FLOATERS THE CARP JUST CAN’T REFUSE
Adding groundbait to your floating baits might just give you an edge on the surface this summer, says
IT’S been a scorching summer so far, and the carp are most definitely making the most of the sunshine. In the heat there’s no better way of trying to catch them than off the top.
Travelling light is very important when floater fishing, as you can very often cover a lot of water in search of the fish, so I like to keep my bait self-contained.
A Bait-Tech Floater Pack contains 2kg of 11mm mixers, 150ml of Nutty Oil and a tub of matching pop-ups, all bundled into a reusable camo bucket.
It’s everything I need bait-wise, and saves me carrying separate containers and bags.
The bottle of oil that comes in the pack is great for lightly covering the mixers. This will boost these floating free offerings and give off an oily slick, flattening any surface ripple and making it a lot easier to keep your eye on your hookbait. Use just enough oil to lightly cover your baits – you don’t want them swimming in it.
If there’s one thing that’ll spook a fish regardless of how much interest they take in the actual controller float, it’s the hookbait. They will happily slurp one, two, three mixers but then come to the hookbait and shy away, leaving you frustrated. So, nine times out of 10, due to its greater buoyancy, my choice of hookbait would be a trimmed-down pop-up hooked through the side.
You can trim down the pop-up to a size that suits you – making it larger than your free offerings to improve its visibility at range, for example. If the fish seem cautious or wary you can just trim a little more off until you find the size they are happiest to slurp down.
The bucket already contains a pot of pop-ups, so there is no need to carry any extra hookbaits unless you want to add some coloured ones. Using bright hookbaits is not so much for the carp’s benefit as yours, so you can see them. I trim the hookbait down with scissors or a knife, knowing it will remain super-buoyant and withstand a good cast if needed.
I tend to start off with a 3ft floating hooklink to a size 10 wide-gape hook, but if the carp are wary I’ll use an even longer tail. It’s important to try to keep a straight line to your chosen float, mending it constantly if the wind is creating a bow, as this helps you form direct contact with the carp quicker when you get a take. Now here’s the bit that really pimps your freebies – covering them in groundbait.
I opt for the Big Carp Method Mix ADF Fishmeal. By adding the groundbait and giving the two a good shake, you will notice this creates a coating around the mixers which will in turn float, sink and hover in the layers of the water, drawing the fish up into the taking zone.
However, if you really want to go the extra mile and give your mixers maximum attraction, give your floaters a good squirt of the Krill Stick Mix Liquid, making them super-stinky and sticky!
Doing this will again increase their pulling power, with the liquid dispersing from the mixers allowing even more of the groundbait to stick to them. Last but not least, it’s just a case of grabbing a rod and a few bits of
end tackle and finding the fish.
It really doesn’t take a lot to have an action-packed few hours, and I’m sure following these simple steps will help you put a few extra fish on the bank this summer.
Keep a floater pack, a made-up rod, a mat and a few terminal bits in your car or van for any opportunist moments.