhurried or at the other extreme becomes a feeding frenzy where it’s every fish for itself in an effort to gulp down any food items before it all disappears. In wild waters these feeding styles clearly translate to the seasonal availability of different food sources from chasing crayfish to grubbing for bloodworms or sucking in nymph hatches. The small particles in method or pack mix certainly stimulate the second mode or grazing style of feeding. In most cases the carp is preoccupied with picking up the small feed items and simply picks up the baited hook rig as part of the feeding process rather than specifically focusing on the bait alone.
However it is also possible to stimulate the first mode while the carp are grazing and have a carp
As the fish become more active in your swim it
home in directly on the hook bait by differentiating
can help to slow the rate of break down of your
it from the mass of small particles. Size, Color,
method or pack. If it takes 5 mins instead of 2
Taste, Buoyancy (pop-up) can all be exploited to
mins to breakdown the fish will often begin to
help highlight the bait and make it stand out if and
feed more aggressively and even start to attack
when needed.
the ball of feed.
The ‘when needed’ is often a matter of trial & error until you become more experienced. If you get
This not only keeps the fish hungry but can also
a lot of rod knocks and beeps but few hook ups
stimulate bigger fish into trying to muscle out the
then it might easily be a problem with your hook
smaller ones in an attempt to get to the bait be-
rig not turning over and catching the carps lip.
fore it disperses.
However if you are sure this is not the case then switching to a small pop-up 12mm boilie or a brightly colored plastic imitation can prove highly effective. Throwing, Catapulting or Spombing 3-4 balls of your method / pack mix into the swim before cast-
Tight Bait Pattern Diagram
ing out can help to get things going before you cast out. It can also help to ‘top up’ the swim when the fish are feeding heavily with extra balls of mix but remember the old saying “Once you put it in you can’t take it out”… the inference being that if you put too much chum into the water the fish may have too much free food and ignore your bait. It’s always better to keep them hungry and actively looking for your bait by following the “Little but Often” approach. North American Carp Angler
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Binders:
Binders hold everything together. More binder usually means a longer break down time. They include: Dried bread crumb (Panko), various flours (Wheat, Corn, Semolina), Wheat Bran, Porridge Oats (instant or quick), Instant Grits, Ground White Bread (Classic White Wonder Bread). Other effective binders are milk powder based such as Ovaltine or Horlicks. Trout pellets, Dog chow. Typically the finer the binder is powdered the more it will bind. A good example is oatmeal which in its coarsest ‘rough’ cut form breaks down very quickly but in Quick or Instant form or when put through a blender becomes increasingly ‘sticky’ as it becomes more powdery.
Wetters & Liquids:
These include lake water, creamed corn, baby
foods, canned pie fillings (pumpkin), ketchup (tomato, HP etc), soda (Pepsi, Red Bull, Mountain Dew etc). High sugar content liquids or syrups such as karo, condensed milk, molasses, tomato ketchup etc will usually increase the ‘stickiness’ of the mix. Another favorite is the juice from particles – commercial or homemade. If the mix becomes too dry it can often be revived by adding a little more of one of these liquids. Always add a little at a time and mix very thoroughly before adding any more liquid or wetting agent. Ideally the mix should feel almost dry and somewhat crumbly to the touch but bind firmly when squeezed into a ball.
Bread and Boilie crumb
Breakers:
Emulsifiers:
Oils like salmon, tuna, halibut etc should be
As their name implies ‘breakers’ cause the mix to
mixed with an emulsifier so that it does not all float
disintegrate as they allow the passage of water to
off and disappear. An emulsifier is simply a mole-
penetrate into the method or pack.
cule (such as lecithins) that will hold oil and water molecules together so they do not separate.
Rough Cut Oats (the coarser the oats the more they ‘break’) Small seed particles such as mil-
A classic example of an emulsifier is the use of
let and hemp seed or coarse ground or crushed
egg yolks in a salad dressing to produce a nice
seeds, cracked corn etc, Regular or Quick Grits,
creamy consistency. If you have too much oil in a
Sand, Soil etc.
mix it can also stop it from holding altogether.
Flavors & Stimulants: This is where you can let your imagination run riot! The only thing to remember is that you need to be careful when adding more liquids not to over do it otherwise the method might not pack properly. In addition to the many commercial flavors available Betalin is one of my favorite additives as it has intense sweetness with a fruity undertone and is a well know carp catcher. Adding spices such as cinnamon, chilli, garlic, turmeric or fenugreek can improve your catch rate but in most cases adding too little is better than too much. Fish oils, fish meals, kelp powders, MSG and so on - the list is endless!
Fizzers & Lifters:
One of the more interesting and novel ways to attract fish is to ‘lift’ the method particles higher up in the water column. This can be particularly effective when fishing a zig rig over the method. Finely ground high oil content nuts or seeds such as hemp or sunflower or desiccated coconut when mixed with a method mix will float up from the mix taking other particles with them. The resulting column of particles is not only visually attractive but helps to disperse any scent over a wider area. Fizzers on the other hand not only help break up the method mix and lift it higher in the water but also create some noise that seems to stimulate fish. One theory is that it mimics the sound of fish feeding and since sound travels 4 times faster in water than in air it can be a significant draw. In the past crushed Vitamin C tablets or pop-rock candy have been used. North American Carp Angler
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However a simple mix of 6 teaspoons of citric acid crystals plus three tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda will do the trick. Simply crush and mix together and keep dry in a zip lock bag until needed. When wet the two will react and create streams of bubbles of carbon dioxide.
