When to Go For Small 🆚 When to Go For Big Baits?

Here's how to choose the right boilie size for your carp fishing.
✅ Save money on bait 👉 • 5 Ways to Improve Your...
For me, carp size is irrelevant when it comes to choosing a size of boilie. There are different factors to consider when choosing bait size like the type of hooklink, the type of rig, hook size, whether you’re fishing at range and nuisance species.
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2️⃣ How long should my carp rig be? • When to Go For Short R...
3️⃣ Fish confidently with leaders: • Fish CONFIDENTLY With ...
⏰ Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
00:40 The benefits of small baits
02:08 Choosing the right hooklink with small baits
04:46 Fishing at range with small baits
05:16 Popups and wafters vs small baits
06:29 What rig with small baits
07:02 Small baits and nuisance species
08:15 Baiting up with small baits
09:08 Baiting needle size
10:35 Hook size and bait size
13:06 Fishing with bigger boilies
14:20 Benefits of bigger baits
🐟 My bait recommendations:
Scopex Squid 18mm boilies 5kg: amzn.to/3CCMnRf
Scopex Squid 6mm pellets 5kg: amzn.to/3CTodSX
Scopex Squid flake 5kg: amzn.to/3q9enVr
Scopex Squid syrup 1l: amzn.to/3e0Xedw
Scopex Squid hemp 2.5l: amzn.to/3wwVXkH
Himalayan rock salt: amzn.to/3PXH6GS
Sweet tiger nuts: amzn.to/3Rb2aL2
Boilie spoon: amzn.to/3TmumN7
Bushwhacker baiting pole system: amzn.to/3ArD6J1
☎️ Connect with me:
Filmed at my lake, Beausoleil Carp and Cats: www.frenchcarpandcats.com/
Facebook: / matt.collins.148116
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IG: / matt_collins_carper
Tiktok: / matt_collins_carper
🙌 Support the channel:
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Purchasing through these links gives me a small commission to support videos on this channel - the price to you is the same.
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This channel is supported by Nash but I am totally in charge of the content and focus of each video which is all about helping anglers. I only use and recommend products that I personally use in my fishing and that I am completely confident in.
#matthewcollins #carpfishingexplained #boilies

[@BIGGGESTAL]

I really enjoy your videos, so well spoken with precise, clear common sense. Thank you.

[@andyprior6099]

Something i have never heard another angler discuss, brilliant. Your vidios are extremely informative and I have learned alot from them already. Look forward to watching many more. Thanks Matt.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Andy, great to hear the feedback, thanks 👍

[@garybaker5397]

Great video as always Matt, but you made me spill my tea and crack up with laughter when you mentioned “if you really need to bang one out hard” !! The funny part was your expression! Not a trace of smirking because you were working in the innuendo! No, just an innocent choice of words that didn’t occur to you at the time that it may be misinterpreted! Funny! 😂😂

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Gary, well that cracked us up proper mate! Never even crossed our minds mate lol. I’m never normally slow to pick up on a “double entendre” but that one flew out my lips without a second thought 🤣 Glad that it gave you a chuckle!

[@garybaker5397]

@@matthewcollinsangler glad my reaction to your double entendre gave you a chuckle too! I should point out your tips and content are much more memorable for the relevance and quality of the advice and info you are sharing. But it doesn’t do you harm to add some high brow filth if it was done with all innocence! Take care fella! 😂

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@garybaker5397 Thanks very much mate, that's great to year. Take care too mate 👍

[@markrobbins7043]

As always Matt and totally agree it is all about preference and confidence and you put an excellent balanced view across. Well done.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Mark, thanks as always for your comment of support. Glad that you like where I was coming from. Cheers, Matt.

[@Drumdanimal360]

Loving the stream of new videos mate, awesome bud!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

That's fantastic to hear mate, thanks 😊

[@mrjohnnyd2172]

Love the Nash gear! I have also found success mostly with size 6 hooks. Look forward to trying out your casting tips as well!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi John, thanks for commenting. I’ve been using Nash gear for 20+ years and it’s all been great. Their hooks are in a different class to everything else I’ve seen and I see a lot of different makes lol. This winter I’m testing the size 8s. Having had other brands of a heavy gauge size 6 open up on me I was amazed at how strong the 8s are. They are also a slightly thinner wire so even sharper out of the packet than the 6s. I’ll probably go back to the 6s in the spring but if you ever feel the need to scale down then the Nash pinpoints in a 8 won’t let you down even on big carp! All the best, Matt.

[@brianwoodrow8191]

Once again Matt your videos are very informative indeed👍🏻

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Brian, glad that you enjoyed it and thanks for your comment of support. All the best with your fishing. Cheers, Matt.

[@roytaylor414]

I normally just pre drill a small amount of my choice of hook baits ready to mount on my hair.

[@honestloz]

Thanks Matt, yet another great and very informative video and once again It makes sense and is so easy to follow. I will defiantly be putting a few of your suggestions into practice. All the best and keep these great videos coming 👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much for the support, means a lot 👍

[@LLCoolPeas]

Another top video, Matt! For me boilie size pretty much depends on the species present. If I was fishing a lake containing only carp then i'd be happy using baits as small as a single caster or piece of corn. Where-as on the rivers I generally use nothing smaller than an 18/20mm (doubled up), just to simply help avoid nuisance species (bream! lol).

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, yes exactly, it’s not necessarily the size of the carp, it’s the size of what else is in there lol. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks as always for commenting mate. Cheers, Matt.

[@trevbriggs8942]

Another video mirroring my recent experience Matt, each of your releases has a story on my side where I'm either on the bank watching and just dealing with the scenario, or it happened in my last trip! I had pretty much every carp I ever caught on 15mm or smaller baits, had the whittled boilies from swarms of roach, and now caught a low double carp on 2x 20mm pellets put out for catfishing! If they can take that, I'll certainly have confidence in bigger baits on my local waters, let alone your monsters!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Trev, that's very interesting to hear. I think we all go through similar scenarios, questions and doubts at some point and it's one of the reasons why I do these videos, we've all been there. Glad to hear this one gives you a little boost of confidence! Cheers, Matt.

