The temperatures are rising and summer is in full swing, which can mean only one thing... floater fishing! There aren't many more exciting ways to catch carp than targeting them off the top, but before you head out, make sure you’ve got some of these essential baits stowed away in your bucket.
Bread
The original and probably still the best bait for catching carp on the top is bread. Whether you choose tear off a piece of crust or prefer the soft white middle, it doesn't really matter as carp love the stuff, even carp that have never been caught or seen bait before are usually more than willing to slurp it down.
Due to its weight when wet, it is usually best to freeline and bread really excels when you are wandering around a lake stalking carp. Once you find them, often you won't even need to feed anything, just lower the bait onto their nose and wait to see their reaction. Very often it ends in a big pair of lips engulfing your hookbait!
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Dog/cat biscuits
The humble chum mixer is probably the most widely used bait to use for surface fishing, for whatever reason carp can't get enough of them. Thanks to their uniform size, they are great for catapulting accurately too, although you can spod them if you are fishing at distance. They are also budget friendly, and you can normally pick up a sack for less than £15 which will last you a few sessions depending on the activity levels. Cat biscuits make a great alternative too, usually coming in fishy flavours that carp adore.
Feeding little and often is the best way to get the most put of mixers as it keeps the fish interested and feeding. If you can get the fish 'pac-manning' where they are gorging on the biscuits with little care, this is when they become vulnerable to being caught. Just be aware birdlife in particular love mixers too, and at times, they can become insufferable.
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Floating pellets
Carp love eating pellets and that is no exception when it comes to surface fishing. Dedicated floating pellets or expander pellets are incredible at getting carp feeding on the surface when used in sizes 6-11mm. I find it best to use a mixture of sizes as it stops carp becoming preoccupied on a certain size, which can make them incredibly difficult to catch, especially if they want to eat the smaller sizes!
Lots of fishing companies make their own varieties of floaters now which are generally flavoured pellets and they work well too!
ONCE YOU HAVE A CARP ON THE BANK, TAKE CARE OF IT WITH THE BEST UNHOOKING MATS!
Pop-ups
While you shouldn't feed pop-ups, they make an excellent hookbait when fishing on the surface. They're highly buoyant, and you can often find colours that closely match the pellets or dog biscuits you're feeding. They're also very durable, so you can often leave the same bait on for extended periods, and their added attraction can really help you get more bites.
Sometimes, using a brightly coloured bait completely different from what you're feeding, like a fluoro pink or yellow can help you get quicker bites. You can also trim these baits and use them to top more natural-looking pop-ups, making them easier to spot on the surface as lets face it, we have all lost sight of our baits only to realise a carp had it in their mouth.
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Marshmallows
Marshmallows are a bit of an old-school bait, but they work just as well now as they ever have. They float well, are highly visible often coming in pink, white, and yellow, which are proven effective colours for carp and, much like us, carp seem to enjoy eating them.
They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with the most effective typically being the mini versions or the slightly larger ones around an inch long. Thanks to their tough texture, you can hair rig or side hook them, and I’ve found no difference in hook-up rates between the two methods. You can also feed them or use them as a change bait when feeding bread, as they stay on the hook far better.
IF YOU PREFER CATCHING CARP ON THE BOTTOM, HERE ARE SOME GREAT RIGS TO TRY...
