The best summer bait? 300lb match catches fall to paste – have you tried it yet?
It’s taking commercial matches apart right now
NOW is the time to get bagging on paste! That’s the clear message from match anglers nationwide who are enjoying a commercial bonanza with the popular summer bait.
A 100lb bag of commercial carp is a superb achievement, but those opting for a paste attack are now taking well over that in competitions – some even pushing the 300lb mark.
Among the biggest hauls are those from The Oaks Lakes in North Yorkshire, where venue regular and paste master Phil Sellars stormed to victory during a recent match with a 262lb 5oz bag of carp. A week earlier he’d topped that with a 300lb bag... on paste, naturally.
He told Angling Times: “You either paste fish or you don’t – you love or hate the tactic.
“I fish with it all-year-round if I can, and depending on water temperature will carry it through into November.
“All my paste fishing is done on the pole, as short as I can possibly get away with.
“On The Oaks, for example, I’ll set up three lines at different depths up and down the marginal slope, as the fish will move up and down throughout the day.”
In all aspects of the sport, what you feed and how much is important – which has some bearing on the way Phil fishes paste on commercials.
“The feeding is venue-specific, and of course dependant on the time of year,” he added. “For example, at White Acres a few years ago I was feeding 8mm pellets to make a noise and draw fish in.
“More recently, at The Oaks, I
“You either paste fish or you don’t – you love or hate the tactic. I fish with it all-year-round if I can”
was feeding micro pellets – it’s all about understanding each water.
“I’m a firm believer that paste gives me an edge over other anglers. This could be down to confidence though – too many people chop and change.
“I take the paste approach and make it work – wherever I’ve taken it it’s produced big weights!”
We spoke to bait specialist and Angling Times columnist Dr Paul Garner to find out why paste is such a prolific tactic at this time of year.
He said: “I think fish tend to pick out bigger baits at this time of year, which is why a big nugget of paste can work well.
“Carp also love a soft bait, which will be pumping out a lot of attraction without a lot of food being presented.
“This property of paste can also help regulate your feeding, as you don’t have to put in a lot.
“The water in the margins is much warmer at this time of year and this is where the carp want to be, so fishing paste here will certainly get a response.”