Carp bait

Back in the 60's,a popular bait was sausage meat for Carp.
A 20mm ball straight on the hook.(used like paste)
Bread punched potato was another.The potato soaked in flavours pretty well.
On those days that are slow,(blanking) they could be tried as an alternative.They were effective then,so why not now?

I think over the years its the anglers that have been programed into believing that we need a certain wonder bait to catch fish . In lakes its all down to the amount of moneys put in by the companies advertising there products take for instance pellets they get the natural base item, add a flavour put it in a fancy package and double the price. Ground baits take the basic bread crumb add a die a flavour and there you go, if enough people use it commonsense its a captive area of water , the fish should eat it and the more that do the more they make you believe its a wonder bait . I remember watching the great John wilson programs he used most natural baits to great effect berries ,worms ,maggots ,sweetcorn ,bread , cockles ,mussels he was a great angler and presenter and will always be remembered for the hours off entertaining and knowledge . I think its funny how things are going in a full circle with bait and tackle some of the popular companies are leading us to believe there reinventing the wheel

I've no doubt commercial forces  work hard on pursuading anglers to part with their cash, including for
" must have" this and that things.

I didn't bother reporting my carp trip last Tuesday, only 7 landed, the first on worm, the others on red maggot. total weight only about 10lb.



In the match the following day two match anglers on the same stretch jointly totalled something like 90lb of fish and still weren't in the top 3. I'll have to find out what bait they are using! I understood natural baits are still favourite there until things warm up.

I do know luncheon meat is banned there.

I've a stock of flavoured pellets and wafters to try when it gets a bit warmer, looking at the coming week's forecast that won't be happening this week!

You're spot on there Congerman.I used a sapling,a length of line a hook and a twig for a float on a German canal in Bavaria,and caught a couple of carp on bread.
It's very easy these days to be cohersed into being a 'Tackle tart'

Notbad wrote:

I've no doubt commercial forces  work hard on pursuading anglers to part with their cash, including for
" must have" this and that things.

I didn't bother reporting my carp trip last Tuesday, only 7 landed, the first on worm, the others on red maggot. total weight only about 10lb.



In the match the following day two match anglers on the same stretch jointly totalled something like 90lb of fish and still weren't in the top 3. I'll have to find out what bait they are using! I understood natural baits are still favourite there until things warm up.

I do know luncheon meat is banned there.

I've a stock of flavoured pellets and wafters to try when it gets a bit warmer, looking at the coming week's forecast that won't be happening this week!

I've just bought a pack of Nash,twister long shank hooks(size eight)
They are the square bend type.they are super sharp and wide gape.
They will take 5 or 6 maggots.Maybe a bigger bait will attract bigger fish?Probably worth a try with a quick change hooklength when thing go a bit quiet on the bank?