Recreational fishing has been with us for a very long time. The Encyclopaedia Britannica article on Fishing dates fishing for fun as far back as 2000 BC in ancient Egypt. There is a long and venerable tradition, therefore, of fishing for sport and fun.
Here in the United Kingdom on of the most popular types of angling is carp fishing. The reasons for this are many and varied including the challenging fight that these fish can provide leading to an exciting battle with either the thrill of victory or the poignant expectation of the next opportunity to savour over the after-angling drink and discussion.
One thing that all fishermen have in common is the desire to go bigger and better. This is one area where the size of the catch certainly does matter.
When it comes to catching ever-larger fish the first thing to consider is the ‘catching’ aspect. If you want to take your fishing game up to the next level the very first thing that you need to consider is how to actually do the catching. When you come right down to it the concept seems, at face value, simple. You need to put down something that the fish wants to eat to tempt it onto your hook.
That is right. To catch that carp, you need to offer it an appealing nibble. So it all comes down to the bait that you use. There is a vast array of different types of bait you could use, online searching will provide you with any number of places to get more information. One site that offers great tips on fishing and setting up specialist zig zag lines is urbanbait.co.uk. We are going to talk about three things you can do as you move from novice in the field to the more astute angler.
1. Invest in a tin of sweetcorn
Yes, the humble sweetcorn tin can be one of the anglers’ best friends. Whatever you do, however, make sure that it is not a reduced sugar or salt version. You need the full salty, sweetness to really tempt those wily old carp out of hiding. Sweetcorn has many attractions for fish, the taste, the scent and the colour are all magnets. It can be used as ground bait or as hook bait.
2. Vary your boilies
By this we do not just mean use different boilies on different days. Try a mix of boilies, mixing not only flavour but colour and size as well can often give surprising results. Remember if varying the size of your boilie it is a good idea to use an appropriate hook size as well. Oh, and using a hair rig will let them sink more naturally helping to allay the suspicions of any fish in over fished locations.
3. Glug your boilies
Some of you may not have heard of the term or concept previously. We all know how useful the boilie is as a long-lasting bait both from a shelf life and in the water perspective. There are also many different flavours and colours, so you are bound to find one that suits. You can, however, make them even more attractive by the process of glugging. Steeping them in some other liquid or mix that has attractive properties to fish as well to double the whammy.