[@pjlcarpexpeditions]

Top video! A lot of useful information which I will certainly be putting to use in my fishing. Thanks!!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Peter, thanks very much for your comment! Glad the video gave you some food for thought. All the best for 2022. Cheers, Matt.

[@pjlcarpexpeditions]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks mate same to you. Looking forward to more videos 🎣🎣 Pete

[@dominikmokris9029]

Greet from Slovakia,great video again,mate :)

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Greetings Dominik, thanks again for your comment and support. I hope that my videos help you to catch lots of big carp! Cheers, Matt.

[@ivanfojan8859]

Another very informative video Matt :))

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much for your support Ivan. I’m glad that you enjoyed the video. Cheers, Matt.

[@jonathanlodge8375]

Another top video pick up so many tips and have plenty of questions answered from these which isn't perhaps described in other carp fishing videos or at least not as clearly top work!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much for the feedback Jonathan! Really glad to hear that you can pick up tips from our videos. Cheers, Matt.

[@jonathanlodge8375]

@@matthewcollinsangler yeah deffo only started carp fishing this summer really after watching your vid on tieing mono hair rigs sort of made it a simpler place to start had some good success up to 17lb pb and catch plenty not sure if you have done anything on when and what to bait the swim with but would be good to see!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@jonathanlodge8375 Hi Jonathan, congratulations on the new PB. It’s great that you’ve managed to use the channel to help you as you get into the sport. You’ll find some session baiting tips in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJPIdKyen9OAlZI For PVA tips watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/baqTZ2mbZrZpjs0. All the best with your fishing and I hope that you continue to enjoy the channel. More videos on the way soon. Cheers, Matt.

[@NachtwaechterSchlafprodukte]

Just fantastic to get serious, proven and reasonable advise that actually will help to catch more fish. People should watch this much more than the over the top high-five type of videos and they would actually catch more fish I am sure!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much 😊

[@adrianconnock1785]

Another very practical video Matt. 100 per cent agree with all observations and experience with 24ml baits and hook sizes. When baiting up I bear in mind 1 x 24ml = 2.4 x 18ml food content wise.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Adrian thanks for commenting. Glad to hear we're on the same page. You are spot on of course with your statement about bait size vs food content. I should have included that in the video. Cheers, Matt.

[@aarandavidson6086]

Amazing video again full of information and was really refreshing seeing u using the throwing stick n catapult

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, yes I love the old throwing stick, far better than a catapult. Takes practice though!

[@aarandavidson6086]

I have my dads old solar throwing stick and I don't go anywhere without it. I had a recent session using it I had 9 carp total weight 200lb 6oz why other people wqs using spombs and blanking

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@aarandavidson6086 Nice work mate, carp are easier to catch if they have to move from bait to bait for sure 😜

[@aarandavidson6086]

Totally agree 👍keep the videos coming by far the best and your not hammering buy this n that from us just showing how to improve your fishing and I've picked a few tips up already csnt wait to get on the bank

[@curriculhomme]

HelloOooO Matt, i am a french carp angler . I discovered your channel to which i quickly subscribed. I learned a lot thanks to you. You are absolutely fantastic as you knowhow to argue all your vidéos in a very technical way. Congratulation

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Bonjour Didier, je suis très content que tu apprécies mes videos! Thank you very much for your comment and for subscribing 👍Amicalement, Matt.

[@ManiekGSF]

Thank You Matthew great as always.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Much appreciated Mariusz, thank you.

[@stumpyfishermen6991]

Another great informative video, in depth explanation.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much mate, glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@scottpeters5624]

Another intressting and thought provoking video, Totally agree, I am one who's confidence is not great with big baits, very true carp have big gobs, like bass and I had no issues using a half pound mackerel to catch 3lb bass, so curious I don't have faith in big boilies, probably over thinking? But I take on board your options, I switched to barbless this year, haven't dropped any fish as result, so time to try bigger baits I think. Cheers matt, always look forward to your videos,, Great content and easy watching 👍👍👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Scott, thanks as always for your comments, questions and support. It’s great that you are loving barbless and hook pulls are a thing of the past for you. So much of this game is in the mind and it’s so easy to tie yourself in knots. Carp have big mouths and they like to eat but if your hooks and rig are just slightly off then they will spit your rigs all day long. I’ve caught big river carp on hand rolled baits up to 35mm in diameter. It’s a great way of avoiding the bream there. The only way to cure this fear of big baits is to use them. Only catching carp will build the confidence you lack in this area. Do let me know how it goes. Cheers, Matt.

[@DanieHattingh]

Love your videos. So much information, and so little woowoo.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much mate! New video out tomorrow 😉

[@matthewcollinsangler]

✅ Watch next: Save money on bait 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJTHiqCYjseAopY For me, bait size has nothing to do with the size of carp that I’m targeting. I’ve caught 40lbs carp on 15mm baits and I’ve caught doubles on 24mm. There are no hard and fast rules, it’s a lot about personal preference, so I just wanted to share my experiences of when I use small or large boilies and why. Let me know in the comments what works for you 😊

[@thomasbarker5064]

Another fantastic video 👍🎣

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much 😊

[@user-ce8bx7jp2m]

יש לך את הערוץ הכי שראיתי ונהנה כול היום ליצפות בו בלי הפסקה ולומד אמון דייג קרפיונים ואיך לדוג איתם והכול בזכותך ...👍🤗👍👑🎣🐟🎣

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks again for your support. It’s great to know that you are enjoying it so much 😊

[@jp1234..]

Really helpful thanks!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Great to hear, thanks!

[@tonypage3005]

Good advice as always

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much Tony 👍

[@darrenfox1879]

Hi Matt good video and some fantastic tips.last week I was at my local lake ,had a few upper twenty's using 18mm with a cork insert .A lot of people only use 15mm strangely.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Darren, thanks again for commenting. Interesting to hear about your experiences. I must admit I don’t bother with balancing baits with cork. I’ve tried it when I’m desperate for a bite but I’ve not not bothered on a routine basis but I know some guys swear by it.

