F1s are the nemesis of some anglers and the dependable ally of others. They’re the first-generation hybrid of a common carp and a crucian carp or goldfish. Pound for pound, they scrap like they’re in a pub brawl, yet they can be ridiculously picky when it comes to bait. So, when you’re fishing for F1s, your bait choice isn’t just important, it’s everything.
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Pellets
The bread and butter of modern commercial F1 fishing. F1s are weaned on these little brown parcels of nutrition, and in most cases, they’ll happily gobble up 4mm or 6mm banded pellets all year round. What makes pellets so effective is familiarity.
The key, though, is matching your feed to your hookbait. F1s aren’t big fans of surprises. If you’re potting in soaked micros, keep it natural, feed little and often, and always watch how they respond. When bites tail off, don’t panic, just tweak the hookbait, bigger, smaller, or even a different colour can make all the difference.
FEEDING IS KEY TO CATCHING MORE F1S. USE THE BEST FISHING CATAPULTS.
Maggots
An old friend and a saviour in cooler conditions. Maggots can come into their own fishing them through the water. Their wriggle, scent and sheer liveliness make them irresistible, especially to cautious F1s.
Fish them single or double on light rigs, and feed steadily with a catapult or kinder pot to keep a few fish interested without filling them up. Red and white maggots are a good combo, and dead maggots can also be brilliant when you’re plagued by silvers or want a bait that sinks even slower.
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Casters
Highly rated for F1s, and unbeatable when the fish are feeding up in the water. Loose feeding casters creates both noise and attraction, helping to draw F1s into the upper layers and keeping them interested.
They’re great for summer shallow work, especially when you’ve got to work for your bites. Firing in the casters little and often is perfect for drawing fish into the swim on warm days, but do beware, smaller fish like roach love a caster too.
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Worms
You might not always reach for them first, but when you do, you’ll wonder why you didn’t sooner. There’s something about a chopped worm mix that gets F1s really going, especially when fishing close to islands and cover, or when bites dry up.
A bit of wriggle, a natural scent trail. A little segment on the hook can often outscore everything else when the going gets tough. A worm segment can be a devastating hookbait when fishing shallow and feeding maggots or casters.
Worm slop is a highly effective tactic too, feed finely chopped worms with soil or groundbait via a pole pot or by hand to create a cloud that can really stir the F1s into a frenzy and fishing a worm segment through it.
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Sweetcorn
Used correctly, corn can be a selective bait for F1s, especially the bigger, older, and wiser ones that have seen every pellet under the sun. Its bright yellow colour stands out, and in clear water, it can make all the difference.
It’s also great in the margins, where fish feel more confident nosing around near cover. Just don’t overfeed it.
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Meat
Meat might not be the first bait that comes to mind for F1s, but in the right conditions, it can transform your session. It performs during the warmer months, especially in the margins, towards islands or shallow fishing where its slow sink and soft texture can pick out the bigger, wiser F1s.
A 4–6mm cube fluttering through the water can often tempt fish that have wised up to pellets and maggots, and its strong scent and visual appeal make it ideal when you need something a bit different. The key is to feed meat sparingly, F1s can fill up fast, and overfeeding will kill the peg.
It’s not a great choice in winter due to its high fat content, but in summer, with careful feeding and the right presentation, meat can be one of the most selective and rewarding baits.
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Bread
A go to in the winter for F1s. There’s something about the softness and cloud it creates, when dobbing it around the swim, that triggers bites, particularly when fish are sat mid-depth and not really committing to anything.
You won’t fill the net with it on every session, but when bites are at a premium, it can be a change bait that gets you a bite.
DOBBING CAN BE A GREAT TACTIC TO CATCH F1S IN THE WINTER.
Groundbait
Not so much a bait as a delivery system, groundbait creates a feeding area, to hold fish in the peg, and trick them into staying a little longer. When mixed right, it can hold fish on the bottom, carry pellets, chopped worm or even maggots and casters very accurately to create a tight feeding area.
For F1s, groundbait slop is often more about attraction than food, the cloud it creates in the water, pulls F1s into the area, holding them there. Just don’t get carried away, the goal is to keep them looking for food in the upper layers, feed too heavily, and the groundbait will settle on the bottom, drawing the fish down with it.
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