Clouds & Color:
Following on from Lifters & Fizzers another way to increase attraction, especially in clear water, is to make the water cloudy or murky. Mixing in fine particles of ground bread, biscuit, ground oats, trout or dog chow, dry soils etc to a very dry or very wet (sloppy) mix so that it breaks apart on impact with the water surface will do the trick. It is also possible to add a secondary layer of fine particle mix around your regular method mix so that it breaks off on hitting the water while the main method remains intact until it breaks down on the bottom. Mixing in condensed milk, blood or liver powders etc will add to the cloud effect. There are also a variety of food grade colors in powder and liquid form that also enhance the cloud effect.
Pellets, Particles, Boilies: Trout or dog chow (pellets) make excellent method mixes and are usually classified as ‘binders’ when ground down into powder form. Since many of these pellets float it is important to prepare them properly. Here’s how to do it. Get a Plastic container with a tight fitting lid (a gallon capacity food storage container is ideal) and some food wrap (cling film). Fill the container to the brim with pellets than very carefully pour boiling water over the pellets until they are just covered. Then place the cling film over the top and seal with the lid. Leave for at least 2 hours or overnight. When you open the container you should have a nice solid ‘cake’ of disintegrated pellets. All you need do now is push it through a coarse sieve to create a nice powder than can be used right away or dried for later use.
A Boilie method is not inexpensive to make but can be devastatingly effective. Simply grind up your boilies into a fine powder and mix with a wetting agent. When fished with a like flavor boilie (small or trimmed boilies are often the most effective) on the hair it can be incredibly effective. When the water temperatures fall below 48F I also like to mix powdered boilies or chow with freshly ground bread and fish as method or pack into a PVA bag or mesh. It’s a stunningly effective way to catch carp in the late Fall. You can also mix pellets and small (10-12mm) boilies in with your method mix to create some tasty morsels among the cloud of particles. Ideally you should fish a similar sized bait to compliment these items.
Hook Lengths and Rigs: It’s generally accepted that shorter 3-4” hook lengths are much more effective when fishing method. The idea being that the baited hook remains close or among the pile of chum from the method / pack ball. A stiffer hook length material and the use of anti-tangle sleeves will also help to ‘kick’ the hook away from the method and reduce the chance of tangling.
However I prefer a ‘combi rig’ style with the last inch or so remaining supple to allow the hook to turn properly. However don’t be afraid to experiment. If you are getting a lot of missed bites on short rigs it could be the carp are sucking up your bait but the short length is pulling the hook out of their mouth so when that happens try making them longer perhaps 6-8”.
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As the hook & bait can get knocked about quite a bit when fished over method mixes it is important to have a robust and reliable rig that will do its job when needed. I like short hairs that will not tangle around the hook and will reset easily to ensure the correct presentation. A balanced bait (i.e. one that has neutral buoyancy) seems to be more effective as it will behave more like the particles etc in the method.
Particles such as maize can be balanced with pop-up imitation corn while regular boilies can be drilled and cork inserted to achieve the desired effect. When fishing over weeds with method I will often try a much longer fluorocarbon hook length of 12 – 24�. This trick helps to keep the hook bait more exposed on top of the weed along with particles of method that get stirred around by active fish.
Mixing & Storage: Use: Most method mixes can be made up with dry in-
It is always important to test your mix out in the
gredients and stored ready for use. All that is then
margins or in a bucket of water before casting out
required is to add the liquid or wetter component,
to your baited area. Ideally it should break down
mix thoroughly and allow to stand for about 30
in around 2-5 minutes.
minutes before use. The amount of pressure or number of ‘squeezI prefer to keep the mix in a bucket with a lid or
es’ it takes to pack around your hook or lead will
damp towel over to prevent it from drying out to
also determine the breakdown rate and keeping
quickly. If it dries up too quickly adding a small
notes, especially when trying out new mixes, as it
amount of liquid, molasses or condensed milk
can help for consistency.
and thoroughly mixing is usually sufficient. While most method / pack recipes are good for shorter range casts of 40-60yds there are not many that can stay intact for the forces involved North American Carp Angler
59
with longer range casts. Increasing the level of binder will certainly help but will also increase the breakdown time and if you use too much to an extent that it can still be intact when you reel in an hour or so later! Adding a layer of high binder content method around the outside of the regular method will help keep everything together for long distance casts. I prefer not to bury my hook into the outside of the method ball prior to casting. In the first instance the hook and bait can remain hidden under the method feeder or worse still get caught up in the feeder cage and secondly the hook point can sometimes stick into a piece of corn or other material preventing it from properly penetrating the carps lip. A length of anti tangle sleeve and well designed hook link material combined with stopping your cast just before it hits the water will ‘kick’ the bait clear. I have purposely avoided including specific recipes in this article as there are plenty of simple and effective recipes to be found on-line starting with the basic popular oats & creamed corn method / pack mix. The CAG Members Only section also has a host of information and recipes:
Please click here However with a little experimentation you will soon begin to understand the nature of the ingredients and how they work. It won’t be long before you have sufficient mastery that you’ll be able to create your own mixes to match the nature of the water you are fishing. Good luck!
Particles 101 The year is flying by fast and we are just starting to see the leaves change into the fall colors.
By Brian Wingard
I am going to go over my top particles that most anglers use and then also show how to prepare
Welcome to fall! Fall can be a lot of things for
them and a few ideas for each one. The best part
many people including football season, hunting
about particles are the fact they are inexpensive
season and most importantly to the carp angler
so using large amounts is not too painful on the
big fish season.
wallet which we all love. Before we get started on any of the discussion
After Labor Day hits it seems like most anglers of
on particles the most important step is preparing
any specie decide to put the boat away and focus
them properly! We want to ensure that they are
on other things. To the anglers who still go out af-
fully expanded before using so the particle has
ter Labor Day we know all too well what is ahead
no chance of swelling inside of the fish after they
in terms of the fish captures.
consume them. Most particles will expand 3-4 times in size.
