Boilies for carp fishing - practical tips

The success of a good catch depends on properly selected fishing gear and prepared bait. Boilies for carp are the most effective and best baits for catching this type of fish.

At the same time, homemade boilies significantly increase the chance of getting a solid catch, since when you prepare them yourself, you can combine various components and thereby select the optimal composition of the bait.

The right boilies for carp fishing

To properly prepare boilies, you need to take into account the characteristics of carp fishing. This type of fish responds very well to food signals, which are represented by a combination of several aromas. Taste organs are located throughout the body of the fish.

Therefore, the correct bait or bait boilie for carp must contain the correct combination and proportions of attractive substances in the bait, which mainly consist of water-soluble components of various chemical natures.

The bait should emit an aroma that is attractive to the fish, and the bait and bait boilies should work as a single system. That is, the composition of bait and bait boilies should be identical.

The color of the boilies is no less important. Two-color boilies are more effective. Boilies should be tasty, but not very nutritious. When choosing branded boilies in stores, you need to pay attention to their expiration date. Fresh boilies should have a softer consistency.

DIY boilies for carp

According to most fishermen, fishing with boilies increases the chance of getting a good catch when fishing for large carp several times. This type of bait is ideal for catching large carp, as well as for feeding and attracting large schools of fish to the fishing site.

Despite the variety of ready-made baits for various types of fish, which can be purchased in specialized stores, not all boilies have the appropriate composition or smell. Often the cost of ready-made kits exceeds their effectiveness, and it is not economically profitable to use store-bought boilies for bait.

Therefore, experienced fishermen prefer to take independently prepared boilies for fishing, taking into account the characteristics of each specific reservoir.

The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that home-made boilies have a higher calorie content than branded boilies, so to attract and bait you will need less of them so that the fish do not become oversaturated.

Boilies are round balls of various diameters made from dough prepared according to special, unique recipes.

Typically, the main ingredients found in boilies include:

• soy flour;
• corn flour;
• eggs;
• semolina;

Which boilies are best for carp?

There is no clear answer. Fish and vegetable ones work great in the summer, but will not give the expected effect in spring and autumn. The choice of floating or sinking baits depends on the characteristics of the reservoir. You can’t take a trophy with a mini, but you can catch a bucket of small specimens for fish soup. Any option can be the best under certain conditions.

Our team of experts has analyzed the characteristics of all the rating nominees and offers the four best, taking into account different fishing conditions:

• Rhino Baits White Spice - best for the spring season in terms of composition, nutrition and size;
• Van Daf Classic – all-season, nutritious, universal;
• Martin SB Xtra Monster Crab Aminol – fishy, ​​most nutritious, all-season;
• Sinking, 777 Baits (Likhonosov) - vegetable, very nutritious, aromatic, brightly colored, retains its shape for 24 hours.

The boilies for carp that were nominated for our TOP all have excellent characteristics and each will be better than others under different circumstances, not for all fishermen. Go ahead, buy carp boilies and try yourself in this exciting sport. It is possible that you will become a champion.

Boilie preparation technology

In addition to the main ingredients, the following are added to homemade boilies: milk powder, bird food, salt, betaine hydrochloride, glucose, vitamin supplements, salt, ground sunflower or hemp kernels, various flavorings, dyes.

Sequence of boilie preparation:

