Great bait tips: boosted carp hookbaits

Simple tweaks to end tackle and bait can make a bigger difference than getting into complex rigs, and a paste wrap on a hook bait remains a deadly and under-used tactic.

Experience watching carp feed up close tells me that they accept soft baits much more enthusiastically than harder baits, which has always tallied with my findings on the most productive boilies on the shelf and from the freezer.

A wrap of paste around a boilie is a simple way to substantially change how enthusiastically a carp takes a bait and has been part of my fishing for many years.

Giving your hook bait a layer of the soft stuff will help you get a few bonus takes.

You won’t get more than one cast out of a paste wrapped hook bait – but much like using PVA bags it’s something you accept as part of using a more effective presentation than just a boilie on a hair.

When fishing to features like islands, snags or holes amongst weed, you’ll get into the habit of using the spool clip to guarantee you drop a rig in the right place each time – which you should be doing anyway regardless of what’s on the end!