Fall yields some of the larger captures of the year
I add some photos below so that you can see the
and many years ago yielded my first thirty pound
dry version and then next to it the fully expanded
fish on a cold October night. With the above being
version of the particle bait.
said we should talk about something common in carp fishing and that is the particle.
We have two methods to choose from when preparing particles. The most common version will be to soak your particles for 24-48 hours and then
I think it is pretty obvious over the past few years that I prefer to use boilies a lot but I still love to use
boil for 20-30 minutes or until you can see the particle is fully expanded or the seed has split.
particles on a lot of various lakes that I fish.
Dry and fully expanded version of particles
North American Carp Angler
61
Field Corn/Maize/Deer Corn Now that we know the preparation involved we should talk about the most common particles that
something different that may change the outcome of your day fishing if it happens to be slow.
are used day in and day out in the world. The final part of preparing field corn is the ferThe number one particle is corn. Whether it
mentation process. If you soak and cook yours
be sweet corn or prepared field corn more an-
baits then leave them to rest for days you will no-
glers use this than any other particle out there.
tice the bait starts to take on a liquor smell.
It is cheap to buy especially in the United States around hunting season due to hunters feeding deer so bulk 50lb bags are usually on sale.
That is fermenting the baits and a very good reason to do this is because as the bait ferments it will release amino acids which are highly attractive to
Corn is very simple to prepare just like listed
carp. With corn you can use it for chumming, hook
above and the bright color being yellow is ex-
baits, and even grinding it up as a mielie bomb
tremely easy for the fish to spot and hone in on.
which I have videos of on YouTube to show you
Also juvenile fish are more curious so the bright
how found here.
color is always good for a quick bite from them. Also one thing that is good to do is if you use a pressure cooker you can add flavoring and coloring to change the appearance and smell of the bait so you can have some variety and of course
Click to watch the video on Youtube
Birdseed Birdseed is hands down one of my favorite particles to use. There are so many variations of it that you can achieve and also birdseed can do many things for you as a fisherman.
The first being there are various sizes and shapes so the fish do not become fixated on one size. This allows you to present your bait in the mix while still appearing natural to the carp.
My preferred method is to pressure cook the seed. Now you can soak and boil but you will nev-
The best use for seed that I have found is the
er get the seed as large as if you use a pressure
fact that carp will stay on a spot for hours if not
cooker. It almost turns into a slop once you take
days if you put enough in a single location. This
off the lid of the pressure cooker.
is the ultimate if you plan to fish a spot over and over again.
Having a more sloppy mix straight out of the pressure cooker makes it easier to Spomb also
Also if you have weed in a spot and chum into the
because the liquid is thicker and easier to man-
weed they will clear the spot out for you within a
age.
day or two. As the fish root for the seeds it buries deeper and deeper into the bottom so it becomes
You can also flavor birdseed or add in additional attractors to it. I love to use CC Moore Super
an ongoing food signal for the fish to come back day after day to check the area for more food.
Slop or Bloodworm Concentrate when adding in attractors. Having something natural in my mixes
This has been my biggest advantage and tech-
is always an added bonus in my opinion. The big
nique on new spots that I plan to fish for a very
reason I like using birdseed are for two reasons.
long time.
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63
Hemp Seed Hemp seed is not the most common in the Unit-
not contain as much oil as a name brand product
ed States but can easily be bought from Big Carp
such as CC Moore Intense Hemp which is already
Tackle or other vendors. When it comes to lakes
prepared in a tub for you.
that have small shells and mussels, hemp can really bring the fish into a spot fast.
If you make your own at home and after you boil and the hemp is resting I will add in CC Moore Hemp Oil or Chili Hemp Oil to give it an added
As the carp crunch the hemp the sound can
boost to the seed.
draw in other fish from a good distance as they
The biggest reason you want to restore the oil
hear a feeding frenzy going on and come in to
is it becomes an indicator for when the fish are in
investigate the area.
your swim. If the water has a chop to it when you cast out hemp you will notice a slick appears from
I usually add hemp with birdseed so that again you have various size particles. If you only hemp
the oil and will flatten out the surface. After a few minutes it will become choppy again.
there are some instances where the fish can become fixated on only hemp and leave your hook bait alone.
Now when a school of carp move into the area and disturb the hemp from rooting the oil will leak
If you prefer to use only hemp and find the fish
over and over again from the hemp. The surface
have become fascinated with only hemp Kryston
will flatten and this will alert you when the fish
makes a Bogey product that will allow you to form
have moved in. This is a key thing to watch for
your hemp seed into a small ball which can be
because if you are seeing the flat spots on the
hair rigged.
water and not getting any runs then it is time to
This can be extremely effective for the weary fish.
change the baits, rigs, or presentation. It basically
One thing that I have found out over the years is
can tell you what the fish want on any given day.
hemp usually bought in the United States does
The final thing like mentioned with birdseed is the fact you can add flavoring or additives to make the hemp stand out compared to regular hemp. Also to save time CC Moore also sells hemp pellets, hemp powder and of course crushed hemp which are great in pva bags and other mixes.
Also for hemp prep here is a video I have made to showing you how to do so. Click to watch the video on Youtube
North American Carp Angler
65
TIGER NUTS Tigers have quickly become one of my favorites
As the fish come through they will eventually
when it comes to particles to use. There are so
start to eat them. Being they are so hard they can
many variations that can be used with tigers that
only digest them so far and then they come right
leaves endless possibilities.
back out to be eaten again and again by other
I enjoy making my own using the recipe found here in one of my videos.
fish. Usually a month later once you actually fish with tigers the fish are extremely responsive to them and have almost become addicted to them searching them out. I have caught quite a few big fish on tigers through the years.
