Using 'Fake Baits' to Fool Big Carp | David Rosemeier
Nobody likes faking it, right? But sometimes there are situations where you just have to. Particularly on giant and wild carp fishing lakes, as our German big carp ace David Rosemeier explains...
In this article we are going to get down to talking about “fake food". Sure, a fake corn grain as a topping for the boilie or the tiger nut on the hair is quite common. But what about plastic alone on the hair?
These artificial baits have several advantages over conventional boilies and particles in some situations. You should definitely consider giving them a try!
OMC has a whole range of so-called imitation baits in its assortment. From plastic corn to imitation worms and Pellet Caves – we will show you some applications for each.
The Classic – Fake Food as a Topper
As mentioned at the beginning, everyone knows the colourful plastic grains as a topping for their baits. Whether with a boilie, a tiger nut or the colourful fake corn as an eye-catcher in the corn chain – most people have already tried this obvious application and countless carp have been caught on it.
Fake corn grains are a great way to make the bait even more attractive! Note that you can fill some imitation baits from OMC, such as the Corn Caves, with paste to make them even more appealing. Providing not just a visual stimulant but a taste one too.
100% Plastic - Why it Works!
Are you one of those anglers who are more skeptical about fishing with plastic corn, fake boilies and dumbells solo on the hair? Admittedly, you’re not alone. But this skepticism is completely unfounded when you consider how carp react to our bait.
Visual stimuli certainly play a big role in this. It’s not without reason that colourful pop-ups – also artificial baits, strictly speaking – are perfect for capturing the carp’s curiosity.
Why shouldn’t the fake grains work? Especially since fake food can be wonderfully flavoured, filled and presented in a very inconspicuous way. More examples to follow...
Beating Crabs and Crayfish When Carp Fishing
This probably is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the benefits of fake food: it's very resistant to crabs, gobies and other pests.
Beware! Crayfish and Crawfish tend to work on plastic parts, so while fake food can buy you more time in highly cancer-infested waters, it's not necessarily the best way to get to grips with the problem on the whole.
Corn Combinations are The Winner
Carp love canned corn - especially in winter! They are crazy about these small, yellow, soft and sweet grains. Due to their low nutritional value, they also keep the fish on the spot feeding for a long time.
Unfortunately, canned corn is not very good as a hookbait. This is where OMC Corn Caves certainly help! I use these yellow corn shells and fill them with a corn porridge or whole grains.
If white fish try to get in touch with it, the Corn Caves are still on the hair and can produce a bite at any time.
Pellets are an Edge on 'Pay Lakes'
At European commercial waters there are special conditions for fishing. Often the main diet of these fish is the food the anglers bring in. Pellets of different sizes are a popular supplementary food in everyone's mixes.
In summer and winter, smaller pellets of 2 to 8mm are often used. In some waters where there is little natural food, the fish are even fed additional pellets by the owners. No wonder the fish are conditioned to eat smaller food and to associate it with less danger.
Matching the hatch with your hookbait to mimic these food items can be a real weapon on commercial waters - welcome the Pellet Caves!
Most anglers don't like fishing with pellets on the hair because of how fast they breakdown into mush, lose their shape and come off. The Pellet Caves eliminate all of these problems and similar to the Corn Caves, can be filled with paste to make them more than just a plastic replica.
How to Pimp Fake Baits
Just like your other hookbaits, any fake food can be treated beautifully with attractants. It's amazing how long and intense these plastic particles smell like the flavour they have been soaked in.
I like to take advantage of this fact and place the imitation baits in attractant for a long period of time. The colour treatment of these baits is also interesting – especially in the spring!
For the purest form of attraction, loading sticky boilie pastes, groundbait, meat, or just about anything that smells strong, into the Caves or versatile Bait Orbs, gives you a hookbait arguably more attractive that anything else you can buy.
Small Baits are Often Better!
Since boilies have dominated the bait market, many carp anglers neglect what the carp’s natural diet looks like. It’s pretty small!
Mosquito larvae, tubifex, bloodworm and other insects are on the menu here. Triangular clams are one of the “big bites” here in Germany. The confidence that carp have built up all their lives in this small food can be put to good use with very small baits.
This is one of the greatest benefits of plastics. Use them in your fishing and the carp won't spot the difference!
