Homemade Baits for Common Carp

When fishing for carp, many anglers bait their hooks with sweet corn, flavored dough balls, or "boilies." Every serious carp fisherman has his own special formula that he swears by. Here are a few recipes to try:


Stir together water, sugar, oatmeal and one cup of the cornmeal. Place the mixture in a pan over a medium hot fire, stirring constantly for five to seven minutes until the dough works up into a stiff ball. Remove from heat and sift in remaining cornmeal, working it into the mixture well. Place resulting dry dough on a paper and thoroughly knead it. Allow dough to cool or it will sweat and soften when wrapped up. If too much sugar is added the dough will be sticky; if not enough, the dough will not be rubbery.


Sift flour, cornmeal and sugar together in large mixing bowl. Beat egg whites and cold water in another bowl until you obtain a smooth mixture and then add anise seed. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir to an even consistency. Add a bit of flour and cornmeal or a little water as needed to obtain a stiff dough. Flatten this mass to about 1-1/2 inches thick, place it in a cloth sack and tie it with string. Drop into boiling water to cook about three minutes on one side and turn to cook three minutes on the other side. Lower fire and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove dough from water and sack and allow it to cool on a piece of paper. Then work the dough thoroughly with your hands and put it back in the cloth bag for storage. It will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator; the older it gets, the better. If dough gets dry, a little moisture on the fingers will work it back to the right consistency.


Mix cornmeal, flour and sugar with enough water to form a heavy dough. Roll mixture into balls about the size of a nickle. Bring water and Karo syrup to a boil and drop in some of the dough balls. Boil for two or three minutes, being careful not to put in so many balls that they stick together. Remove the cooked ones and continue process until all balls are cooked.

A variation of the above recipe eliminates the syrup from the water and adds a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the dough mixture. The dough balls will be done when they bounce when dropped on a hard surface. Prolonged exposure to open air will dry them out and cause crumbling, but be sure to let them cool before sealing them in a jar or container.


Crush bran flakes. Add cheese, honey and enough water to make mixture the desired consistency. If too much water is added, use flour to stiffen mixture.


Mix cereal, oatmeal, molasses, vanilla and water. Blend thoroughly and add this wet mixture to the cottonseed and flour mixture. Knead until the right texture is achieved.


Notice:

© Copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, or translated in any form or medium without the prior written consent of Texas Parks Wildlife Department except where specifically noted. If you want to use these articles, see Site Policies.