Click to watch the video on Youtube
One thing that I have noticed is over time fish do get used to them so it can be a good tip to flavor them or buy ones already flavored. CC Moore
By simply soaking for 2 days and adding in brown
offers either Steeped Black Tigers or The Hi-Viz
sugar you can give your tigers and extra boost. I
Tigers which come in three flavors. You can also
will then boil until they are fully expanded then let
prepare your own by adding flavor into the tigers
them sit in the hot water for a few more hours.
during the soak process. The tigers will take on the flavor and also the color. Also adding sweet-
For the most part tigers are 80% instant on most
eners can be a huge advantage also. Tiger nuts
all lakes. For the other 20% here are some tips
are already naturally sugary but adding more can
to get fish onto tigers. After preparing tigers I will
boost them even farther.
either take a Korda Krusha or a blender or chop
One kind that has been my go to for the past 2
the tigers into all various sizes. I will also add in
years are the CC Moore XXL Tigers in Talin. They
whole tigers once completed and then chum out
are massive in size and a good amount are over
over a wide area a few pounds.
1 inch. Most tigers you get are not the biggest but
these ones really stand out on the bottom as a
Often times when you mix various particles to-
single bait. Last but not least you can take a drill
gether it is referred to as a “party mix� It can give
bit and core out the center and add in cork. This
a great variety for the carp and of course since
will allow you to balance the bait for pop up pres-
they are all various sizes it adds a lot of variety to
entations. This can also be achieved using artifi-
the mix.
cial corn that is buoyant. My biggest tip is to cook all of the particles separate so they can maintain their own taste and With the above all mentioned on how to prepare
smell. If you cook them all together they often
and use them one key tip is this. If you want to
times have a weird smell that doesn’t set one par-
use any of the above in a pva bag or mesh if you
ticle apart from another.
soak the particles in salt or glycerin for around 5
Once you mix them all together after cooking
minutes the particles will now be pva friendly so
separately they will not absorb into one another
you can present them that way also.
because they are fully prepared and no more room for absorption.
North American Carp Angler
67
Pellets The last one and not so much a particle are pellets. Pellets I always compare to a ground bait if you will because of how they break down on the bottom and leave the fish hungry due to only the smell and a powder left behind. Pellets even though they break down will still hold their form until touched and then they disintegrate into nothing. One thing I will do to change the break down rate are use additives or oils with the pellets. If you use oils they basically coat the pellet and prolong the break time on them. If you use flavors or concentrates you will incorporate an attractor while prolonging the break time. I usually use uncoated pellets then coat another
batch of pellets. My third batch I will coat one time and let rest over time and then coat again to create an even longer break time. I then mix them together in pva bags and this will create various break times around my hook bait so there will always be something going on around it. This has been working year around but in the fall I tend to use a lot more of the pellets as the fish are heavy on the feed and getting ready for winter. Now that you have all the bases covered let us see some fish! The action can be very fast when using particles or pellets so be prepared for a fun filled day hauling out on the banks. Please post your photos and adventures on the CAG forum while using particles so we can all share with others.
Brian Wingard
Crafty Plastic Baits Enhancement and Tweeks BY Frank Warwick
In recent years and in all four seasons I have found zigs to be incredibly good at night, this I guess I use plastic baits for about a third of my fishing, which I’m sure you will agree is quite a lot, but I find them effective and easy to use so why not? Some of the purists may frown on the use of imitation baits but that’s not my problem or concern. I simply use them because I keep getting excellent results on them. As you may know I have used the Enterprise versions since the very early beginnings of the company and consider them easily the best out there by some margin. I have been lucky enough to have a big hand in the testing and concept behind many of their products, however I still mess around constantly with additives and attractors that I can add to the baits to enhance their effectiveness. I concede that unflavoured versions will and do catch fish very well but I much prefer the flavoured dosed up versions. My comparison tests over the years have shown the flavoured ones will out fish the unflavoured by quite some margin. This is the case with baits fished on or near the bottom, however quite the reverse is true of baits used on zig rigs. I find strangely that unflavoured zig baits seem to work the best although occasionally I have had better results in the night on a flavoured zig.
should be of no surprise really as most fly hatches seem to take place in the dark so I guess the carp are used to looking for emerging flies in the middle and upper layers at night. How many times have you heard carp crashing at night on waters where to see a show in daylight is a rare event? I don’t think this is just a co incidence. I think on waters with many insect hatches happening at night that carp will feed and become active to harvest this natural bounty and have been doing it for years while us poor buggers were sat there fishing hard on the bottom thinking the carp were in some kind of hibernation or were off the feed. Let’s look at some of my favourite combinations for baits such as the plastic sweetcorn and maize. I think the Pineapple and N butyric acid version ready supplied by Enterprise is a classic proven winner as is the Tutti frutty version. There really is nothing to choose between the two as they both catch carp well. They are of course off the shelf versions available to all so you might well want to make your own special blends that are unique to you, in fact the world is your oyster in this respect, there are thousands of combination possibilities available.