1. The preparation of this type of bait for carp has a universal technology and requires adherence to a strict sequence:
2. In a plastic, ceramic or glass container, you need to mix together all the dry components of the dough bait , consisting of different types of cereals, mixing them well. Another vessel is intended for preparing a cocktail from liquid ingredients.
3. At the next stage, the dry and liquid ingredients are combined in one container , and in order to obtain the most homogeneous consistency, it is necessary to gradually add the liquid fraction to the dry, actively mixing the resulting substance. It is very important to mix all the components of the future bait well so that the dough acquires the necessary elasticity, uniformity, and does not have lumps. Properly prepared dough should not be too liquid, sticky, or viscous.
4. After the dough is well mixed, it is necessary to separate small pieces from the main mass and roll them into a long sausage on a flat surface , the thickness of which depends on the size of the future carp bait. The approximate thickness should not be less than 1 cm.
5. Then the strong, well-rolled sausages are divided into separate fragments , small cubes, from which they are rolled into balls.
6. The balls can be heat treated in an oven, microwave, container, or boiling water. The duration of boiling the balls in water should not exceed two to three minutes.
7. After heat treatment, the finished balls must be laid out on a flat surface on a cotton, clean towel or cloth so that they do not come into contact with each other and dried for 12-24 hours. Boilies should be dried in a well-ventilated, ventilated area with a minimum level of humidity. Avoid exposure to sunlight, which will cause the bait to lose its properties.

Heat treatment largely affects the properties of boilies. So, if the balls were first boiled and after drying they were frozen, you can get dense, sinking baits that are suitable for carp fishing during the period when large schools of fish gather at the bottom, in the pits of reservoirs. A bait that has undergone such treatment does not soak in water for a long period of time.

If a microwave is used for heat treatment of boilies, the bait will have a porous, light structure. Such boilies are buoyant, but when left in the water for a long time they quickly become wet, so from time to time you need to check the hook and re-attach the bait to it.

Soft boilies are best used for reservoirs with a lot of activity and a lot of fish.

Preparing the bait is quite simple, but you can add other ingredients to the classic recipe that will give a special taste to the boilies. Carp is an omnivorous and voracious fish, but due to the presence of sensitive organs, the fish is able to evaluate some components in food items that are just beginning to dissolve in water.

To ensure that the boilies have buoyancy and do not quickly get wet in the water, you can place foam balls or a plastic plug inside, which act as ballast.

Ready-made boilies can be stored in the refrigerator, in a hermetically sealed container or bag, so that the bait does not absorb foreign odors that may scare away the fish. You can store the bait in the freezer in plastic bags, after adding the same flavor that was used in the preparation process.

To prepare boilies yourself, you can purchase special equipment: a table for rolling out sausages and rolling out boilies, a syringe. Additional equipment will simplify the process of preparing a large amount of bait and will allow you to get bait of the same shape and diameter.

Storing finished bait.

It is not always possible to make bait immediately before fishing. In addition, it is very convenient to have a supply of ready-made bait at home. There are many ways to store bait - using chemicals, coating with a layer of oil, freezing, air drying, etc. But the best ways to store bait are freezing and air drying. Freezing, as the name suggests, involves using a freezer. Low temperature slows down the process of protein denaturation and allows you to keep the bait fresh for a long time. But when defrosting, all unwanted processes begin to occur at an increased speed. In addition, if stored for too long, the bait can also deteriorate (whitish spots appear on the boilies, collecting moisture). An alternative to freezing is air drying. The main enemy of boilies is moisture. By eliminating exposure to moisture, you can store finished boilies for a long time. To air-dry boilies, they must be laid out in a well-ventilated place for three to four days, or wrapped in a pillowcase and placed in a drum dryer for 20-60 minutes. Both methods allow you to store boilies for about a week. Store either in burlap (to prevent fogging). The room in which boilies will be stored must be dry and warm. Another storage method is vacuum packaging. Stores sell special devices for vacuum packaging products at home. Another effective way to preserve boilies is sun drying. The sun will remove all moisture, and the boilies will become hard, which is very good for reservoirs filled with trash fish. Place the boilies on a tray or on a towel so that they do not touch each other. Leave them in the sun for a whole day or more. Boilies must be turned regularly, otherwise soft areas may remain on them.

Secret ingredients of boilie for carp

In addition to the main ingredients - cereals, eggs, flour, in order for the fish to become interested and swallow the bait, when preparing boilies yourself, you need to use some secrets that will increase the taste and nutritional properties of the bait.

Namely, use “magic” additives - flavors, liquid and dry dyes, attractants. The concentration of certain ingredients and the composition of the boilies are determined by the time of year, the temperature of the water, the type and specifics of the reservoir.