[@darrenfox1879]

@@matthewcollinsangler Hi pal ,it was a hard 48hr session Nothing at all on pop up's so I went on some hard spots with a covering of silt .A mix of 12mm 15mm and 18mm Scopex did the trick.my thinking was if there picking up the 18mm a balanced one should fly in when they pick it up.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@darrenfox1879 Right interesting. Well it certainly worked for you on that session so fair play! Keep up the good work. BTW if you hadn't already guessed Nash is now sponsoring our channel which is a real honour for us. It’s not going to change the content and focus of our work here (helping other anglers) but I’m looking forward to getting my mitts on more gear! All the best for now. Cheers, Matt.

[@darrenfox1879]

@@matthewcollinsangler Thanks . That's brilliant pal 😉 The Nash trade show is on now. Yes it's awesome you got the sponsorship .well done you've worked really hard to make your channel what it is,good on ya. Hopefully When things get back to normal they'll be some shows etc.I worked on the titan stand at Brentwood , brilliant day met all the top names etc. I've just got the subterfuge luggage the rucksack is a bigger version of the recon. It's the best rucksack I've had ,plus it's the same camo as the scope holdall. If it matches it catches lol 🤣

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@darrenfox1879 Hi Darren, must be a real treat to be on the show stands. I’d already got myself a T2 this year to replace my dilapidated old Avid HG. Bloody fantastic bivvy for long sessions. I did 3 months in it this year lol. I really like the look of the Subterfuge range and I’d already got my eyes on the rucksack. It looks the nuts so I’m glad you like it. I’ve not done the Scope thing… yet had a little play with some 3.5 stepped up specials (black ops) in 10 ft. A guest had a set and absolutely loves them. I could see why! I’ve been able to get a set of R3s and love them. No more false indications… oh the sleep I’ve lost over the years lol.

[@francispeeney7133]

Like your videos, very informative.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Francis, thanks for commenting. I’m glad that you like what we do.

[@alanrichardson7790]

thanks for the reply matthew

[@ryanlotgd]

been flicking through ur vids after recently getting back into carp fishing after 20 years lots of useful info have seen the roach issue with smaller baits first hand a few weekends ago wasnt sure how meny roach was in my swim till i turned 1/4 of a loaf of bread into really small sinking balls and through out handfulls of it a few meters out none of it made it more than a ft under the surface before being eaten crazy amount of roach. ment to be some pike in the lake to keep the roach under control defo didnt feel like they was under control

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Yeah, roach can be ferocious whittlers of bait!

[@Mike-rp1qv]

really nice channel. Love your vids. Greetings from Germany

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Greetings Mike, great to hear that you enjoy the channel, thanks for the support 👍

[@gertjanmafrans9506]

Again a great video Matt. Always a lot of information. I just wondered if you have a preferred bait brand? Now with British bait company's having trouble getting it in Europe.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Gertjan, thanks for your comments of support. I used to make all my own bait but with Brexit, supply of ingredients became difficult. This year I began testing the Scopex Squid from Nash (which is distributed through Poland) and I was lucky enough to chat to Gary Bayes who invented the mix many years ago. The bait is 30% protein which is very good for a stabilized bait. Most other brands are around 20% which is ok for the winter but no good when the water warms up. Carp need protein to grow big! I liked the bait so much I became a Nash re-seller and we’ve been selling the bait to guests at Beausoleil for a number of weeks now and it’s been very well received. In the interest of full disclosure and unrelated to our re-seller status, Nash now sponsors the channel but even if they didn't my opinion on which bait brand to go for wouldn't change. I’d suggest you have a look at the back of the packs in your local tackle shop and see what the protein % is and the price. Cheap bait is low in protein. Carp know what they need. As long as the water temp is 10 degrees or more, I’ll be on the Scopex Squid. Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt.

[@gertjanmafrans9506]

@@matthewcollinsangler I just wondered, when you made your own baits, did you use the same mix all year or did you adjust with the seasons? You prefer sweet mix or fishmeal?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@gertjanmafrans9506 During the winter I prefer to use a sweet nut based mix with lower protein. When the water temperature is high enough (15 degrees C) I’d swap over to my fishmeal based mix which has more protein. I’ll be doing a similar thing with the Nash bait and my winter choice will be the Citruz baits. The popups are just fantastic and I caught a few this year on just single popups. Our lake is not clear. Visibility is low so there’s no visual element. This was just pure pulling power from a single popup. OK sure I knew where to cast because I’d seen fish in the zone but even so you have to make them want it bad enough to nail it. Hope that helps, Cheers, Matt.

[@gertjanmafrans9506]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks Matthew.

[@dannybartlett4225]

Great video as always i select bait size when knowing the size of the fish 🐟 and wait other species are in there eg im not gonna use a wafter with a water full of bream as target is carp.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

When I've got bream, I go for 24mm!

[@davidraine5293]

Brilliant information 😊😊

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much David 😊

[@nickedwards4645]

Another good no nonsense video

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much mate 👍

[@lespaul8236]

your tips are absolutely brilliant. I have learnt so much from everyone. Thank you. A quick question. What is your preferred brand and type and flavour of boilie, that you are catching those absolute beasts on. Once again, thank you 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, that's great to hear, thanks very much! So for the last two years we’ve been using the Nash Scopex Squid range at the fishery. We use the boilies, the pellets, the flakes, popups and the syrup. I like the Scopex Squid because it's got a good protein level (30%) which means that the carp actually benefit from eating it. There are many high profile baits which are sub 20% protein and that is not what our carp need. In the winter I use the Citruz range because it's optimised for that time of year. Carp can’t digest much protein in the winter so at 19% it’s perfect. For my public fishing (river carping and lakes) I use the Candy Nut Crush. Yes it’s a lower cost attractor type bait but that’s exactly what I need for that type of venue. It’s only 17% protein which makes it suitable for use all year round. If I was going up against other guys on a syndicate that were using Scopex Squid or other similar high protein baits then I wouldn't use the Candy Nut Crush but there’s plenty of situations where that’s all you need so that’s what I use. Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt.

