By prebaiting you are effectively offering the carp a free meal – allowing them to slowly build their confidence - before later delivering your rig amongst the offerings to hook the unsuspecting said carp, Jake Benson talks us through how he gets the most from it.
Sound too good to be true? Well, you’d be right - good prebaiting won’t replace good watercraft skills and angling ability.
You will have to apply the bait in the correct areas if you are to succeed – you can’t just pile it in anywhere and expect to catch. By using it as part of your armoury though, you can expect some exceptional results.
Time
Most people would consider this their nemesis! I’ve heard it numerous times over the years, angler’s stating they don’t have time to bait up. I can easily include myself at times, but we all spend hours down the pub or in front of our screens.
Often it will require going the extra mile, such as venturing out in the hours of darkness, or getting up earlier before work. Obviously to do that you have to be very motivated, but even if you have limited fishing time, by doing this you will build an edge without excessive rod hours.
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Effort
The old cliché of effort equals reward is true in all aspects of angling, but essential for a successful prebaiting campaign. Those out there who have all of the time in the world, still need to get off their backsides to bait up.
You’ll often feel it’s not worth the effort, but keep your eye on the prize for motivation - I often gloss over images of the fish I’m after, driven by the thought of catching them. If you’re going to take prebaiting seriously, you must be dedicated.
A PAIR OF THE BEST WALKING BOOTS WILL HELP YOUR FEET STAY COMFORTABLE DURING A PREBAITING CAMPAIGN.
Consistency
I’d say this is the biggest factor when prebaiting - you’re better off introducing less bait frequently, as oppose to a large hit infrequently. For example, introducing one kilo every day, is better than five kilos every five days.
Consistency of your visit can also play a part. I try to visit the lake during the same hours, so the fish get used to feeding after the time it’s gone in, typically during the hours of darkness in preparation for dawn feeding spell.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING THE BEST CARP RODS TO HELP YOU LAND THE FISH YOU HAVE WORKED TO CATCH.
How to prebait
Start by introducing more bait at the beginning, so the carp notice it, but on a less frequent basis. I then increase the delivery rate, but decrease the quantity. So, let’s say I begin by introducing four kilos every four days.
After a few visits, I’d then up the delivery to every two days, but will halve the quantity of bait to two kilos. Eventually, over the course of a few weeks, I will try to achieve visiting the lake every other day and only introduce a kilo each visit. I will say, the more frequent your visits, the less bait you have to put in - If there’s a kilo on the spot each day, then it’s never short of food.
USING THE BEST FISHING POLAROIDS WILL HELP YOU SEE FISH AND BAIT ON YOUR SPOTS.
By increasing the frequency of delivery, you will help the carp associate your spot with somewhere to feed and obtain their nourishment - think of it like a restaurant, which will only become more popular with consistently served food!
You’ll notice that the overall quantity never changes, but the time and application rate does – a formula that has proven effective for me in the past. I will only ever increase the quantity if I start catching lots of nuisance species, or if the carp are really having it!
The quantity used here was just an example, use whatever you feel necessary on your water – it could be one kilo or 10!
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What bait?
This is a hard question to answer, as with all things in angling there are many variables. Fish stocks, venue pressure, and your spot would all play a part. Usually, enough to gain the carps attention without overdoing it. You want enough bait that the carp get a look in, but not so much that when you return to bait up, you’re chucking in bait over some which hasn’t been eaten.
Boilies would undoubtedly be my first choice. I believe the carp are always looking for a reliable source of nutrition which boilies easily provide. It goes without saying that you can quickly get through the bait, and as we all know boilies aren’t cheap.
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There are ways to make prebaiting more affordable though. Pellets are a fantastic source of nutrients to a hungry carp and will often be found at half the cost. Just be sure to use a high-quality product that the fish will desire, remembering that they will become less effective in colder water.
To make your bait go further, you can bulk it out with particles such as hemp, corn and tiger nuts. There are benefits to this, too. Not only will your campaign become considerably cheaper, the carpet of bait will keep the carp in the area much longer, as they search out each last morsel.
Catch them
Eventually, the time will come where you’re ready to cast for the hopefully ultra-confident carp, which have been gorging themselves fat on your offerings. Present your rigs effectively on your spots, introduce a little bait, and from past experience I’m sure your alarms won’t stay quiet for long…