Black Pepper oil is a well proven winner and
Essential oils
for good reason it is incredible. In the past I’ve
Essential oils are pretty much overlooked these
had success with classic flavours such as Peach,
days which is a shame as they give another dimension to some of our baits as they don’t easily wash off and disperse into the water so easily. The molecules bond themselves to the plastic baits very successfully indeed, some neat essential oils are very potent and can be overpowering so caution with inclusion rates is advised. I usually use them in conjunction with tried and trusted flavours so you get a kind of double hit off the glugged baits. Nutrabaits still do a very comprehensive range of essential oils that are good quality and are well worth a look at. I like Clove oil, this much under used cracking essential oil it has a curious effect of numbing the nerves like Bonjella does with teething babies, now I’m not saying this is a reason why it works so well but it could have a part to play but that’s another story. I use six drops of clove oil to 20 ml of flavour in a pot to soak my plastic baits. One of my favourites being the old Rod Hutchinson Ultra Spice. Cinnamon and Aniseed are other winners, especially in cooler weather, that also blend with the Clove oil
Squid Octopus, Monster Crab, Lobster Thermidore and Secret Agent but there are plenty of other good alternatives out there worth giving a try. Nutrabaits’ Ylang Ylang is another old favourite of mine I use this typically with Scopex, Cream or Plum (especially John Bakers terrific plum flavour), it has a very distinctive floral smell and seems to illicit curiosity from the carp, especially in hot weather. I use Grapefruit essential oil sparingly even in plastic bait dips. It’s powerful so I only use 3 drops to 20 ml of Rod Hutchinson’s Sublime flavour, this is a ridiculously good combination all year round to soak the plastics in. I told Danny Fairbrass about this combo just after I had let him try some of my glugged plastic corn. He promptly proceeded to bang out his personal best UK mirror on it in January of some 43lbs I won’t go overboard giving away too many examples as the ones mentioned are good enough and work very well indeed. Suffice to say if you give it a try with some of the flavors available to you in North America (R&W, K1, WCB etc ) and you’ll soon find your own combinations.
North American Carp Angler
71
However all additions will benefit from a small inclusion of N Butyric acid, it’s a timeless attractor for carp and 6 drops in any blend of flavours and essential oils will catch you more carp. One thing I would also mention is that Enterprise do various corn colours in little pots that utilise all of the best flavours available from some of the top bait companies. These are excellent choices and work superbly, for those of you happy to buy off the shelf with no messing about and I can highly recommend them. It has been popular over recent years to tip hook baits with imitation plastic baits particularly corn in various colours, this is indeed a good way of drawing attention to your hook bait particularly dark food baits that might easily go unnoticed for a while and is always worth a try. Rather than using the corn on top of a regular bottom bait straight out of the bag I prefer to use the corn on top of a ‘hand crafted’ wafter hook bait. I make my own wafters to go with the food baits by simply adding a cork ball or trimmed circular piece of cork to my own hand rolled hook baits. The little trick I do is to get my rig
Corn Chod
(meaning just the hook and hook link minus the
This hook bait, rig presentation is overlooked
swivel) and stick a cork ball on the point of the
and much underused for sure in my opinion, I re-
hook and test it in water, I then trim the cork ball
member my friend Paul Hunt trying the plastic ti-
carefully so it only just supports the rig and lifts it,
ger nuts on Elstow over 10 years ago and doing
when I’m happy with the balance I then roll that
very nicely on them with the Chod rig.
cork ball into paste and boil it then leave it to dry for 3 days.
There is a very simple approach for catching both numbers of carp and big carp which is almost for-
Along with a full batch of food baits these then
gotten about and hardly used simply because it
totally negate the extra weight of the rig and act
doesn’t look so exciting or at least that’s my guess
exactly like a free offering. Then if you choose to
and that is plastic pellets.
add a visual plastic corn topper it will sit perfectly always on top in full view.
You can get these rather amazing hook baits in all sizes to match the popular sizes of pellets we commonly use as free offerings. Let’s face it how
Also don’t forget there is nothing to stop you add-
many pellets must most carp see and consume
ing a piece of corn as a tipper on a pop up on
in a year? It must be almost be part of the carp’s
both a fluoro or food bait, this gives another visual
staple diet in Europe and I hear they are increas-
dimension and can make a big difference.
ingly popular in the USA. I see lots of anglers PVA bagging various pellet
My best tip of the piece is for you to try two piec-
combinations with all manner of hook baits being
es of the new Enterprise giant corn on a chod rig.
used but hardly ever real pellets or the more user
While carp in the USA won’t have seen the hun-
friendly plastic imitation versions. I have no idea
dreds of boilies thrown at them on the good old
why this is because let me tell you it’s a big mis-
chod rig like in the UK it will still make a refreshing
take to ignore them.
change when you use the large buoyant corn on this rig. It presents well and looks fantastic, especially if fished over a bed of maize.
Imagine the underwater scene, a broken down palm of your hand sized patch of pellets with one or two matching pellets neatly mounted on a rig
I was delighted by the results during testing
fishing amongst that lot, it would be very difficult
where I thought “hang on its perfect for something
for a carp to ignore with very little to cause suspi-
different on a chod” it worked and easily out fished
cion on show.
my usual chod hook baits that I thought were winners.
This is one situation where an alternate bait over the top of the pellets will work against you at
The imitation tigers also work well on a chod and
times, give this pellet over pellet presentation a go
look very natural if fished on a short chod of less
and see what I mean. I particularly like using this
than 2 inches.
set up in either a method ball or in a solid PVA bag North American Carp Angler
73
where I use a small strong hook in a size 8 with a
As commercial pellets can be hard to come by
4 inch supple braided hook link and a 2 or 3 ounce
he’s used dog or cat food ‘chow’. He mounts the
flat pear lead inside the bag, the pellets hide the
pellet cup on a hair then pushes in a pellet to cre-
bag and rig and the carp seem the just suck the
ate devastatingly effective hook bait that not only
bait and rig up in one go.
looks great but takes longer to dissolve.