Dyes

The color of the bait is of great importance when fishing, especially in winter. At this time of year, carp have weakened olfactory functions and, in search of prey, the fish orient themselves using their vision. The most attractive colors for fish are yellow, white, purple, and red. Although the opinions of experienced fishermen constantly differ on this issue.

The main thing is not to use dark-colored boilies in ponds with muddy water. Fans of night fishing can use boilies coated with fluorescent dyes. When choosing a dye for bait, you need to take into account the characteristics of the reservoir, and it would be nice to know the preferences of the carp that live in a particular reservoir.

Flavors

To prepare boilies, you can use regular food flavorings, culinary spices, seasonings, or special ones that can be purchased at fishing stores. If homemade boilies contain fishmeal, flavorings may not be used. Conventionally, flavorings can be classified into: liquid and dry.

Liquid flavors

The group of liquid flavors includes: jelly-like dips (blended sauce for dipping ready-made balls at the fishing spot), extracts of various plants, fruit syrups, liquid dips. Some flavor enhancers are added during the cooking stage, others are used after the bait is fully cooked, before placing the balls in boiling water.

Liquid flavors provide a long-lasting flavor and are added in minimal quantities. For 1 kg of dry matter – 3-7 ml of substance.

Dry spices and herbs

Dry aromatic substances include dry spices, various types of spices, and powdered dips. Homemade boilies can be given a unique aroma by anise seeds, dill, curry seasoning, ground cinnamon, and red pepper. Dry herbs and spices are introduced into a container for dry bait ingredients.

It is worth considering that an excess of aromatic components can ruin boilies. The recommended dosage is 1 ml of substance per 100 g of dry mixture.

Substances that improve digestion

To increase the fish’s interest in baits and activate digestive reflexes, special enzymes and food additives are added to boilies.

These include:

1. Ground hemp, sunflower, fennel seeds.
2. Flaxseed pulp.
3. Betaine HCI.
4. Flour from gammarus, daphnia, bloodworms, squid.
5. Birdseed.
6. Sprouted wheat flour.

Table salt, sea salt. The salt must first be ground in a coffee grinder. This component gives the boilies a porous structure, is a natural preservative, increases the diffusion of water into the bait, accelerating the dissolution of the components.

Rating of boilies for carp

We've done some serious work. We selected products from the most popular brands, which are in constant demand among experienced fishermen. Feedback from professional athletes and experienced amateurs was taken into account. Each fisherman has his own preferences, depending on many conditions. The characteristics of reservoirs, their depth, water transparency, the presence of snags, pits and algae were assessed. Methods of bait placement, effectiveness of application, evaluation of flavor additives and much more were compared. Particular attention was paid to the following features:

• Types according to diving depth: sinking, floating, hovering at a certain depth;
• Dimensions: more than 15 mm - for a large trophy, less than 15 mm in diameter - for smaller specimens;
• Color - bright balls for ponds with a pebble bottom, and neutral colors - for muddy or grassy areas, where the brightness of the color does not matter;
• Aroma – The “client” will react most quickly to citrus, strawberry, honey, fish, spice, vegetable or dessert scents;

Study and careful analysis of the characteristics, reviews of experienced fishermen, carp fishing champions, made it possible to select the ten most popular baits for the rating. The nominees included mini-boils and seasonal baits for fishing in spring, summer, and autumn. Among them are dough attachments of different compositions, sizes, colors, with fruit additives, milk and fish proteins, desserts (the British call them creams).

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Boilie recipes for carp fishing

Despite the universal technology for preparing boilies for carp fishing, each fisherman uses his own secrets for cooking, so here are the most popular recipes that you can very easily prepare yourself.

A universal recipe for preparing a boilie for carp fishing:

1. Corn flour - 1 cup.
2. Soy flour – 1 cup.
3. Semolina – 600 g.
4. Powdered milk – 300 g.
5. Eggs – 8-10 pieces.
6. Sunflower kernels – 1 cup. You can take half a glass of sunflower and hemp seeds.
7. Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. l.
8. Food coloring – 1 tsp.
9. Flavoring – 5-7 mg or “to taste”.

