Carp Fishing Tips

Bait

Carp bite on a variety of inexpensive baits, including corn, worms, potatoes, chick peas and dough balls. They also bite on commercial or homemade carp bait known as "boilies." The art of making and choosing boilies is an honored one among carp anglers. Boilies come in a variety of colors, flavors and ingredients but all basically are protein-rich pastes bound with eggs and boiled to a hardened state. Boilies offer the advantage of longevity in and out of the water. They also resist unwanted fish and can be cast long distances with accuracy.

Though commonly thought of as trash fish, carp are very choosy eaters, taking bait into their mouths several times and spitting them out before swallowing. Any sign of danger or any bait they don't like or trust will cause them to reject the bait and move on. If you find a bait flavor that works in an area, you might want to stick with it. But you also should have some alternates available in case the carp become wary.

Baiting Techniques

If you plan to fish the same area for several days, scatter some loose bait and allow the carp to find and feed on it. This attracts carp to an area and builds feeding confidence, making them more likely to take your hook bait. Some anglers prebait an area over the course of several days to several weeks. Over time, it's a great way to attract larger carp to the area. Particle bait, such as corn, chick peas, hemp seed, nuts and pellets often are used for this purpose. But make sure it is properly prepared before using.

Rigs

Placing bait directly onto a hook is a great way to have it rejected by wary carp. To avoid this, you might want to use one of many varieties of hair rigs. With a hair rig, the bait is positioned away from the hook on a "hair" so the carp will accept it. These rigs can be purchased or easily made by hand. This rigging can be incorporated with a variety of bait presentations, including a pop-up rig, where the bait floats above the bottom; a blow-back rig, where the hook remains in the mouth even when the bait is rejected; and a greedy-pig rig, which accommodates several baits on the hair to attract bigger carp.