I have had multiple runs on this set up on many waters during sessions. Horseshoe Lake that the
Another good tip I have for you is to cover hemp
Carp Society run was a particular favourite venue
seed in sea salt and leave the hemp to mix with
of mine for the solid bag presentation with the
the salt in a plastic bucket.
plastic pellet hook baits in use, I also used to pour
Obviously drain as much water and juice off the
neat booster dip into the pellets in the bag to en-
hemp as you can before coating it in sea salt as
hance attraction.
this will make the hemp seed PVA friendly so you
Incidentally I have had some big carp on a good
can use it in a solid bag or tight weave mesh bag.
few waters on the pellet hook baits so I suggest
All carp love hemp and if you use it in a neat PVA
if you have not tried them yet then make time to
bag presentation it’s superb and substantially dif-
try them. My mate Iain Sorrell has had some suc-
ferent to the usual stick type of bag mix, in fact
cess with the Enterprise pellet cups in the USA.
you can use all manner of particle combinations in a bag salted like this.
Plastic Boilies and Pack
The carp don’t expect it and it’s easy to see why its successful. My favourite plastic hook baits for the particles like hemp in the bag are black corn or brown corn. They are perfect for the subtle approach after all with hemp in particular all you need is a semi buoyant black hook bait on the rig that will get sucked in with the hemp. Why not get creative and give this a go? After all there is more to using particles than simply spombing in kilos and kilos of them and just sitting it out. Particles really work, the carp love them and will readily feed on any small patch of them that they find. I hope some of my tips give food for thought and inspire you to try some imitation bait and some of these little important neglected approaches.
North American Carp Angler
75
BREAKING DOWN BOILIES
By Dean Brookes
Over this article and the second installment we are going to delve into the art of boilie fishing and how to utilize them into your own fishing to maximize success. These articles are primarily aimed at the American Carp Angler and as such will include some basic information that our European counter parts take for granted. My approach is to start with a clean slate and I am not going to assume that everyone reading already knows the ins and outs of the humble boilie. If you do not believe that boilies work or that they are equal and in some cases better than the most popular US baits, then either read on with an open mind or stay in your comfort zone. I am not trying to convert anyone to boilies, far from it. What I will attempt to do is firstly examine why and how boilies were developed, the different forms they come in, how to utilize them and apply them to your own fishing and finally offer recipes, tips and tactics.
First off, let me state that in the USA, boilie fishing is still relatively in its infancy. While many Ex-pats use boilies to good effect I am still amazed at some of the beliefs and comments from the average American carper. These range from being sceptical at best to down right decrying boilies as useless in USA waters. This is simply not the case. While other baits are very successful, there is no doubt that the boilie in all of its forms can be an important addition to the carper’s armory. Let me expand on this thought and answer some of the common misconceptions. North American Carp Angler
77
Sweetcorn/Maize is a far better bait Sweetcorn is one of the most instant baits there is, full stop. Maize is not far behind and there can be no denying the effectiveness of all other manner of baits including bread, worms, various particles, dough balls and all manner of others. These all have their time and place and if you are looking to catch lots of different species of fish of varying sizes then these are ideal. Where the boilie comes into its own is in its selectiveness. While I cannot guarantee you will not catch other species, you will cut down on them significantly
Boilies require a heavy baiting campaign in order to work While carp that are unfamiliar with boilies may take time to start picking them up, this reason is often used as an excuse for poor watercraft. If you can locate regular feeding areas to present your baits then no doubt they can be effective right from the start. Carp are curious creatures and if new foreign items are introduced into their habitat they will definitely inspect them. In the case of boilies, as long as you have a bait that is acceptable to them and that they like the taste of they will start to eat them straight away. This is an area I will address in more detail in Part II.
High quality boilies and ingredients are hard to source in the USA While this was no doubt true several years ago, this is no longer the case. Several US companies offer boilies for sale, including many of the well known brands from Europe such as Nash, CC Moore, Dynamite, Solar, Minstral and many others. Base mix ingredients, additives and liquid flavors are also fairly easy to source and it is now relatively easy to make your own baits, should you wish. Even if you do not want to buy specific ingredients you can improvise and use other items easily available in grocery stores, health food stores and Feed and Grain stores.
I will delve into this aspect in more detail in Part III, including several home made boilie recipes.
Boilies require advanced rigs and special tactics for use There are hundreds of rigs available to the modern carper and one can become confused with the endless possibilities. However, simple and reliable products and rigs are all you require for boilie fishing. Personally, I stick to 3 or 4 rigs in varying combinations for the majority of my fishing and can attest that my results do not suffer. You can use the same rigs for boilies as you would for any other bait. My own favorite rigs are very simple.
North American Carp Angler
79
ORIGINS OF THE BOILIE Having answered some of the common misconceptions let’s take a look at when and why the boilie came into existence. It was during the 60′s, 70′s and early 80′s when only a small percentage of anglers were interested in targeting carp. This was an exclusive and secretive group, but once an outstanding development came into use it was hard to keep it under wraps. Take for example the tale of Rod Hutchinson and Chris Yates who stumbled onto fishing with sweetcorn while using it as a sandwich ingredient.
Chris Yates
They stumbled upon it as a bait and then preceded to catch many more carp than previously imagined, all on the hallowed Redmire Syndicate. Determined to keep it to themselves it was only a matter of weeks before the other members were using it! Think of all the carp that have been caught on sweetcorn, just because Chris Yates had some left over from his lunch! The hair rig is a similar tale, with Len Middleton and Andy Little using it to haul large numbers of carp that were previously thought to be pretty much uncatchable. While they did manage to keep it to themselves for a while, word soon got out and the rest is history. I would hazard a guess that 99% of carpers today use the hair rig in one form or another The boilie shares a similar tale. Anglers had used paste baits for years, burying their hook inside the concoction and sitting by their rods waiting to hit a twitch or a rustle!
