Revealed What Carp Really Love

What follows is a summary of the findings of extensive research undertaken at Sparshot College-the country's leading fisheries institution.It follows a series of laboratory experiments on the flavour preferences of young carp.It was found that flavours such as molasses and worms,which both contain very high levels of betaine and amino acids respectively,were extremely attractive to a fish's sense of smell,at the same time,those baits were quite likely to be rejected because the fish didn't like their taste.Meanwhile,flavours such as halibut pellets and tuna were less attractive initially,but far more likely to be eaten because the fish linked them to the fatty acids found in their natural,rich protein-based foods that are essential for health and growth.


It pays to remember that most stock fish have been reared and weaned on a diet of fish-meal based pellets..The results of these tests highlight the relationship between smell and taste.The results also demonstrate that over flavouring a bait like a bright pop-up may make them instantly attractive,but that's not necessarily something you'd want to do to a long term food source.A single bait such as flavoured plastic corn,that looks and smells good will always get you a bite,but an effective bait is one that smells and tastes good.Fishmeal in summer,year round bait has to be sweetcorn.It's colour,sweetness,saltiness and amino acid content make it a superb choice for use as both a hookbait and feed.

Flavour Preferences

• Molasses 95.2%
• Worm 88.6%
• Tuna 86.3%
• Clove 84.8%
• Strawberry 84.6%
• Halibut Pellet 83.3%

Flavour rejection

• Molasses 55%
• Clove 48.7%
• Worm 35.5%
• Strawberry 33.3%
• Tuna 13.6%
• Halibut 3.3%

Angling Times