Mix all dry ingredients. Peel and grind the seeds in a coffee grinder, add to the dry mass. Beat the eggs well with a whisk and add sunflower oil. Gradually add the dry part to the liquid mass, stirring the mixture constantly.

The dry part is added until the mixture reaches the desired consistency (thickness). Knead the dough well, cover with a plastic bag and wait 20-30 minutes for the flour to release the gluten. Then, separating small fragments, form the dough into sausages, cut into squares and roll into balls of the desired diameter.

Boil the dough balls in boiled water, dry them and put them in an airtight bag.

Recipe No. 2:

1. Corn flour – 250 g.
2. Semolina – 250-300 g.
3. Table salt – 50 g.
4. Crushed, fried sunflower kernels – 30 g.
5. Hemp seeds – 30 g.
6. Chocolate flavoring – 2 tsp.
7. Betaine – 15 mg.

Recipe No. 3:

1. Bird food, fish, corn, wheat flour in proportions 1:1:1:2.
2. Eggs – 9-10 pieces.
3. Fish oil – 20 ml.
4. "Maggie" - 25 ml.
5. Soy vinegar – 15 ml.
6. Sweetener – 2 ml.

Liver boilie

“Liver” is a fairly common and effective bait for catching carp.

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

1. Semolina – 1 glass.
2. Raw liver – 150 gr.
3. Soy flour – 50 gr.
4. Dry garlic - a teaspoon.
5. Eggs – 5-6 pcs.
6. Honey – 3 teaspoons.

Grind the liver in a blender, beat the eggs in a separate bowl, add honey, garlic powder, mix well. In the second container, mix the dry ingredients, gradually add the liquid part to them until the dough of the desired thickness is obtained.

If necessary, you can add a little semolina or flour. Knead the dough well, form into sausages, cut into balls. When the water boils, place it in boiling water for two to four minutes.

As soon as the boilies float to the surface of the water, remove them with a slotted spoon, cool slightly and lay them out on a flat surface until they cool completely. Dry for at least six to eight hours.

Recipe for catching carp in summer:

1. Soy flour – 300 g.
2. Corn flour – 400 g.
3. Semolina – 150 g.
4. Hemp seeds – 50 g.
5. Fried sunflower kernels – 50 g.
6. Salt – 50 g.
7. Any fruit flavor.

Drying and rehydrating frozen boilies

• We select the required number of boilies (for the future session) and dry them in the fresh air. One or two weeks will be enough for each ball to become hard, like granite, and not have time to deteriorate. After drying, under no circumstances store your boilies in sealed bags (for example, fishing bags / with a Zip lock fastener) or in buckets, because they will become damp and spoil quickly. Use special bags for storing boilies for this purpose. The best option is the “Air Dry Bag” model from “CCMoore” (with nylon mesh / to accommodate 1 kg of product). I show them in the photo at the very beginning of the article.
• Upon arrival at the pond, pour the number of boilies you need from the bag into the bag.

• After that, pour in about 50 ml of “Minamino” (or “Feedstim” - purely at your choice) per 500 g. boilies. Gently mix the bait and leave it alone for 6-8 hours so that the balls absorb the liquid properly. Never add water because... Thanks to water-soluble ingredients (of the highest quality), used specifically (for the production of frozen baits), your boilies will turn into mush! Which, naturally, will seriously complicate their future use.

However, if you decide to have a short session, then in order to increase the level of attractiveness of your boilies, pour boiling water into the bag. Just immediately take into account the fact that the boilies will begin to become overly soft, so to deliver them to the fishing point you will need either a “rocket” (spod) or means for delivery (i.e. boats or “ships”). It may be more difficult, but your bait will release attractants much more actively!

And here is the result of my rehydration! As a result, I received very appetizing boilies (quite juicy in color), carrying a literally explosive charge of attractiveness!