With the invention of the hair rig this practice was pretty much dead overnight, but the problem with paste baits is they were attractive to a lot of species, other than carp. Anglers would constantly get knocks and hits as small fish picked at the paste. This was solved by lightly boiling the paste for 30 seconds or so to put a skin on it and make it resistant to other nuisance species. The boilie was born. Fred Wilton is often credited with inventing the boilie as it was his development of boiled paste baits that first set the standard. With the invention of the hair rig, boilies became instantly more practical as it was now easier to present a harder bait without having to bury a hook inside of it. In 1983 Richworth Baits became the first company to commercial produce boilies and offer them in larger quantities to the average carp angler.
ENTERING A NEW AGE During the 1980′s many new bait companies appeared on the scene and started to really develop boilies as we know them today. Initially, most companies offered a small range of baits as well as base mixes and flavors and it was during this time that some truly forward thinking anglers experimented and gave us many of the combinations we see available today. A few of these companies still thrive today, including Nutrabaits, Nash Baits and Hutchinson baits, to name a few. It was during the 90′s that the boilie boom really took off, as it now became much more cost effective to purchase baits in quantity as the big companies had already done the leg work sourcing ingredients and suppliers. Today we have a myriad of options available to us, but we must thank the innovator’s like Fred Wilton, who thought outside of the box to solve problems and make the modern carp angler’s life much,much easier.
OPTIONS AVAILABLE There are numerous options available to us today, but let’s take a look at a few different types that are most common
Frozen or Shelf life: For the American angler we do not have the option of ordering frozen boilies from the big bait companies as they would be ruined by the time they arrived in the country, plus they would never pass through customs!! Ten years ago, I would have been wary of shelf life (ready made) boilies, but nowadays they are pretty much on a par with the fresh version. Most consist of the same ingredients and apart from a preservative are exactly the same. I would hazard to say they can even be superior as they are much more easily stored and do not go off after a few days.
Boilie varieties
This means they do not have to be air dried, which is a common practice with frozen baits. 81 North American Carp Angler
Commercial or Home-made: As I mentioned, commercially available shelf life boilies are extremely practical and I use them all the time. However, I am partial to making my own baits having done it for a couple of decades. The advantage of home-made bait is that you can tailor the flavor, base, color, additives and so on, to suit your chosen water. As a guide I tend to use shelf life baits and frozen baits in equal amounts.
High attract or food based: This really comes down to your own fishing scenario and the water and fish you are looking to target. For example, on waters where the fish have never seen a boilie before I may use very bright and highly attractive (more flavoring) boilies to encourage the carp to pick them up.
Generally, once they have started to eat them I will then add in food baits to the mix and over time usually progress solely to food baits. High attract baits tend to work much better in the short term, but if you are looking to spend any amount of time on the same water I would suggest a food bait would fit the bill much better. With food baits, the carp soon recognize them as an easy meal and will actively search them out. What makes a good food bait? I would say as long as you have a decent base mix, that is high in fishmeal, bird food or protein and a few additional food additives you will be fine. I am not a big believer in adding too many ingredients into my baits and most will consist of the base mix, eggs, liquid or dry additives, sweetener and a flavor profile. In fact one of the best food baits I ever used consisted of just 3 ingredients; a red seed base mix, eggs and an amino additive. Plain and simple, the fish couldn’t get enough of it.
So now we’ve looked at the why and when boilies were developed and what basic types are available, we will now look at how to utilize them and use them in your own fishing. Make no doubt about it, boilies can be devastating in the right situation but understanding when, where and how to use them is often misunderstood. Having understood exactly why you would choose to use boilies we will now delve into the many different varieties that they come in. Before we get into the specifics I would like to point out that what follows is not a comprehensive list of the ways you can use boilies. It is very much an overview of the techniques I use and have utilized when using boilies to target American carp. All of the methods I will list have been used successfully by myself and several of my fishing companions and if a technique is not listed it is because I have not personally used it and as such cannot either recommend it or discount it.
VARIETIES AVAILABLE
Food baits also include many additives that simi-
Boilies come in many forms, shapes and sizes:
larly are meant to boost the long term attraction to
Food Baits
powder, amino acid blends, betaine, Green lipped
Most food baits consist of either a fishmeal or bird food base. Fishmeal based baits tend to be used more heavily in warm water conditions and bird food baits are favored for colder water or year round use, based on digestibility and their ability to allow flavors to leak out easier. There are also many baits that are a combination of both fishmeals and bird foods as well as having other ingredients in them, such as semolina, maize or soy flours, which help to round the bait out and make the mixes easier to roll. High nutritional value (HNV) baits are also popular for winter use, and these tend to have a much higher milk protein content. The thinking behind food baits is to make a product that is nutritionally valuable to the carp. Once they have eaten it a few times they will then actively search it out, due to it being an easy meal.
the carp. These include such ingredients as liver mussel powder and many other powders, liquids and oils; dependent on what the angler wants in the bait. Eggs are also a major ingredient as most mixes require them to aid in the rolling and binding of the dry ingredients. Food baits tend to work better over time and some will keep producing year after year if used correctly. Some of the most popular food baits on the market currently include; Mainline’s Cell, CC Moore’s Live System, Nash bait’s Scopex Squid, Nutrabait’s Trigga and Blue Oyster, Sticky Bait’s Krill, Solar’s Club Mix, Dynamite’s Crave and many others. Of course, as well as purchasing these baits from a specific supplier you can also make up your own food baits if you have the knowledge to do so and this often proves to be more cost effective. North American Carp Angler
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Instant Baits Most of the companies that offer food baits also offer a vast range of the more attractive and eye catching ‘instant’ baits. When I think of an instant bait I think of brighter colors and fruity flavors. These baits can and do have a food value to them and often include some fishmeal and birdfood in their make-up but predominantly they will include a higher level of semolina, soy, maize meal and corn flour. They also tend to have higher inclusion rates of flavors, some of the more common ones being; pineapple, tutti frutti, scopex, banana, strawberry, various cremes and chocolates. These baits are usually accompanied by matching dips, glugs and sprays to further boost their effectiveness. I personally started my carping utilizing home made ‘instant’ baits. I was fishing a small Estate Lake and two of my friends had teamed up to make a birdfood bait that they had been pre-baiting with for several weeks. I knew I would not be able to compete with them by using another food bait and so I determined my best line of attack would be a couple of instant baits.