[@davidedwards1072]

Great video Matt, I’ve started watching your stuff just recently and it’s all good mate👍 I fish my local water and some of the carp are 5lb , some go 22lb plus, there’s also two catfish at 30lb so as to target them I’ve used 30mm or more cubes of meat and sometimes 3 boilies at 15mm on a hair,, I have still caught the small carp bout 8lb on these big baits so I know anyone who hasn’t got faith in big baits just need to give them a go,, like you said them carp will suck a brick up if they want it lol. Top videos pal

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi David, great to know that you are enjoying the channel 😊 Interesting to read your experience, I think a lot of it is down to the old “you only catch with what you fish with”. Thanks mate.

[@davidedwards1072]

@@matthewcollinsangler going to look through your channel for tips on cat fish, my lake is pretty feature less, uniform silty bottom, but there’s trees at one end, good for catching carp but I wouldn’t target the cats in that area for fear of snags, cheers mate

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@davidedwards1072 I've done a cat rig video this year that you might enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJyyi5mpfLOgmM0

[@liamwebb9638]

Thank you for a great video,

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks Liam, glad you enjoyed it. Cheers, Matt.

[@vsnature7146]

I use 12mm and have done for years, i only fish using pop ups and only use boilie crumb as attractent in spomb or pva mesh bags with various sizes of pellet (2mm, 4mm and 6mm) works great on most waters. Oh and size 6 korda hooks.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for sharing. I think many anglers would shy away from a size 6 with a 12mm bait so it’s great to know that it’s worked well for you. All the best with your fishing. Cheers, Matt.

[@Offcut55]

Great vid once more! If you look at it from the carps eye view if the venue is using 15mm more then a larger bait may not seem like a threat to them?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Phillip, glad that you enjoyed it. I do not believe that carp are smart enough to associate danger with one size of bait from another. To them it’s just an item of food. Over the last ten years, I’ve welcomed many hundreds of anglers fishing with everything from 10mm to 30mm baits and bait size has never been a factor in their success or lack of. Cheers, Matt.

[@Offcut55]

@@matthewcollinsangler I did fish a strange venue were the fish do act in a strange way. they were on the top a lot this day and as soon as the rod was over the water they would shy away. Caught a few but only if hidden. As soon as I packed up I actually fed some of the carp by hand with bread!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@Offcut55 Right, interesting. Carp definitely learn by association. Was it a public lake with ducks and dog walkers? If so it sounds like they were used to being fed bread by dog walkers (no threat) but as soon as an angler rocked up with a rod they read the signs and dropped out of sight? They aren't stupid but there is a limit to what they can see and process.

[@Offcut55]

@@matthewcollinsangler it does have a caravan site as well in the same area and people mill about so sounds about right

[@carassiuscarassius140]

Super interesting and informative as always. Just one question: 6:06 why would you want to mount a wafter like that, i.e. on a stiff hair? How is this going to “waft”? IMO a wafter needs to be mounted on a supple hair, or, as I would personally do it, on a micro swivel on the shank or on a D, so it can waft above the hook.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for the feedback! I get your point, I just don’t worry about it really. It’s not going to waft but it’s going to be lighter than a bottom bait. The wafter takes away the weight of the hook and a lighter bait will fly up into the carp’s mouth with less suction. The advantage of a stiff hair is that it’s harder for the carp to eject the rig. Of course, as you say, you can mount it on a supple hair too.

[@louislunterbusch5571]

You can use small baits with thick mono or coated hook links. Just make te loop a little bit bigger than the hookbait so you don’t have to pull the knot inside the boilie. When I tie my rigs I always leave a long hair. Only when I’m using it I tie the loop matching the size of my bait. This can be a double bait or snowman if required.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Louis, you’re right of course! It’s just not something that I do so I didn't think about it like that. As you say there are ways around the problem. Thanks for sharing 😊 Cheers, Matt.

[@dmtstuff]

After years of watching fish feeding close up (carp and barbel in crystal clear water) I'll always use the smallest baits I can get away with for baiting up. The feeding response from both species is much more positive/aggressive with a bed of particle, small pellet or chopped and crumbed boilie (usually a mixture of all) than with a scattering of just whole, large boilies. That's not to say that I don't include whole boilies in the mix when baiting up. But that's baiting up to create a feeding response..... I have no problem using large boilies on the hook in amongst a bed of small baits to avoid nuisance fish but it's the feeding response I'm looking to create. I want the fish ripping up the lake bed and working to get a good feed rather than casually picking up the odd larger bait. Probs a bit off topic lol, but I must agree with everything you mention about hookbait size - especially concerning the type of hooklink material you are using and knot sizes. Cracking video mate. Loving the series and picking up some good tips 🙂

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, very interesting, we’re on the same page on this. Since making this video, I’ve included particles and flaked boilies more into my fishing. It really pays to make them work for their food. The longer they’re over your spot, the greater the chance of a bite. Glad you’re enjoying the channel 👍

[@kevinallwood2730]

Hi Matt Really enjoyed this video. It’s a problem I often debate with myself about; does size matter. Slightly off topic, but do you have a view on the question of shelf life or fresh (ie frozen) boilies I always use shelf ready, but get a lot of bankside experts telling me to use frozen Thanks again for your really great videos Kevin

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Kevin, thanks for your comment and I’m glad that you enjoyed the video. So I’ve been rolling my own freshly rolled freezer bait for years but this year (because of Brexit) I ran into a supply problem for my base mix ingredients so I had to think again. I had the opportunity to talk bait with Gary Bayes (Nash Bait) and he convinced me that there’s basically no difference nowadays. A lot of Nash bait (Scopex Squid for example) is termed a stabilized bait as opposed to a ready-made. Stabilized bait is made with a water soluble ingredient that gives the bait a shelf life of two years but in water the bait becomes a freezer bait after two days. That’s important from a water quality standpoint. I swapped over to the Scopex Squid stabilized myself and it made absolutely no difference whatsoever to what I’ve been catching (ie I’m still catching lol). Many modern baits use this stabilizer so as long as it is a good quality bait then it makes no difference. Protein level is a good indication of bait quality and the Scopex is 30% which is very good. Some stabilized baits might only contain 18% protein. That’s OK for winter but the carp will enjoy higher protein bait over lower protein when they can digest the protein. Hope that helps, Cheers, Matt.

