Next year is just around the corner, and it got me thinking New Year… new bait!  

I started my pre-baiting last month introducing small amounts of bait in the areas I will be fishing. When baiting I will usually put a couple of handfuls of bait per swim, twice a week until it’s time to fish. 

When choosing a new bait I always look for the ones that are of good quality and provide the fish with a good food source. This is essential when wanting to ensure carp get the right nutrients and continue to grow for many years angling to come. A poor food content in boiles could in turn have detrimental effects on both the carps health and angling quality of a lake in years to come. Carp are like humans in that they need an adequate supply of good nutrition, they require a whole host of nutrients. If your bait is nothing more than a 50/50 base mix then don’t expect to catch many carp on it.  

  

I’ve just started to use Surf & Turf from Quest baits which will be hitting the shops in March 09 this to me contains everything I look for in a bait. A good quality bait will last its time and keep the carp feeding for a long time, another way to look at it is, if carp are obtaining good nutrition from your bait then they will be keen feeding on all the free offerings, this in turn will help create a competitive feeding situation when the only highly nutritious food left will be your hook bait.  

When it comes to size of boilies I tend to use, 18mm, and 20mm mixed with some chopped ones, this will give the carp confidence in taking any size of boilie you choose to put in front of them 

 

 I just hope that all anglers have at some point given some thought to the bait they have chosen to use and have taken the time to assess the content of it. This in turn will create many lakes that are a joy to fish and fish well for years to come. 

 

It works for me so go out and give it a go  

Samantha Collins-Ratcliffe

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