Thought I'd start a post and see if we can't get a good reference point of recipes or what not going.
I know a lot of people like corn for carp. Which is good, but what do you do where corn isn't working or because you can't use it. What if your missing a bunch of fish because they have learned to fear corn and would readily take something else you just aren't offering it?
so in the spirit of progressing fishing forward I want to share at least some basic recipes I started out with and perhaps where they have led me.
Canned corn is good, but some days the fish are not into it all that much, could be from over fishing or what not but I have noticed if you run into a dry spell with it..try mixing a box of jello with a can of corn and let it sit in the fridge overnight..the color change and new scent can work wonders on big fish. Strawberry/blackberry/melon have worked well for me in the past.
Chick peas work well also. I prefer to buy them dry and then soak/boil them as per the package instructions. Of course flavors like pineapple juice, molasses,juice from a can of corn or what not add to their attractiveness. These fish well on the hook, but I prefer them on a hair rig.
I now prefer feed corn cause it is tougher and I get it in bulk for my derbies/workshops/events etc.
For that I have found that soaking it 24 hours or more, then boiling about an hour makes it pretty much the best imo texture, after boiling I add an amount of molasses and some salt/sugar...enough to make the water a slight bit darker then caramel. Let it sit a day or two then chum it out in a spot about the size of half a tennis court ( 4-6 feet by 4 feet roughly). Keep a small container with molasses in it and dunk your hook bait just before tossing it out and I have had fish within a few seconds of casting many times.
Keep in mind the above is if chumming and corn are legal..always check first.
There are a few doughs I have had good luck on as well..
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what I like to call Doughball Delight:
mix 1 cup water, 1/2 tbsp vanilla, 1 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp sugar over medium heat and bring to a boil, slowly sprinkle 1 cup of corn meal over this stirring quickly, for 3 mins roughly. It should become firm and doughy.
remove from heat and place on a dinner plate, press flat and allow to cool for 2 minutes, flip and cool another 2 minutes. when able work dough by hand for about a minute then wrap and store in the fridge until ready to fish. To fish it make a small ball and place around the hook.
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Anise and fruit
3 heaping cups of corn meal
1 1/2 cups flour
1 pint water
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp anise seeds
2 pkgs jello ( I like strawberry or blackberry)
mix cornmeal and flour set aside.
mix water, sugar,vanilla,and anise then bring to a boil of medium-high heat, add jello and continue stirring as it foams, cook and stir for 5 minutes or until foam reaches the top of pot ( depends on size of pot..but 5 minutes is a good time if foam will not reach the top)
Remove from heat and combine with the cornmeal/flour mix and stir until putty like. wrap and store in fridge until ready to fish.
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This one is a hybrid dough bait/boilie recipe. We like to refer to it as bouncing corn balls!
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1 quart water
1 cup corn syrup
Mix cornmeal, flour and sugar with enough water to make a heavy dough. roll into nickle sized balls
next mix the quart of water with the corn syrup and bring to a boil
drop the balls into the boiling mix for 2-3 minutes. they are done when they bounce on a hard surface.
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Anyway thats a couple of recipes to get us started..I'll add more as I have time. Please feel free to share some that have been working for you.
I know a lot of people like corn for carp. Which is good, but what do you do where corn isn't working or because you can't use it. What if your missing a bunch of fish because they have learned to fear corn and would readily take something else you just aren't offering it?
so in the spirit of progressing fishing forward I want to share at least some basic recipes I started out with and perhaps where they have led me.
Canned corn is good, but some days the fish are not into it all that much, could be from over fishing or what not but I have noticed if you run into a dry spell with it..try mixing a box of jello with a can of corn and let it sit in the fridge overnight..the color change and new scent can work wonders on big fish. Strawberry/blackberry/melon have worked well for me in the past.
Chick peas work well also. I prefer to buy them dry and then soak/boil them as per the package instructions. Of course flavors like pineapple juice, molasses,juice from a can of corn or what not add to their attractiveness. These fish well on the hook, but I prefer them on a hair rig.
I now prefer feed corn cause it is tougher and I get it in bulk for my derbies/workshops/events etc.
For that I have found that soaking it 24 hours or more, then boiling about an hour makes it pretty much the best imo texture, after boiling I add an amount of molasses and some salt/sugar...enough to make the water a slight bit darker then caramel. Let it sit a day or two then chum it out in a spot about the size of half a tennis court ( 4-6 feet by 4 feet roughly). Keep a small container with molasses in it and dunk your hook bait just before tossing it out and I have had fish within a few seconds of casting many times.
Keep in mind the above is if chumming and corn are legal..always check first.
There are a few doughs I have had good luck on as well..
