As the weather improves plenty of people will be looking forward to outings on the banks in search of carp. However, before that happens, everyone needs to brush up on their angling lessons. After all, do you remember any of the tricks that you tried last year?
What baits you should use for carp fishing, what weather is ideal for catching carp and how you can be successful at carp fishing with groundbait, are all things you may be wondering as you get ready to kick off another season.
Lucky for you we’re going to cover a lot on carp fishing with groundbait in this post.
Whether it is catching fish in the middle of the water or on the bottom, groundbait can help you score some big wins.
But what exactly is groundbait? What is it used for? Why is it so useful? If you’re wondering all of these things, you’re in the right place. So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!
What Exactly Is Groundbait?
Groundbait is a mixture of different bait ingredients that anglers mould into balls. These balls, chock-full of ingredients that fish love, are cast or thrown into the water. Some groundbait is made to dissolve at medium height, whereas some groundbait dissolves after it reaches the bottom.
These groundbait particles attract fish. How does that happen? As the groundbait hits the water it begins to dissolve and emits carp attracting ingredients into the water column that spread to the surrounding areas.
Anglers make groundbait with a variety of different ingredients. Bread crumbs, crushed pellets or boilies, crushed hemp seeds, and hemp oil are some popular groundbait ingredients. You can also buy readymade groundbait from almost any tackle shop.
Depending on what kind of water you’re fishing in and what fish you’re targeting, your store-brought groundbait will have different ingredients and packaging. (Pro tip: Carp usually love what anglers call ‘inactive ground bait. We’ll get into it later.)
Depending on what kind of fish the angler wishes to target, there is a huge variety of ingredients that they can use to make groundbait. This variety also allows anglers to target a wide variety of fish in several different ways.
Are you intrigued yet? Let’s find out more.
What Is Groundbait Used For?
With its vast customization, easy recipes, and low-effort management, many anglers choose groundbait as their go-to bait for carp fishing trips. But what method is best to use with groundbait? What can you use groundbait with? Let’s see.
Groundbait Mix For Method Feeder Fishing
If you haven’t heard of method feeder fishing, allow us to guide you.
A method feeder is a piece of tackle that allows anglers to present their bait to the carp in a natural and enticing way. What is the trick that makes method feeder fishing so successful? The answer to that is simple —the hook bait is pushed into the moulded mix before casting so when the groundbait starts to fall away from the feeder the hookbait is presented on top of this free bait.
So, as soon as the compact groundbait or pellets start to dissolve, the hook bait begins getting exposed.
One great advantage of the method feeder is that your hook bait always stays upright on this dissolved mound of bait and is less likely to catch on any vegetation.
Groundbait is the bait of choice for method feeder fishing. Anglers also use pellets for this method sometimes.
If you pack groundbait around these method feeders, you will have a compact mound of the bait with your hook attached on a hook length. Upon contact with the water, this groundbait will begin slowly dissolving, forming a cloud of bait in the water. This aromatic cloud of bait will attract carp to it, potentially leading them to bite into the hook bait presented amongst the groundbait.
Most anglers say groundbait is the most effective bait for method feeder fishing in the summers.
Fishing a method feeder can be extremely effective if you follow the right steps.
Groundbait For Pre-Baiting
If you’re a beginner, it’s hard to compete with your peers when it comes to catching carp. What can you do, though? Work smarter, not harder, of course!
Pre-baiting is the act of feeding the fish in a particular spot a few days before your fishing trip. Then, a day or two before the trip, stop feeding the fish. This method allows the carp to trust the spot as a food source and be hungry enough to want more.
So, when you use the groundbait on your trip that you previously used for pre-baiting, the carp will rush to you because they will judge that food to be safe. This method can allow you to have some really big wins when it comes to carp fishing.
If you see anglers use a particular bait in one place for a long time, know that the carp will be tired of it. Using groundbait in an area of water a couple of days before your fishing trip, you ensure that the fish will be interested in the new food and hungry when your fishing trip comes around.
As anglers often say, fishing is a science. You need to understand the exact conditions and methods that attract fish and those that do not.
How To Mix Groundbait
If you picked up a shiny groundbait packet off the shelf and thought your work done, you are quite wrong. Choosing a suitable groundbait for your fishing trip is extremely important. However, what’s more, important is using it in a way that helps you attract as many carp as possible.
Having too much or too little water, adding or not adding liquid additives, using a maggot riddle or not— these are all things that make or break your groundbait. So, what are the steps to mixing groundbait? Let’s find out.
- Empty the contents of your groundbait into a large mixing bowl or bucket. Make sure you have room to add water or other additives to it.
- If your dry ingredients came in separate containers, mix them well before adding any liquid to them.
