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What baits to fish in different depths

These four depth-based approaches will keep carp feeding on the deck and cut out liners and foul-hookers.

by Jonathan Longden |

Published on18th March 2026 at 10.40am

Just about any bait can catch in the margins, but when you are fishing down the edge, depth should be the thing that decides what you reach for.

The key is keeping carp nailed to the deck. The second they start coming up in the water for feed, the swim becomes messy. You get liners, false indications and fish hooked anywhere but the mouth. That is why bait choice matters so much. You need something that gets down quickly, settles hard on the bottom and does not create a big cloud that encourages fish to rise.

You also do not want to pile too much feed in. In deep margins especially, too much loosefeed can slow everything down, with fish spending longer picking through freebies before they get to the hookbait. Around 18in is about perfect, but there are plenty of venues where that ideal depth just is not there. On those pegs, the depth I find dictates the bait approach I take. Over time, I have settled on four bait combinations, each suited to a different depth band.

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1ft deep margin

In a 1ft-deep margin, fish are not really going to come up off the deck because there simply is not the water for them to do it. That makes it one of the few situations where loose groundbait and dead maggots can work really well, giving you a low-feed approach with plenty of pull without causing the sort of problems you get in deeper water.

CHECK OUT THE BEST MARGIN FISHING BAITS IN THIS EXPERT GUIDE.

2ft deep margin

At 2ft deep, carp have enough water to start lifting off bottom for loosefeed, and that is where things can begin to unravel. This is where I prefer dampened micros for feed, matched with heavier hookbaits like sweetcorn or worm. The feed still gets down quickly, but it does not create the same cloud and spread that causes fish to rise in the water like groundbait can.

ALWAYS PICK THE RIGHT BAIT WITH THIS HELPFUL GUIDE.

3ft deep margin

Once the margin gets to around 3ft deep, I think groundbait starts to become more trouble than it is worth. In that sort of depth, heavier baits such as 4mm pellets and sweetcorn are a better option because they sink quickly, stay tight on the bottom and keep the carp feeding where your rig is actually sitting.

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4ft-plus deep margin

When you are faced with a 4ft-plus margin, you need to go heavier again. Some fisheries have surprisingly deep water right down the edge, and in those situations 6mm or 8mm pellets are a much better fit because they get down fast and stay put, even when carp are charging through the swim.

FIND OUT IN THIS ARTICLE WHY 8MM PELLETS ARE GREAT TO FISH ON THE BOMB AND PELLET.

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