How To Make Your Own Carp Ground Bait Feed & How To Use It Effectively
Ground Feed or ground bait is typically mielie bomb mixed with other particles that is put into the area you are fishing to create a feeding spot and to attract fish such as Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Grass Carp, Barbel, Yellowfish and Mudfish into the area, and to keep these fish in the area as long as possible until they find the bait on your hook.
This page will show you two different, simple methods, to make your own Carp ground bait, to attract that monster Carp into your area.
Thought
I would share two ways we make ground bait before going to fish a proper
session for Carp. The advantage of going to a venue with ground bait pre
made is a tremendous advantage as the fish move into your area a lot
quicker and generally the bigger fish coming in quicker than usual. The
ground bait also attracts Mudfish, Yellowfish, Barbel and other angling
species. When targeting Carp you want to get them in your feeding area,
bring large Carp into the area, and keep them in the area until they
find your hook bait.
This might not be the most 'correct' way of making ground bait / feeding balls for Carp angling, but it works for me and in the end in fishing, there are no rules. Be as creative as possible and you will often be surprised.
Making Carp Feed/ Ground Bait The Quick Way
The first method is short quick and simple for last minute
preparation.
1. Get together some old mielie bomb that you were think of throwing
away or chucking into the area you are fishing.
2. Pour it into a mixing bowl.
3. Add more particles to the bomb, particles are key to effectively
bringing and keeping the fish in your feeding area.
4. I added bread crumbs, popcorn, oats and flour to this bomb.
5. Add water until it sticks easily, also add a small amount of
something strong smelling or sweet. In this case I added about the
equivalent of 3 shots of Oros concentrate.
6. Then mix it all up, add more water if necessary.
7. Mould the ingredients into cylinder or ball shaped objects. Try
different sizes.
8. Let them dry in the sun for a few hours and they are ready.
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Making Carp Feed/ Ground Bait The "Better" Way
If you have more time this would definitely be the best way to go, it
is more time consuming and requires more preparation however.
1. Once again pour all your old mielie bomb into a mixing bowl.
2. Gather ingredients that can be ground up easily.
3. We made popcorn and ground it up with the kernels and added it to the
bomb. One can also use 'raw' sunflower seeds, other bird seeds, dried
fruit, mealie meal, bread crumbs, maize, peanuts,
oats etc. Anything that can be ground up or anything that is
small enough.
4. We then added flour, and mixed this up. We then found some normal
beans, cooked them for an hour or so and let them cool.
5. We then added the beans as well as the water they were cooked in into
the mielie bomb.
6. We added to eggs into it and then started mixing. You can also think
of adding juice cordial, fruit juice or even dark spirits, not too much.
7. Once again roll the bomb, once it has been thoroughly mixed up, into
feeding balls that are circular in shape, any size.
8. Leave them to dry out and bake in the sun for a few days and they are
ready to use!
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How To Use The Ground Bait
Once you have arrived at the area you are going to fish, before setting up anything, throw, sling, or swim out some feeding balls. This will depend on how many rods are out, you do not want to over feed the area.
Then, once you are fishing throw one or 2 of the carp ground bait feeding balls in every 2 hours or so, if the fish are active. If the Carp do not seem to be very active try getting one or 2 balls out every hour. Keep feeding the area the whole time you are fishing.
Heres a trace to look at: Sliding Rietvlei Trace.
