Can changing the size of your boilies up your catch-rate?

Over the past decade it’s safe to say that most of my fishing has revolved around using single hookbaits and PVA bags. Although these tactics have served me well, I recently decided to change my approach dramatically in a bid to target some very large carp from the Linear Fisheries complex.

If something is working, why change it you may ask? Well, although I catch lots of fish by flicking PVA bags about and nicking bites, I tend to catch lots of small fish before I land a big ’un. Even though I’ve caught my fair share of large carp fishing for ‘bites’, I genuinely believe I’d have caught a lot more if I’d gone down the boilie-only route. Although I don’t think you catch as many fish, I think you are much more likely to catch the larger specimens over a scattering of boilies. Lets face it, carp absolutely love them!

When targeting large carp, Ian’s certain that large leads hook more fish

It made perfect sense to go down the boilie-only approach because I’d just developed a new range of boilies in conjunction with Sonubaits called Code Red. As the name suggests, the boilie is a red fishmeal that’s absolutely teeming with ingredients that large carp find absolutely irresistible. I was confident that the carp in Linear would absolutely love the bait because it had worked everywhere else that I’ve taken it. After a quick chat with Ian Day at Sonubaits, there were a few kilos of 22mm and 25mm shelf-life boilies heading my way. Firstly, yes, you read that correctly. I don’t want to get into the shelf-life vs. freezer bait debate because, on day ticket venues that see lots of bait, I don’t really think it makes a difference. Lets face it: carp eat each other’s excrement so they aren’t going to turn down a shelf-life boilie! Plus, shelf- lifes are convenient, can be stored in the boot of your car and catch thousands of carp every year. I absolutely love using them.

If you’re going to use large leads, it’s well worth using a lead clip

The plan of attack was to use large baits, big leads and substantial rigs. Although scaled-down tackle does catch fish, I’m certain that slightly cruder tackle can often slip up the larger fish. Take a look at the Chod Rig for example. Although it’s an extremely blatant rig, it still catch lots of huge carp. You may wonder why I had opted to use such large baits. Well, there was method in my madness. I’m a huge believer in going against the grain and fishing different than everybody else around you. If you fish the same as everyone else, you will catch the same as them. If you find an alternative approach that carp respond to, there’s no reason why you won’t catch more than anybody else on the lake.

When using 20mm hookbaits, Ian always uses a Sightstop to add a fleck of colour

After quick walk around the Linear complex one afternoon, I noticed that most of the anglers were either spodding out particles and using tiny hookbaits or fishing Chod Rigs over a scattering of 15mm boilies. Rather than follow suit, I was sure that using larger baits could be the key to banking some of Linear’s most sought-after residents. When was the last time you saw a carp angler in the UK using 25mm boilies? You just don’t see it! If nobody else is using them, surely this could be the edge that would allow me to plunder some of the UK’s most pressured venues. Well, I certainly though so! Apart from the fact that nobody else uses large boilies, there are various factors that make larger baits better than smaller sizes. Anybody who has fished Linear will know that you can often get plagued by smaller fish if you introduce pellets and particles. Although I enjoy catching smaller fish, the disturbance caused by recasting and introducing more bait can often discourage large carp to feed on your baited area. When I’m targeting large carp, I like to keep the disturbance to an absolute minimum. I was certain that, by using large baits, I would receive less attention from the smaller fish that inhabit the venue.

Before introducing his 20mm boilies, Ian had a lead around with a bare lead

Personally, I think that small carp often stay clear of large baits and large carp are attracted to them. Like all wild animals, carp eat in order to live and sustain their health. They eat because they need to and they know exactly what they have to eat to sustain a balanced diet. Although carp will eat almost anything, I think they’d much rather eat a scattering of large boilies that offer a relatively hassle-free meal. Rather than grubbing around on small baits and feeding on particles, they can obtain all the nutrients that they need from a scattering of 25mm boilies quickly, using minimal energy. Why give them a 10mm hookbait when you can give them a 20mm boilie that contains twice as much goodness. It makes perfect sense!

Because it doesn’t take long for a couple of large carp to eat a scattering of big boilies, the tactic is ideal for short sessions. As anybody who has every fish next to me will know I’m an extremely impatient angler who likes to be catching fish constantly. The great thing about boilies is the speed at which carp can eat them and, in turn, pick up your hookbait. When fishing over particles it can often take a long time for a carp to come across your hookbait because of all the tiny food morsels on the bottom.

Although they may not look any different than a 15mm boilie, these 22mm bottom baits certainly attract large carp

When fished in conjunction with a big lead and a big hook, I think a 20mm boilie is a lot harder for a carp to deal with. When I started targeting Unity I opted for 20mm hookbaits, 4.5oz leads and size 6 hooks. Although this presentation may seem a little crude, large carp really find it hard to deal with. The combination of the big hook and large boilie really trips the carp up and they struggle to eject the whole lot. When I’m fishing with large leads, I will always use one of the Avid Flat Clips. These are great because the tail rubber has a soft construction and, should the carp plough through any weed or snags, the lead will eject straightaway.

Although I’ve used my fair share of small leads in the past, I think they really come into their own when you’re sneaking up on fish and you don’t want to spook them. If you’re looking for a presentation that will nail large carp time and time again, I think you need to consider using large leads. If you were to take a rig attached onto a 1.5oz lead, you could lift the hook on your finger and flick the fig about really easily. Try doing the same thing with a 4.5oz lead. The hook will drive into your finger every time!

Ian glugs his bottom baits in Currami Booster Cloud Liquid

As soon as I started using bigger boilies at Linear my catch results soared and I started to bank lots of large fish. It didn’t just work on the big-fish venues either, I absolutely battered Brasenose One fishing single 20mm hookbaits at range. During my short campaign on Unity, using large boilies, I caught pretty much everything that I wanted. I simply leaded around until I found a nice clear spot, flicked out a couple of rigs with 20mm boilies attached and introduces a few kilos of shelf-life boilies. It was that simple! Within a couple of weeks I’d caught loads of twenties, several thirties, the lake’s two largest ghosties and the big common! I didn’t just succeed on Unity using large boilies, at the back end of last year I managed to catch loads of fish during a short campaign on Manor Farm, including Spike at 44lb. Using large boilies doesn’t just work on big-fish venues, I’ve even caught well from Brasenose One an Brasenose Two on the tactic.

So he knows where to introduce his boilies, Ian attaches a PVA bag of pop-ups to his rig. When the bag dissolves, the pop-ups rise to the surface giving him a mark to aim for

If you’re starting a campaign on a new water this year or you’re just aiming to catch a few more fish, try using larger boilies. It may not seem like an edge but how many people do you actually see using massive boilie? On the continent, when anglers are targeting large carp, they usually use large baits to great success. For some reason the approach hasn’t taken off in this country which is surprising because it’s absolutely devastating. If you’re looking for an edge, think big!