I decided on Rod Hutchinson’s Maple Creme on one rod, with the other having Honey Yucatan attached. In the short term the instant baits helped me catch a couple of PB fish, and avoid the numerous tench which were plaguing my friends. My own feelings on instant baits are mixed. On virgin waters or for short sessions they are ideal, in fact I would use them in preference to food baits. Because they are usually brighter and have more attractants they encourage the carp to investigate where perhaps they have never seen a boilie before. I have caught many American carp with this approach, often on waters where I am fairly sure no one else has ever used a boilie. My only dislike of instant baits is when I am fishing a water or river over the long term. In this case I much prefer a food bait, although I may still mix in some instant baits as well. Once the carp recognize that a boilie is a food source then I really think that food baits come into their own.
Hook Baits Over the past decade this aspect of boilies has really exploded. When I first started using Richworth frozen baits or Nash ready-mades they was always a bonus pack of five or six pop-ups included. Usually hook baits consisted of the same bait as you were using as a loose feed, unless it was winter, in which case a handful of baits would be deposited into a pot with some secret glug concoction.
single hook baits that could be cast out into areas without the need for any additional bait. I have caught countless carp myself utilizing this technique but am also fond of using food baits or special prepared hook baits. I also regularly use a bright bait to top a food bait in the ever popular snowman presentation. Again, the hook bait choice should really depend on the fishing situation. For instance a fluro popup might be ideal sitting just above silk weed, but on a hard gravel area it might look out of place and stand out like a sore thumb! In other situations where carp have seen lots of approaches a bait that is darker or washed out might be more readily accepted. It’s worth experimenting as sometimes a simple adjustment is all
Dynamite hook baits In years past I would either make my own popups with cork balls or employ the maddening process of microwaving baits to make them buoyant. Nowadays’ there are literally hundreds of choices, ranging from hardened bottom baits, wafters, cured and salted baits, over flavored pop-ups and highly visual fluorescent baits. These come in all manner of shapes and sizes which leaves the angler the task of picking out the best hook-bait to match his situation. With the rise of visual hook baits we often overlook the more simple options but credit should be given to anglers such as Frank Warwick and others who pioneered the use of bright, over flavored
it takes to hit the jack pot.
Shapes and Sizes Whether you are using food baits, ready mades or home-made baits you should not under estimate the power of different shapes and sizes. While most anglers think of boilies as being only round in shape and generally between 14-18 mm there are lots of advantages to using other shapes and sizes. Firstly, let’s take the size of the bait. I would guess that most carper’s use boilies in the 14 to 18mm range as these are generally easy to match with hook sizes and rigs and also easy to bait up with. How many of you use 8-10mm boilies or 2030mm baits? North American Carp Angler
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In close range situations smaller boilies can be
Why use round baits when fishing on a marginal
very effective and they are also very easy to add
shelf or gravel bar when chopped or cubed baits
into a particle mix as they are of a similar size to
would stay in place much, much better?
nuts and pulses.
There’s no doubt that a boilie stick and round shape boilies are easier to bait with, but for situa-
On the other end of the spectrum 20mm baits and bigger are a fantastic way to target larger
tions up to 40-50 yards a catapult will manage all manner of shapes.
fish. There is some debate in this country as to
For distances further than this a spod or spomb
the validity of such claims but I can personally at-
can be employed. Personally, I make many of my
test that using 22-24mm baits had caught me lots
home made baits in cubes or sausages as they
of large carp where I am sure if I had been using
are much easier to produce in bulk. I will either
14-16mm baits I would have been catching many
make up blocks of bait and then ‘steam’ them or
more smaller fish.
I will roll out sausages and boil them. It is then
As well as utilizing different sizes of bait you should also think about the shape of your baits.
simply a matter of chopping them to the size and dimensions you require.
This will dehydrate them and make them harder. It also has the added benefit of preserving your baits for a prolonged period. If you don’t want to air dry your baits then the simple addition of egg albumen into your boilie mix will do a similar job. If you do not have a problem with crayfish then a softer bait would be my preferred choice for several reasons. Firstly, it will be easier to digest and
Fox Boilie bags quicker to break down. It will also leak off its at-
Hardness and Solubility With all the sizes and shapes to use we must also must take into account the situation in which we want to utilize the bait. Firstly, if you are looking to avoid nuisance species or crayfish then the hardness of the bait will definitely come into account. Softer baits are great for leaking out attractants but if you have ever experienced active crayfish you will know the value of rock hard baits. A simple way to achieve this is by air drying your baits for several days.
tractants much quicker. When I am not bothered about the range I am fishing or nuisance fish I will often just skin my baits by boiling for only 30 seconds. On other occasions I will not even boil them, rather air dry them for a day and then use what is effectively a ‘paste’ bait. This has been very successful for me in the past, as has making my own soluble baits, which break down very quickly, even in cold water conditions. Having covered the general types, shapes and sizes in the second article we will delve into specific situations and the different ways in which you can present and utilize boilies.
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