[@kevinmurphy8712]

@@matthewcollinsangler Hi Mathew, just scrolling through old videos as i have a trips to France and Italy coming up shortly, both lakes containing carp to 80 and even 90 at the right time of year. So with the potential size of these fish I have been giving serious consideration to bait size. I agree its all about confidence, I have caught on 3 20mm boilies on a hair but never used baits at 24mm. Stumbled across your reply regarding freezer baits over shelf life as I have just started using a lot of shelf life myself. Really interesting to hear Gary Bayes thoughts on the subject. I found your comments on stabilisation very interesting and will ask my bait maker if he has an idea of the protein content of the bait I use. I would imagine he does as he is quite OCD about everything. Really great content, thanks for posting all the videos you do. Kind regards, Kevin

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@kevinmurphy8712 Hi Kevin, thanks very much for your support and I’m glad that you have been enjoying the channel. 80s and 90s wow, that is proper big boy fishing. Along with the boilies I would take some tiger nuts and particles as on that type of water you may well find yourself faced with an army of crayfish, poisson chat or catfish. This season I’ve been using the new Nash particle range to good effect and bulking my traps out using cheap cereal pellets. This 100% veggie approach has been a super effective way of singling out carp and avoiding accidental catfish captures which are a factor at this time of year. We’ve filmed a video detailing this approach but it’s not available yet. Might be something to consider on such an adventure. Best of luck and I'd be interested to know how you get on. Cheers, Matt. (we’ve just set up affiliate links with Amazon, so any purchases through this link will give us a small commission to support the channel, the price to you is the same: amzn.to/3TbvnaF Cheers 👍)

[@lawv3437]

Used a big haith robin red pellet +20mm red amo monster tigernut boilie+ a xxl tigernut on 1 rig and catched one of the named ones in the Belgium canal

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Congrats 😊

[@lawv3437]

@@matthewcollinsangler Thanks one of my mates caught her on 23kilo i caught her on 19.5 the biggest one if still alive weighs 27kilo hope to catch the two tone one day

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

A question from an American. Are boiled used as feed in European commercial fisheries. Only carp I have fished for are wild carp. I think your simple hair rig videos are the best. Thanks

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, commercial fisheries do use boilies as a feed bait but it’s an expensive thing to do. I used to make a feed bait specifically for the lake but it was hard work and very time consuming. Nowadays we mainly rely on high quality cereal based aquaculture pellets that are 24% protein. These are a great complementary feed to the carp’s natural diet and better for the water quality. Cheers, Matt.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks for the reply.

[@carpfishingteamgino3669]

Great Video! What would be your solution in sport carp fishing, when you catch a lot of small carp, when they weigh less than one and a half kilos. Thanks

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks mate! Small carp, small boilies and lots of them 👍

[@carpfishingteamgino3669]

@@matthewcollinsangler Thanks for your response. I asked the wrong question. Conversely, how to avoid small carp

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@carpfishingteamgino3669 Ah right, misunderstood lol. 2 x 24mm should do a good job at keeping the small carp off your rig. I’d also dot free baits over a larger area i.e. don’t bait tight over one spot. Small carp love to come into a spot in packs and demolish a tight pile of bait. The larger carp will hang back and pick off bait around the edge. Good luck, Matt.

[@Drumdanimal360]

Hi Matt, hope you are well. I usually go for frozen Scopex squid for bait and have confidence in it. Couple of questions if that's OK, will shelf life do the same job and what bait size for freebies would you recommend, I usually go for 15mm. The lake I fish has a good head of 20s and 30s with quite a few bream, cheers!

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Danny, the stabilised Scopex is identical to the frozen, I use it all the time. If you've got bream, I'd go big on bait size, 24mm. I think the 15mm will be taken by the bream first. I'm on the river right now and I've got bream too, I'm feeding 24's and fishing salt cured 24's. Cheers, Matt

[@Drumdanimal360]

@@matthewcollinsangler top class as always, thanks Matt!

[@bulldogkesel291]

Super video

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much 👍

[@andrewtate8303]

Air dried then drill em out for the hook using a decent size drill bit .Works and no split baits .👍

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks for the tip 👍

[@zaheerbangie5305]

Hi Matt. Would yoube able to give some info on throwing sticks? Perhaps maybe even make a video on them since you have 4 different ones lol. The size of the pipe vs baits. e.g. Could a 20mm pipe throw a 20mm boilie or is it too tight a fit. Could you use a 20mm pipe and be able to throw down to a 14mm boilie with it. So have 1 pipe thats versatile and not have to purchase more. Could you use glugged/washed out boilies. What sort of thing do distance is each pipe/boilie combination capable of respectively. Thanks

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Zaheer, very good questions! We have filmed a video on throwing sticks but haven’t finished editing it yet. I’m not sure I address all your questions in the video so here goes: Pipe size vs bait size. Some throwing sticks are labelled 20m but actually the diameter is a bit larger so that they are OK for 20mm. Others are closer to 20mm and therefore don’t work. My 20mm stick does not work well with 20mm baits. It only works well with 15mm and 18 mm baits so yes 14mm in a 20mm stick is no problem. My 25mm stick will do 20mm and 22mm but not 24mm. For that I need my 30mm stick lol. I use glugs, sprays, dips and syrups in my fishing but I do not treat the baits I use if I’m going to be using them in a throwing stick. I may treat the hook baits for example. I do not use washed out baits. When using a throwing stick I bait straight out of the bag. If I need to achieve long distance I will air dry the baits for one or even two days before I go fishing. This makes the baits harder and less prone to splitting so they can be thrown further. Distance depends on the length of throwing sticks and the size (weight) of the boilie. For short range 30-40m, I use a short stick for baits of 15-18mm diameter. For medium range 40-70m I’ll use either my 20mm or 25mm stick. For max range 90m I’ll use my large diameter stick with a 24mm bait. Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt.

