| Baiting-Up Equipment |
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One of the most important aspects of carping in the 1980s and 90s was the baiting principle - indeed, it still is today. Many beginners will be confused about the whole idea of bait as there are so many companies out there who say theirs is best. Yes, there are some very good baits on the market, but the newcomer should concern himself more with putting a bait in the right place with the correct amount of feed around it, which is far more important. Besides the more obvious ways of placing bait, such as by hand and by manually operated boat, there are many other ways of baiting up your swim. Catapults The next step up from baiting by hand, a catapult is useful to bait up to about 60yd maximum. Above this distance the accuracy starts to tail off and you would be better off using something else, such as a throwing stick. Apart from the distance aspect, the main disadvantage with catapults is the 'catty slap' from the elastic - when the pouch flaps back and stings the wrist - which can be very painful, especially in winter. Fox sell some very good catapults, as do Drennan and Hutchy. Check to see what you want the catapult to achieve before you purchase. A catapult is not just a catapult these days. You'll find feeder pults, boilie pults, maggot pults and so on. The list is endless. Throwing Sticks If you want to bait up with boilies at a distance and be accurate in the process, a throwing stick is the best thing for you. As far as long-range throwing sticks go there is really only one type to choose - the Jumbo Cobra. This takes a bit of time to master, but once you have, you should be able to put baits up to 100 yards with ease and be very accurate with it. Besides the Jumbo, the Cobra range includes the Mini Cobra for up to 30yd distance, the Spod for firing out particle-type baits, and various other sizes to assist the type of fishing you are interested in. We use Cobras all of the time when fishing in England because boats are normally not allowed, and we usually favor the Jumbo as it accommodates all types of situation. The one thing worth noting with throwing sticks is that certain tools are designed for certain purposes, so you may lose accuracy if you use a long-range stick at short range and vice versa. Bait Boats Although a very expensive item of fishing tackle, bait boats are a fantastic modern-day angling tool. They can be used to place hookbaits as well as free offerings in the perfect spot and, if necessary, in the most awkward of places such as close to overhanging bushes. Besides helping with hookbait placement, the nice thing about using a bait boat is that it overcomes the problems encountered with seagulls when trying to bait up with a throwing stick. Bait boats appear very awkward to handle, but after a little bit of practice they can be maneuvered quite easily. BOATS AND ACCESSORIES Boats come in all manner of different sizes and shapes, so cost will certainly be the main area to consider here. For the record, the more expensive boats are hard-bottomed and made from fiber glass, while cheaper versions are usually made from PVC or canvas. Better advice on this topic can be obtained at your local boat shop or army-type store, so we advise that you consult these before purchasing. Some traditionalists knock the use of boats for carp fishing, but they really are a necessity for many of the large waters if one wishes to be consistently successful rather than simply lucky. |
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