They dominate the carp bait scene, but why are they so popular and what should you look out for?
Boilies are carp fishing’s number one bait and most tackle shops stock a bewildering array in many colours and flavours. But what is a boilie? It is a boiled paste bait made from a combination of fishmeals, milk proteins, bird foods, semolina, soya flour as well as additional flavourings and attractors. This is then mixed with eggs as a binding agent and boiled to form a hard bait.
This hard outer skin means the bait can be left in the water for longer periods and is resistant to smaller nuisance species. But with so many different boilies available, what should you consider before picking up a bag and handing over your money…
SIZES
Boilies are available in many sizes from 10mm to 24mm-plus. The most commonly used are those in the 14mm-16mm range. If the carp in your venue see a lot of one particular size of boilie they can wise up to them. In such situations try using baits of a completely different size.
SHAPE & COLOUR
The vast majority of boilies are round. Again, pressured fish can wise up to this and a switch to barrel-shaped boilies can improve your results. You can buy boilies in almost any colour you can imagine. Dull, muted shades are the most common, but bright fluoro pop-up boilies are excellent for stopping fish in their tracks.
BUOYANCY
Boilies are available as bottom baits, pop-ups and wafters. Bottom baits are fine when fishing over a firm clean lakebed. A pop-up boilie will ensure your hookbait is easy for the fish to find if there is any debris or light weed. Wafters are in between a bottom bait and a popup and are just buoyant enough to counteract the weight of the hook. This results in a critically-balanced set-up that can be inhaled with minimum effort.
FROZEN & SHELF LIFE
Freezer boilies are frozen shortly after being rolled with fresh ingredients and they contain few preservatives. Shelf life, often referred to as readymade boilies, are hugely popular because of their convenience. Unlike freezer baits which can go off after a week or so of being thawed out, shelf lives will last much longer if the bag is sealed after the session.
If you are fishing a lake regularly and want to establish your boilies as a food source, freezer baits are the way to go. If you only fish occasionally, or fish different venues, shelf lives will be more suitable.
TOP TIP “A fishmeal base is better in warmer months, a birdfood base works better in winter”
If you require any more tips or information on carp fishing, please contact the Angling Active team. We are more than happy to help.