[@zaheerbangie5305]

@@matthewcollinsangler Thank you so much. Really appreciate the feedback and looking forward to your upcoming videos. Here in South Africa we primarily have 20mm and 16mm boilies from local brands. Will have a look at some brands available here and test them out in the store to see what works best. Thank you again.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@zaheerbangie5305 No problem, glad that I could help. Testing a throwing stick at your local store is a great idea. Every one is different and some will suit you better. If you’ve not used a throwing stick before I would suggest you start off with a shorter stick (even if it’s only to learn how to use one). Better that than buying a massive stick to start with because you want the range then struggling to master it. Best of luck, Matt.

[@alanrichardson7790]

matthew if i was using say 10x14 and 15x18 dumbells hair rig what size hook for carp/barbel thank you

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Alan, if you want to keep things simple (which I always strive to do), I would use a size 8 Nash chod Twister to cover both of those bait sizes and species. The chod Twisters are simply the sharpest out of the packet hooks money can buy and as long as you change them very regularly you’ll be fishing at maximum effectiveness at all times. They are also very strong. I use 6s mostly and having banked 90lbs catfish on them I’m even considering dropping to a size 8 for the winter when the cats aren't active. I use a chod style hook for braid, mono and coated materials. It’s very much a one style fits all. Hope that helps, Matt.

[@mr.hellscream4996]

For me 14-16 mm pop up and 20-24 mm boilie is gold standard with hook size 4-8 but mostly using 6

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for sharing your secret recipe! I know a lot of anglers would be concerned about using a small popup over larger bottom baits but I agree with you, it's rarely a problem. Good to know that you’ve also come to the conclusion that a size 6 is the perfect allrounder for your angling. All the best with your fishing. Cheers, Matt.

[@phil3038]

What would be best when fishing large baits 24mm and above, Ive gone up to a size 2 hook, so my hook is relative to my bait size, but I've heard people say it's better to use a longer than usual hair with a size 6 hook. Never been a fan of large baits but the original stock of about 50 fish have done well and produced thousands of offspring between 2-10lb, hence big baits

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Phil, there’s a bigger risk of the carp ejecting the rig with a larger hook because the thicker wire needs more force to drive it home. As the years go on, I'm moving towards size 8s rather than 4s. So I’m happy to use a size 6 with a 24mm bait, and yes, I’d use a longer hair. A few years ago, we had guests suggesting that crays were stealing baits but it turned out to be the smaller carp whittling the baits to nothing. I would try special hard hook baits with extra egg albumen. I have a pot of Nash 24mm hard-ons for exactly this scenario. Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt

[@phil3038]

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks for replying, will take your advice and use a size 6, would a 20-25mm gap between base of the hook and top of the (24mm) bait be sufficient? With regards to the crayfish, initially I thought it was the smaller carp witling the bait down, perhaps they also play a part, but it got worse and worse to the point I would reel in after an hour and my bait would be gone completely. A point to note is that thinking back to the fish I've caught, everyone of them was within 10 minutes of casting out, and all of them came during daylight! I then noticed the crayfish presence , and took measures to try and stop them sabotaging my fishing. Reasons I'm sure it's crayfish is firstly I've reeled a fair few in, still attached to my bait, also I've used the shrink wrap style bait protector, which helped but still wouldn't last a night, even after a could of hours its torn to bits, I tried tiger nuts as I've heard they are crayfish proof, Same outcome, bait gone, tried Rubber baits last night, reeled in a crayfish after an hour, I've never been so frustrated and outwitted in 30 years of fishing. It's soul destroying when Dustbin lids are crashing right over my rig every session! If you have any other ideas I'm all ears! Anything you can think that could help, I'm pretty much clutching at straws atm 😅 I have watched a fair few of your videos and your expertise on Carp behaviour have opened my mind on how much more there is to learn, Back to the Crayfish problem, I have one more idea, float fishing with a starlight, used to night fish this way as a kid, plumb the depth so I'm a few inches off the bottom, out of reach of those claws, I'm off there Friday night, fingers crossed , 👌👌

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@phil3038 A 20mm gap would be fine Phil. I’m afraid I’m out of ideas mate. I’ve never encountered anything like what you are faced with. There is a massive public water I fish that has a big poisson chat problem. The solution is to fish days only and re-cast every 3 hours as even using rock hard 24mm baits they’ll be the size of a pea of 4 hrs. I’ve been successful doing this catching carp to 20kg but it’s a challenge for sure. That’s what makes cracking the code worth the reward. All the best with your challenge mate and keep me posted 🙂

[@mcarpcarpfishing]

Nice video

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Thanks very much 👍

[@Robolaralobarar]

I like a loop knot in the boilie because it holds the bait in position

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Me too.

[@insta360underwater5]

Hi Matt, what catapult do you use? Thanks

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, in this video I was using my old Avid Catapult which has been OK. TBH I hardly ever use a catapult as I much prefer a throwing stick for dotting baits around. There is a technique to using throwing sticks that has to be learnt but once you master them you won’t go back. I’ve had loads of catapults over the years. The elastics always need replacing once a year and I hate the wrap on the knuckles they give you lol. If you want to get into throwing sticks then start off with a small one (much easier to master). My Nash Cobra must be 20 years old and I still use it regularly for short range work. Cheers, Matt.

[@philgale1752]

You could drill your 10/12mm boilie with say .. your choice of drill bit depending on the boilie .. so no splitting and then use needle of your choice too .

