CATCH CARP CONSISTENTLY
Bait is without doubt the most important part of fishing. If a carp doesn’t want to eat the bait that you are using then you’re never going to catch it. Don’t get me wrong you still need to put the bait in the right place but even so the wrong bait in the right spot may not get eaten at all.

This magnificent Carp weighed 53lb 4oz and was caught using a Marukyu Boilie

So what should you look for in bait? Personally I want quality bait that ticks all the right boxes according to the time of year. I want bait that carp recognise as a food source that they want to eat. What you must remember is that carp will change their diet throughout the year as the water temperature changes and different food sources become available.
So how do you pick bait that suits all these different conditions? The simple answer is to buy from a bait company that has the scientists, the latest laboratory equipment (including GC-MS, HPLC, FTIR analysis), 43 years of bait design experience and field staff from all over the world whose job it is to study fish and knowing what they eat and when they want to eat it.

MARUKYU
Marukyu are a Japanese bait company that have got a team of ten scientists that work exclusively on scientifically analysing and categorising bait ingredients. To put it a different way, they make it possible to verify the thought behind bait design. This means Marukyu bait designers, working along side Marukyu researchers, can design baits that have a solid base in research and fact. They remove the guesswork from designing bait. No longer does bait design have to rely on “wives’ tales” and “hearsay”. Marukyu baits need only rely on scientific fact and theory.

What does this mean for the angler? To put it simply it means Marukyu are constantly researching new products so that we can catch more carp.
From years of working with field testers from all over the world and first hand experience in designing baits, Marukyu understands that carp eat different types of food at different times of the year according to what their body needs to stay fit, healthy, grow and spawn. It is also known that the activity of fry and surrounding fish will have a direct effect on the target carp. This should also be taken into consideration. This means that you shouldn’t use one type of bait all year especially if you want consistent results. So what type of bait should we use at what time of the year?

WHAT BAIT? WHAT TIME?
Nature gives us lots of clues as to what carp eat. Firstly break the year down into segments: spring, spawning, summer, autumn and winter. During each of these times carp will adapt their diet to suit their needs and to adjust to their surroundings.

SPRING: As the water starts to warm up small aquatic insects and new weed growth start to appear. Carp start to move around more so they need more energy giving food. They will search out this new food source to boost their bodies need for protein, vitamins and minerals. Try Sanagi or Shisho boilies.

SPAWNING:
Around late April to June carp will be feeding up prior to spawning. At this time of year carp need lots of protein, vitamins and minerals so that they can survive the rigours of spawning. At this time of year there will be an abundance of natural food available for the carp to gorge on. Try Sanagi or Kani.

SUMMER:
After spawning carp need to replenish their bodies and in particular vitamins and minerals. For a couple of weeks after spawning they will really pig out on everything including a lot of weed. At this time of year the water is full of life, from almost invisible zoo plankton, abundant aquatic insect life in various stages of development and no shortage of various water shrimps, snails and not forgetting fish fry. Experience has told us that most quality baits will work at this time of year so long as they are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. Try Nori, Kani or Sanagi.

AUTUMN:
As the water starts to cool down and the natural food sources start to become scarcer, carp are well aware that winter is just around the corner. At this time of year carp will need to feed up to help see them through the winter. They won’t be eating lots of weed as it’s mostly dying off and it’s well past it’s sell by date. So they get most of their food from protein rich aquatic creatures. Try Sanagi, or Kani.

WINTER:
Winter is not a time of plenty, there is a dramatic shortage of natural food so carp become a lot less active to help conserve energy. If however we get a mild spell and the water temperature creeps up to six degrees or above, then the carp will generally have a little snack or two just to keep them ticking over. Try Ichigo or Shiso.

Marukyu’s scientifically designed line-up of boilies made from 100% natural and food ingredients comes as close as possible to mimicking the carps natural diet. The line-up allows a varied and tactical approach to carp fishing for the entire year. To use the same bait all year is definitely going to be a disadvantage at certain times.

ADDED ATTRACTION
Although all Marukyu boilies are made with ingredients and attractants that leak out into the surrounding water very quickly to attract carp, it never hurts to give them an added boost. Marukyu have three liquid additives that you can glug your baits in.
Liquid Krill, a brilliant all year round additive but especially effective in cold water.
Liquid Sanagi and Liquid Sanagi with Crayfish, both of these liquids are superb from the springtime right through to the onset of winter.
All of these liquids are PVA friendly and can be very successfully used in stick mixes or PVA bags.

Marukyu UK have just released a video showing off their range of boilies and explaining which flavours to use in different circumstances

Marukyu have also done a couple of videos talking about the new pop-up boilies

The full range of Marukyu boilies can be ordered online from the Marukyu Online Shop