Commercial carp can be caught on sorts of bait, to help you narrow your options down next time you are on the bank we've decided to put together this handy little guide to some of the best baits to catch commercial carp on.
For more great tips from top anglers head to this year’s The Big One Show
Double maggot
In cooler weather double maggot will often pick out the better-sized fish. Most top match anglers will fish with one red and one white maggot, as this seems to appeal to F1s more than two of the same colour – crazy but true!
Caster & worm combo
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Caster make a fish-attracting noise as they hit the surface and F1s love eating them! However, fishing casters on the hook can result in missed bites and smashed baits. Try a caster-sized piece of worm segment to get around this.
Hard pellets
F1 carp are reared on pellets and love eating them. The 4mm and 6mm sizes are best for this small-mouthed fish. To fish a hard pellet as a hookbait you need to hair-rig a small bait band.
Expander pellets
On lakes with few silverfish, soft expanders are brilliant for F1s. Lift and drop the rig for a rise and fall of the bait. Most anglers use 4mm pellets in winter and 6mm in summer, fed little and often.
Sweetcorn
Most fish like to eat corn, F1s included. In clear water a grain of sweetcorn stands out a mile and it’s also a brilliant bait to fish on a margin rig down the edge. Get a tin which has mixed sizes as you’ll find the smaller grains best for F1s.
Breadpunch
A great bait in colder weather, F1s are suckers for a bit of punch and this hookbait will often get you a fast start to your session if you can drop a small, 6mm disc close to far-bank rushes or features such as aerators.