Big bait, big fish?

It’s not easy to catch a big carp on the feeder in spring. Although the carp are becoming more active, their appetite is still not the best when the water’s temperature is barely 10 °C. If you want to be successful under these conditions, you should choose your groundbait carefully and, last but not least, you should use a proper hook bait. When it comes to the latter, the presentation is extremely important, so in this article I’m going to deal with this issue mostly.

Big fish waters in Hungary are intensively fished on almost every day of the year. Therefore, the fish are very cunning and you have to do your very best to outwit them. Furthermore, these waters have a huge bream stock, which makes feeder fishing for carp even more difficult. As you can see, there are numerous challenges. But how to rise to them?

My favorite big fish recipe that consists of Benzar Seria Method groundbaits.

I try not to overcomplicate the issue of groundbait when I pursue big fish. In the previous year I found a recipe that seems to work in almost all situations. It’s a strong, fishmeal based mix with micropellets and some spicy aroma. It has proved its effectiveness in different venues in Hungary both on waters where the fish density is low and intensively stocked lakes.

Ribbed feeder basket and the strong, but not bulky, Benzár Method Feeder, which always help me catch beautiful fish!

Of course, the rig and tackle should always suit the water you’re fishing on. If the deck is very sludgy, using classic method feeders is not recommended as they can easily sink into the sludge and pull the hooklink and the bait with them. I prefer using ribbed feeders when I’m fishing for big fish. Firstly, their surface is bigger when you mold groundbait around them and therefore they can’t sink into the sludge easily. Secondly, big carp usually need a bigger amount of groundbait. With the help of ribbed feeders you can cast much more groundbait in the water than with method feeders.

A heavy-duty rod! You can reach enormous distances with it!

The only thing we still need to talk about is our tackle. If you’ve ever caught a fish over 10 or 15 kilos, you know that these submarines are tough fighters and quite often you can catch them only on the furthest spots. These two factors require rigid rods and big-sized distance casting reels. For me, they’re top big fish equipment.

These tackle make it possible to cast my bait to the spot where I expect the carp to be. Of course, the kind of hookbait you’re using counts a lot! Based on the things I’ve just told you, it might sound evident that we should use selective baits such as pellets are miniboilies. These baits can resist the attack of big bream (even over 1 kilo) or you can present them in a way that makes this possible. Fortunately, there are a lot of alternatives. Let’s take a look at them one by one.

The Benzár Floating Pellets have been my favorite big fish baits for years.

I use them with the size 8 Maruto 8356-BD hook, which gives the bait perfect balance.

My favorite selective big fish baits are floating, drilled pellets, only hair rigged. They have an unbelievably bright color and their aroma is also very intense. Thanks to their consistency and floating ability, the small fish can’t deal with these baits, so big carp have enough time to find them. The latter is very important, because big fish sessions are very rarely quick. Patience is important.

If the Floating Pellet is presented well, the results will come!

A perfect scaley. It was an incredible fight!

The double Benzár Method Egg baits are real delicacies for carp!

Naturally, there are small-sized baits which can be used for selective fishing thanks to their special consistency. For example, the Method Eggs are these kinds of baits. I usually use them on a bait sting, but if you double them on a hair rig, they are perfect for big carp fishing. You can also combine different colors with these baits, which might be another step towards success.

A novelty with which you can make new bait combinations never seen before!

You can thread the double bait sting through the hook, but it also works well on the hair rig.

Finally, a piece of unique equipment that could open new doors for selective baiting. The idea can be derived from the success of bicolor pellets which have been enjoying increasing popularity for years. These baits are very catchy because they are a novelty for fish. Basically, there are two different flavors and aromas in one bait. When these products appeared there were many ideas for various flavor and color combinations. As it’s impossible to make each and every bait that anglers suggested, we thought that we would make you a piece of equipment with which you can create your own Bicolor bait. It’s a small, unique accessory which has the advantages of the bait sting. We’re talking about two bait stings on a piece of silicone. They are secured right next to each other. Thanks to this equipment you can present two small-sized baits that small fish can’t swallow. Of course, not only can you place two similar baits on the stings, but you can also experiment with different colors, textures, and buoyancy. Only your imagination can be the limit of the versatility of baiting!

With this accessory, everyone can make their own Bicolor bait!

When using a hair rig, it’s worth threading a floating bait through one of the stings and a sinking bait through the other.

An important feature of the double bait sting is that you can thread it directly through the hook with the help of the silicone. This makes baiting fairly easy and quick. You can also secure it to the hair rig with a simple loop or a lasso knot. On the hair, the movement of the bait is natural. I’d recommend using a floating and sinking bait at the same time when the baits are hair rigged, as they balance each other perfectly. You can use this equipment with various pellets, miniboilies, rubber corns, all kinds of natural baits, in short with any kind of bait you prefer.

You shouldn’t be too careful when it comes to hook size, because the bait presented on the double bait sting is wider than average baits.

It’s important to note that the bait on the double bait sting will be wider than average baits, so it’s recommended you use a bigger, size 6 or size 8 hook. These are the sizes that can ensure good hooking. If you insist on using smaller hooks, you should hair rig the bait. The hair rig, in this case, should be a bit longer. This might sound a bit strange at first, but don’t be afraid to use it. If a big carp sucks up your bait, there shouldn’t be any problem with hooking!

My first carp this year!

Although I’m not a fanatic big carp angler, sometimes I can’t resist the temptation, and I target the big ones because it’s uplifting to outwit an old scaley. However, it’s really not easy to answer the question in the title as on every water there are different strategies. In general, I can safely say that the baits and presentation methods I described all serve the purpose of catching big carp.

 

Source: Energofish

Translation: Mihály Köntös