- After the bowl contents are evenly mixed, add any aromatic liquid additive that you would like. Note that this step is optional and can be skipped.
- The next step is adding water. Add water until you are confident your groundbait will form compact balls.
- Allow the mixture to sit for 15-20 minutes. This step will ensure that the consistency is correct.
- If, after that time, the mixture is too dry, add more water to it. If the mixture is too wet, add some more groundbait to it.
- While this is optional, most anglers use a maggot riddle to aerate and even out the mixture after adding the water.
- After that, clench your hands around the mixture to form hard, even balls.
Most people ignore groundbait, favouring traditional baits instead because they think mixing it will be a hassle, but the easy step-by-step guide mentioned above shows just how easy it truly is!
Groundbaits Tips And Tricks
Every newbie angler should ask their more experienced peer for tips. Why should one do that? Because there are many things that one learns when they’ve been fishing for a very long time.
Want to know what experienced anglers say about groundbait and what tricks will help you succeed? Let’s take a look.
- Find out if the fish you’re hoping to catch is a bottom-feeder or a surface feeder. By modifying the firmness of your groundbait according to the depth you will be fishing in, your bait will aid you in reeling in some good ones.
- Always use suitable colours.
- Most groundbait brands modify their products according to the water anglers will use them in. If you’re buying groundbait for carp fishing, make sure you choose the inactive, inert type that says carp on the label.
- Method feeders don’t use the same groundbait as everything else. Remember that when you are buying or preparing groundbait for method feeders.
- When you’re mixing groundbait, make sure that you add the water slowly.
- If you’re fishing in a river, make sure your groundbait has a strong, attractive smell. This trick helps you attract fish in fast-flowing rivers that usually carry away the bait’s scent.
- Your groundbait should form a hard, even ball upon a single squeeze. If it breaks apart after a single squeeze, it is too dry and needs more water. If it is so pasty that it doesn’t even form a ball, it has too much water in it.
Well, let’s hope you use these tricks next time you decide to employ groundbait for carp fishing.
Why Should you use Groundbait?
This question rages supreme in the minds of most newbie anglers. After all, what can groundbait do that regular bait can’t? If you’re wondering the same thing, you need to learn how groundbait is a wonderful choice for carp fishing bait.
So, why should one use groundbait to catch carp? Let’s see.
Because of its powdered quality, groundbait has a much sharper scent than regular bait. Nine times out of ten, this scent will help you draw more fish to your swim even the fussiest of fish.
Secondly, carp are bottom feeders. Using inert groundbait, you are essentially covering the floor with slow-releasing, aromatic bait that carp will go crazy for. This trick will allow you to reel in more carp than any other bait when your hookbait is presented perfectly amongst the. If you want to switch things up a bit, you can also pack some other bait in the groundbait.
Groundbait is also a great option to lure in sleepy winter fish. The thick cloud of attractive food that groundbait releases is excellent for attracting fish in the winter.
Other than carp, you can also target roach, bream, etc., by customising your groundbait ingredients according to the fish that you’re hoping to catch.
What Kind of Groundbait?
There’s a certain kind of groundbait that every fish likes. From bream to tench to carp, all the fish have different preferences in groundbait ingredients. Before mixing groundbait, it is important to see which ingredients the carp respond best to.
So, ready to take a deep dive into the best groundbait ingredients for carp fishing? Let’s go!
- Make sure that the groundbait has fishmeal in it. The strong smell of the fishmeal attracts a lot of carp when added to the groundbait.
- Crushed hempseed is necessary to give inert groundbait a little activity.
- For the summer months, use large particles in your groundbait to catch carp.
- In the winter months, use finer particles that have a dust-like consistency.
- Add crushed boilies or food pellets to add some much-needed attraction to the mix.
- If you’re working with an expensive groundbait, you can add a cheaper ingredient such as sweetcorn or breadcrumbs to increase the quantity.
- Molehill soil is also a great addition to your groundbait because of its high enzyme content.
- Liquid additives help add an extra layer to your groundbait in terms of smell, colour, and taste.
Well, these are the ingredients that make up a good carp fishing groundbait.
That’s It!
There are several angles to carp fishing. A good angler knows them all. Carp fishing with ground bait is one of those angles.
Whether it is by pre-baiting or by method feeding, carp fishing with groundbait guarantees results. Beginners need to learn how to make, mix and load the perfect groundbait if they wish to become proficient at catching carp.
However, before learning how to use a method feeder and what brand of groundbait one needs to buy, it is important to learn the bait basics first.
Well, all this talk of groundbait and carp makes one want to pick up their fishing rod and head to the nearest fishery. So, what are you waiting for? Put this information to good use!
