Q&A Carp baits, margins & more

All your fishing questions answered by our experts

ARP will eat almost anything when they’re in the mood but a few tried and tested old favourites will always get a response, and in summer, their appetites are particularly strong.

It does make sense to try and match the size of bait on the hook to the size of fish you are aiming for. A 20lb carp is best pursued using a 16mm or 18mm boilie, while 2lb carp will be much easier to catch on 6mm pellets or a couple of maggots.

Red colourings score very well on certain waters while yellow is an increasingly popular choice in summer. Equally, loading your hookbait with flavouring can make it stand out from the crowd – Scopex, strawberry and krill flavours are all good – but be careful not to add too much and ‘sour’ the bait.

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