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Phil yes you can do that if you air dry your baits first but having tried it on baits straight out the bag I wouldn't recommend it as they can still split open prematurely. The water also gets inside the larger hole quicker and they’ll dissolve fast from the inside which is basically uncooked. Cheers, Matt.

[@philgale1752]

@@matthewcollinsangler Blown away by your response .. spookily fantastic ... You answered with enthusiasm and rational logic to my question . Wow you really are legit .. thank you so much .

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@philgale1752 No worries 😊 I love my fishing, I love sharing my experiences and it's nice to build a bit of a community here, I'm always happy to get comments and questions. Hope you enjoy the rest of the channel. Cheers, Matt.

[@andrewaulton1043]

Matt, can you use the d ring with bait screws?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Yes mate absolutely. In fact I’ve been doing that myself a lot more lately. I’ve been using the Nash 21mm metal baits screws on 18mm baits and they work great on all the boilies I’ve tried. They hold a hard bait really really tight. I’ve been adding a little blowback tube to my D-rigs to make what I’m calling a long D-rig. We haven't got around to do a video on that yet but you’ll get the idea as it’s featured in these video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZ6WZqp-Z7tliqM, kzbin.info6aqfKgngJcY?feature=share. Hope that helps, Cheers, Matt.

[@stefanobacilieri5626]

Non so l inglese , mi scuso. Il video l ho tradotto. Grazie per i sempre buoni Consigli...

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Meraviglioso da ascoltare grazie 😊

[@Chickenslayeggs22]

❤

[@Steve-kg7wd]

Hi Matthew, so do you think baiting up with 15mm baits and fishing a 22mm hookbait would be ok ?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Stephen, thanks for your question. Yes mate, absolutely no issue whatsoever with doing that. Carp are smart but I’ve never seen one with a ruler 😊 I take it that you want to use a 22mm hook bait to deter the bream? If so you may have to go double 22mm or double 20mm or if the bream are massive then double 24mm. That’ll stop them and you’ll still catch carp. Do let me know how it goes. Cheers, Matt.

[@Steve-kg7wd]

@@matthewcollinsangler yes Matt, bream are the problem, thanks for another great video, and yes of course I’ll let you know how I get on. Steve

[@peter1873]

Good day sir.. I am in south africa and fish for wild carp in the rivers here with a very basic hair rig,thus far only using tiger nuts ss bait over tigers,maize and hemp as feed...However i wanna buy my first boilie pack to diversify my baits..So what flavour would you recomend?..Thanx

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Peter, carp love tigers and maize for sure but boilies are easier to use and to apply at range in any quantity. As you’re confident in tigers then I would use a nut flavoured boilie. I use Nash Candy Nut Crush for my wild carp fishing. Nash distributes to many countries but I don’t know if they’ve made it to South Africa. Any decent nut boilie is going to work so so don’t get hung up on that. Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt.

[@peter1873]

@@matthewcollinsangler Thanx u sir,i apreciate..will try the nutty one for sure👌👌

[@francispeeney7133]

Do you have any issues with crayfish? My current lake has a massive amount of Crays that destroy most baits within hours, I've recently bought armamesh to try and often use fake corn but have little joy.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Francis, we don’t have a crayfish problem at our lake (luckily!). I’m no expert on crayfish as I’ve not fished a water when they’ve been that much of a problem. I have had a big problem with poisson chat on a large public venue I fish. These little buggers will turn a 24mm bottom bait into a 10mm in a matter of hours! The only solution I’ve found is to recast every 3-4 hrs. It’s the only way to ensure that I have any bait on the rig. Personally I use special hardened 24mm hookbaits. That and recasting keeps me in the game. Best of luck, Matt.

[@leahmay1011]

Hi do you use pva bags on rivers

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Leah, that’s a great question. I have certainly tried to use PVA sticks and solid bags on the river a number of times but the results were not good lol. On the rivers I fish, it’s a really great way of catching a bream and fairly quickly too! Stringers are okay, it’s the pellet or crumb that creates a problem so if you have bream in your rivers then I would not advocate this method. What I didn't try and what I want to have a go at this year is to use 15mm boilies only in a solid PVA bag and see how that goes. Cheers, Matt.

[@davebirkbeck9348]

Try opening up the 15mm boiles by drilling half way with a 2 or 2.5 mm drill then the knot has less chance of bursting through.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Dave, that’s an interesting thought to only drill half way through a bait so thanks for sharing. I’d certainly consider drilling bait if I was fishing with very hard baits but a softer bait might still split if you were fishing at very long range (might just be paranoia on my part lol.) It all depends on the sort of fishing you are doing of course. All the best, Matt.

[@jozualeroux6209]

Thanks for the very informative video. Unfortunately our cats here have far bigger mouths than the carp. In the summer the bream (kurper) as well as the smaller cats take you to the cleaners if you use protein based or corn baits. Tigers here only summer bait. Might still try a pop-up when chasing showing fish. A request though. How would you fish particles? Same set-up?

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Jozua, wow, sounds like some really interesting and challenging lakes you have over there. I’m not really the right man to ask as I haven't fished with particles on the hair for a very long time. I’ve never even hair rigged a tiger nut lol. As far as I understand, you can use exactly the same simple hair rig or D- rig setups with tigers. Sorry I can’t be of more help. Cheers, Matt.

[@Robolaralobarar]

Just tie the rig with braid / Knot less knot. Then, cut the braid, leaving a little tag. Then do the same knot with your Fluoro carbon but without the hair loop and also wip over the tag of the braid. Then you have nice braid hair.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Luke, I've tried that, yes it works, it's not something I use in my fishing now.

[@TheOsmodius]

In my local lake here in the US, there are tons of smaller carp under 10lbs. So I thought I could keep the smaller ones off if I used larger baits. I put a jumbo tiger 20-25mm capped with one piece of artificial corn on a size 4 nash pinpoint claw. Smallest fish of that session which was not even 3lbs got the whole rig perfectly in it's mouth, bottom lip hookset and everything. Besides that one instance it has only landed 10s and above, so overall it's been working out for me to go with bigger baits.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hello sir, thanks for commenting and great to hear about. your experiences. Don’t be afraid to try double jumbo tigers too. That’s a real mouthful for small carp but nothing to a decent sized carp. All the best, Matt.

