SPECIALS FOR YOU TO TRY
(Taken from the consistent carp catcher by David John Lovell)
You will require buckets of various sizes, if in doubt use home brew buckets which should have good sealing lids. There are many different particles to use, but here are the ones I use the most, along with preparation instructions. These baits can be prepared a couple of days prior to fishing. They can also be frozen, but I recommend topping up with water once defrosted. All particles must be kept immersed in water once prepared to prevent drying out, so always top up where the level of water has fallen due to being absorbed by the chosen particle to maintain full expansion.
Hemp.
One of the most attractive particles to any freshwater fish, predators aside, is hemp seed. Now, hemp seed should be acquired in its raw state. A pressure cooker is required and cooking is as follows. Fill the pressure cooker to a quarter full with hemp. Now, add a tin of beer. Fill to three quarters full with water and place the lid and weights on (check pressure cooker instructions). Slowly bring to pressure until the small valve is open and bring the pressure to 'middle band' on the weights / colours. Pressure cook for 30 minutes on the middle band, then turn off heat and allow to cool right down. The hemp should appear darkish in colour with the inner white seed now showing. Pour all the contents into your bucket and add another tin of beer. Place the lid on the bucket. I recommend fishing the hemp purely as an attractor to pull carp to your chosen areas / clear spots. A larger particle can be fished on the rig, with a number of free offerings of the hook bait.
Tiger nuts / growlers.
Tiger nuts are a popular particle and catch many carp. They are not actually a nut but are in fact a root crop. They can be a little expensive to buy but are worth it. Tigers can be cold soaked to expand them, though some anglers do pressure cook them to soften them a little. You will need a 'nut drill' to drill through for use on the 'hair rig'. If pressure cooking your tigers, add a little of 'white chocolate' flavouring to the water prior to cooking. Cook at middle band for 35 minutes. I recommend trying different creamy flavours with tigers, also, just a liquid sweetener on its own performs well. Tigers are a consistent catcher.
Hazels.
Hazel nuts are among the best carp baits to use. Carp love them. Now, we are not talking about the shelled nuts but the nut itself, and these can be purchased in supermarkets though they are expensive so I recommend you use the hemp as a filler, with the hazels fished over the bed of hemp. Add a spoonful of honey and a drop of molasses to the water. Pressure cook on the middle band for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and empty contents into bait bucket and place lid on.
Peanuts.
Peanuts are an excellent catcher of carp. Again, buy in the raw state after shelling (pet shops can supply in 20kg sacks) so that the nuts are in their skins. No cooking required (the skins will fall off if cooked and you need them complete for serious catches) but I recommend the following. Soak for 24 hours ( add a little brandy to the water) drain all of the water and re-fill with more water and a little more brandy. This will ensure that all the natural oil that allows the peanut to float will be forced out of any that had not sunk. After a second soaking for another 24 hours they are ready to use. Peanuts can be prepared in your bait bucket. Peanuts are very effective and the hemp should not be required. A quarter of your brewers bucket should be enough (water not included) for a long weekend. (Friday - Sunday)
Brazil nuts.
Brazil nuts perform best when pressure cooked with a drop of beer or whiskey. A large bait that is best used over hemp. Pressure cook for 25 minutes on the middle band. Allow to cool and pour contents into bucket. Cut this particle down by skinning with a sharp knife. A bait this large can stick in the digestive tract of the carp causing a slow and painful death. Skin down to about peanut size, and ensure all loose fed brazils are also skinned.
Chick peas and black eyed beans.
A couple of packets of either of these is cheap, though for good results they need to be given a boost so pressure cook to expand with a creamy flavouring such as white chocolate or maple cream added to the water. 20 minutes on middle band, allow to cool and pour contents into bucket.
Top tip- cold soak in water & flavour overnight for a safely expanded, but harder, bait.
These then are the baits to use for consistent results. Stick with these and you will catch on a regular basis. They will catch carp of any size, though are ideal for getting shoals feeding throughout the year. Please note that some waters do not allow the use of particle baits. If this is the case, you should weigh up the possibilities of using boily baits or find a water that has no such restrictions. There are other particles (bird seed springs to mind) that are worth experimenting with, and even ground bait is worth using, but, for a hook bait and 'carp targeting' bait you will be hard pressed to beat the ones I have listed above. I have been using these year after year and still use them today. I will say here that some waters ban the use of particles, most noticeably nuts, because they are so effective that if all the anglers were using them the carp would suffer due to inefficiencies in their natural diet, and of course the fear that inexperienced anglers may cause fish deaths through improper bait preparation. If only nuts are banned then I can offer a good imitation of a peanut bait here. Remember that I mentioned that your bait should be viewed as a carrier of scent / flavour?
IMITATION BAIT
Pintos (pin-toes) are a small brown bean roughly the same size as a peanut. Place the pintos in your bait bucket and top up the bucket with water. Now, you can add a peanut flavouring if you wish but I would recommend the following. Place a couple of handfuls of peanuts into a separate container and add the water and brandy. Do this 24 hrs before preparing the pintos. When you prepare the pintos add the water from the peanuts to the water in the pintos bucket. You can discard the nuts or eat them. As the pintos absorb this mixed water while expanding they will absorb the peanut oil and brandy and will offer the attraction of the peanut / brandy scent to the carp. Does this work? Yes! And pintos are cheap so another winner here.
I hope the particle section has been of some interest for you and I would like to say to you, experiment, if you think of a strange combination of attractions put it in a particle bait and see if it works. Have a go. Having your own special list of baits can make the difference, especially if the other anglers are using commercially made baits. Carp are inquisitive, and something out of the ordinary will often get them sampling. In the rig section I have placed another area of bait worth considering. Remember, my aim is to guide you so you will need to take some time to absorb the information and turn it over in your mind. It is by careful consideration and experience that you will become equipped to find the key to unlock the safe. View any unfamiliar water in this manner and you can see what I mean by this when viewing bait possibilities.