----------------------------------------
what I like to call Doughball Delight:
mix 1 cup water, 1/2 tbsp vanilla, 1 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp sugar over medium heat and bring to a boil, slowly sprinkle 1 cup of corn meal over this stirring quickly, for 3 mins roughly. It should become firm and doughy.
remove from heat and place on a dinner plate, press flat and allow to cool for 2 minutes, flip and cool another 2 minutes. when able work dough by hand for about a minute then wrap and store in the fridge until ready to fish. To fish it make a small ball and place around the hook.
------------------------
Anise and fruit
3 heaping cups of corn meal
1 1/2 cups flour
1 pint water
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp anise seeds
2 pkgs jello ( I like strawberry or blackberry)
mix cornmeal and flour set aside.
mix water, sugar,vanilla,and anise then bring to a boil of medium-high heat, add jello and continue stirring as it foams, cook and stir for 5 minutes or until foam reaches the top of pot ( depends on size of pot..but 5 minutes is a good time if foam will not reach the top)
Remove from heat and combine with the cornmeal/flour mix and stir until putty like. wrap and store in fridge until ready to fish.
-----------------
This one is a hybrid dough bait/boilie recipe. We like to refer to it as bouncing corn balls!
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1 quart water
1 cup corn syrup
Mix cornmeal, flour and sugar with enough water to make a heavy dough. roll into nickle sized balls
next mix the quart of water with the corn syrup and bring to a boil
drop the balls into the boiling mix for 2-3 minutes. they are done when they bounce on a hard surface.
----------------------------------------------
Anyway thats a couple of recipes to get us started..I'll add more as I have time. Please feel free to share some that have been working for you.
Gonna add another simple dough bait since I'm cooking some up today:
Cornmeal Carp Bait
Boil 1 pint water ( 2 cups or 16 ounces)
mix 2 cups corn meal and 1 cup flour in a bowl.
add 1/2 a box of jello to the boiling mix, flavor of your choice though strawberry/blackberry/Hawaiian seem to work well.
reduce heat to low and add 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla
With a large spoon cover the surface with the corn meal mix. A bubble will come through then cover the bubble and repeat till corn meal mix is gone. Stir for 30 seconds and remove from heat, knead when cool. Wrap and store until use..should last for a while if in the fridge.
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While I'm at it I've been having some success going back to pack baits a bit. I have been euro style fishing for a while but somedays a good ole Pack-bait is the way to go.
Simple Grits
18oz of Instant Grits
9oz ofQuick grits
mix in a bucket with 1 can of cream styled corn
Keep a tight lid on this and it should last at least 12 hours, make it 20 mins before you head out and your good to go.
This is a basic mix and will pack hard and be fairly castable, though I warn you if you have never used a pack bait it is a bit tricky at first and you may toss it off your hook till you grasp the idea. I recommend corn pops as a pick-up ( what is actually on your hook as the pack breaks down that the carp will suck in while rooting through the pack ), place one on your hook, then pack about a golf ball size around it.
As I said this is the basic recipe. I currently use a variant of this as I cannot use corn so cream corn is out since I don't wanna risk having any kernels in it. I do however use the juice from a normal can of corn and some other things to get the same result and flavor.
Cornmeal Carp Bait
Boil 1 pint water ( 2 cups or 16 ounces)
mix 2 cups corn meal and 1 cup flour in a bowl.
add 1/2 a box of jello to the boiling mix, flavor of your choice though strawberry/blackberry/Hawaiian seem to work well.
reduce heat to low and add 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla
With a large spoon cover the surface with the corn meal mix. A bubble will come through then cover the bubble and repeat till corn meal mix is gone. Stir for 30 seconds and remove from heat, knead when cool. Wrap and store until use..should last for a while if in the fridge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
While I'm at it I've been having some success going back to pack baits a bit. I have been euro style fishing for a while but somedays a good ole Pack-bait is the way to go.
Simple Grits
18oz of Instant Grits
9oz ofQuick grits
mix in a bucket with 1 can of cream styled corn
Keep a tight lid on this and it should last at least 12 hours, make it 20 mins before you head out and your good to go.
This is a basic mix and will pack hard and be fairly castable, though I warn you if you have never used a pack bait it is a bit tricky at first and you may toss it off your hook till you grasp the idea. I recommend corn pops as a pick-up ( what is actually on your hook as the pack breaks down that the carp will suck in while rooting through the pack ), place one on your hook, then pack about a golf ball size around it.
As I said this is the basic recipe. I currently use a variant of this as I cannot use corn so cream corn is out since I don't wanna risk having any kernels in it. I do however use the juice from a normal can of corn and some other things to get the same result and flavor.