DIY boilies for carp

Dusting or soluble boilies are a special type of bait, the composition of which allows you to maximally preserve all the properties of the ingredients included in the product. Dusty boilies, unlike regular boilies, do not absorb water.

As the surface slowly erodes, thanks to varying degrees of buoyancy of the components, some of which sink, others float in the water column, and others float, the boilie begins to “gather dust,” effectively attracting the attention of fish.

In addition, particles of the product enter the water, which stimulate the fish’s receptors, increasing appetite. If you prepare this type of bait correctly, boilies will dissolve for several hours even in warm water.

Taking into account this feature, it is necessary to systematically throw boilies to attract fish into the fishing zone. Dusty boilies are an excellent alternative to bait balls.

The main difference between dusty boilies and boiled boilies is the cooking technology. Instant boilies are not subjected to any heat treatment at all. The dough balls are simply dried. This feature allows you to preserve the nutritional and taste properties of the bait as much as possible.

When gradually dissolved in water, boilies will release vitamins, aromatic particles and other components attractive to fish into the water. In order for dusty boilies to ensure their function, the dough is kneaded not with eggs, but with syrup, molasses, and honey.

Instant boilie recipe:

1. Roasted, crushed flax and hemp seeds – 35 g.
2. Buckwheat – 50 g.
3. Corn flour – 35 g.
4. Semolina – 20-25 g.
5. Corn syrup (corn, invert sugar syrup) – 50-60 g.

You can also use sweet beet molasses. Sweet syrup is also a sweetener, improves the taste, and ensures gradual dissolution of the bait in the water.

The process of preparing dust boilies is practically no different from preparing universal, boiled balls for carp fishing. Simply use corn syrup or sweet syrup instead of beaten eggs. Too thick syrup can be diluted slightly with warm filtered water.

The dry part is gradually introduced into the syrup, constantly stirring the mixture until a homogeneous mass of normal thickness is obtained. You need to knead the dough very well and after kneading, place it in a plastic bag, put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour, and it is best to leave the dough in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.

After the dough has been in the refrigerator, it should have the consistency of elastic plasticine. When rolling further, the dough should not stick to the board or to your hands. First, roll out the sausages to the required thickness, cut into squares, form into balls and lay them out on a flat surface to dry for 6-8 hours.

Boilies for carp

The following types of boilies are used to catch carp:

1. Soluble or, as they are also called, dust boilies. They do not lend themselves to any heat treatment (boiling, steaming), but are simply dried and frozen. Soluble boilies quickly soak in the water, forming a cloudy cloud, which the carp quickly swims to. They are mainly used as bait for carp.
2. Insoluble boilies do not fall apart when dropped into water. They are boiled in water, so they can keep their shape for a long time, which is their main advantage.
3. Sinking boilies are used for fishing at the very bottom of the reservoir. Experienced fishermen also advise using them in clean water with a sandy bottom.
4. Floating baits are convenient because they can be located in the layer of water required by the fisherman and seem to hover at that level. They are best used in cloudy water.
5. Surface boilies are used exclusively for catching carp on the very surface of the reservoir.

Blitz tips

The process of preparing boilies for successful carp fishing is quite simple.

Initially, you need to decide on the basic composition of the bait, determine the quantity, concentration of components and additives:

• The boilie should be attractive and tasty to the fish, but not too nutritious.
• If boilies are prepared using bone or meat meal, flavoring may not be added.
• You can increase the attractiveness of the bait by adding 10-20g of fish oil.
• You can enhance and make the color more saturated using dry baits.
• To make balanced boilies, it is necessary that the bait composition consists of 40% floating and 60% sinking mixture.
• You can change the shape of boilies and form not only balls, but also triangles, rhombuses, and squares.

When choosing a recipe for boilies, you need to take into account the characteristics of the reservoir, the time of year, and the size of the fish. Fishing for carp has its own characteristics, which should also not be forgotten when preparing bait for successful fishing.