[@alansimpson3611]

What do you think of bait screws.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Alan, TBH I’ve never used a bait screw in my life so I’m not the best person to comment on this! Hopefully I’ll get the chance to test some for myself at some point though so we’ll add it to our video to do list! Cheers, Matt.

[@rumenstoynev3888]

I don't know what he's been fishing but In my 25 years of fishing I've never seen or heard about a roach that can eat a 15mm bait. 😅 Notable specimens I've caught are in the 10 inch ( 25 cm ) range and those are the bigger ones.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

I live In France and I’ve caught roach, rudd, chub and bream on 24mm boilies! (Not intentionally)

[@rumenstoynev3888]

​@@matthewcollinsanglerwell I've never even seen rudd and roach that big. 😅 I'll be it out lakes are not very protected

[@haydenryan530]

What bait size would you use for a size 8 hook

[@matthewcollinsangler]

15mm works well 👍 but useless if bream are present though. I mostly fish 20mm or 24mm on a size 6 👍

[@markcampbell3734]

Depends on what venue ur on

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Absolutely.

[@raymondcridge6076]

useing a 20m bait what hook size would you recomend

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Raymond, it depends a lot on the exact pattern of hook you want to use. There are massive differences between hooks that say size 6. For a 20mm bait I would use a Nash chod Twister in a size 6. With other patterns, a 4, 5 or a 7 might be better suited to a 20mm bait. It’s all a bit of guesswork really. I just go with what looks right to my eye! Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt.

[@Leon-lp9fl]

With bigger boilies it takes much longer to get a bite over here. Thanks for sharing

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for sharing your experiences. Cheers, Matt.

[@davidcarter7055]

I use 8mm and catch loads of fish

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Good for you mate.

[@Carpf4n4tic]

I always use 20mm bait.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

👍

[@andrewtate8303]

You can use big baits or smallish on heavy nylon you just drill em out .

[@OnTheBait]

Size 4 wide gape with any boilie

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi mate, thanks for sharing. I used to use size 4 widegape x all the time (hand sharpened) but since I moved over to the Twisters in a size 6 I don’t bother to sharpen them. I find the size 6’s are crazy sharp out the packet so it’s a big time saver for me. I still re-sharpen them if they get damaged but I’m quicker to bin a damaged hook nowadays. Cheers, Matt.

[@OnTheBait]

@@matthewcollinsangler everyone should always hand sharpen out of the pack thanks for sharing the awesome vid though pal.

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@OnTheBait Last year I’d have agreed with you 100%. I didn't fish with an out of the packet hook for 12 years lol. As a fishery owner (and a toolmaker) I’ve coached loads of anglers on how to do it over the years but as the years went on I realised that many anglers are actually making their hooks worse. Take a close look (with a loupe or eye glass) at the size 6 Twister, I’d never thought I’d go back to out the packet hooks but you can with these. You still need to inspect every one (obvs!) but 8 out 10 are perfect and I’ve done 20 packs this year lol. One or two might need a wee tickle but it’s nothing. No need for a file, just a lick with the hone job done.

[@roofingcontractors3349]

I use 32mm no coot or tufty problems and you only catch big fish

[@matthewcollinsangler]

32mm… Nice! That’s a proper man's bait. Go big or go home lol. I have used hand rolled 30 and 35mm baits on the rivers in the past and I’ve certainly caught some nice carp on big baits. Never thought about big baits to deter the coots. We don’t get them over here luckily!

[@hawkman1833]

I can use 10mm baits with amnesia.

[@damiankortenray2280]

Bigger baits wil not filter the bream making your hair longer that will make a diffrend

[@matthewcollinsangler]

For me, it depends on how large you make your baits. I’ve used 30mm hand rolled baits or 2 x 24mm baits and that works. The double bait creates the long hair that you mention. If a long hair solves the bream problem and you catch carp then it’s good to know 👍

[@monoloking7953]

hmm i got 9 mil boilies XD

[@EricPollarrd]

Well I can honestly say I’ve gone from consistent blanks with 15-18’s to bagfulls of 10-20lbers just by switching to 12mm. Coincidence ? 🤔

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Hi Terry, wow, that’s really interesting to hear. Every water is different (slightly) of course so these variances can occur. It’s possible (I guess) that the carp you are fishing for are more used to feeding on smaller “natural” baits and are therefore easier to trick on smaller baits. It’s certainly a surprising result and one that I’ve not experienced in my fishing. It just goes to show that it pays to experiment with these things as sometimes these small changes can unlock the keys to success. All the best with your discovery but I’d keep it a little close to your chest (at least for the time being lol). Cheers, Matt.

[@EricPollarrd]

@@matthewcollinsangler yeh its a very cliquey lake, still a fairly pressurised club water though with plenty of matches so they must be used to pellet and such. I've fished the method feeder there and had tons of bream but no bream on boilies. On sunny days u can see hundreds on the top yet the whole place will blank all day, very difficult to catch off the top too. often wonder how a pro carpsman would do on it 😄 cheers

[@matthewcollinsangler]

@@EricPollarrd Right, that makes sense then that the switch to smaller baits has worked for you then. It's been a very long time since I fished a water like that but I know exactly what you mean. You might want to experiment with adding some chops or flaked boilies into your approach. If the smaller baits are working well for you then adding some flake will keep the fish grubbing round for more for longer. From the sound of it there’s a good head of carp to go for and they will be hungry! Carp can eat a tremendous amount of food in a very short period of time but when anglers are struggling to catch they tend to be hesitant to apply any bait. If you're confident that the oxygen levels are good i.e. the water is a healthy green colour, then I wouldn't hesitate in putting a bit more in.

[@colinsillis8008]

Couldn't you just drill your boilie first ?🤔🤙🏼

[@matthewcollinsangler]

Yes mate, it’s an option. I tend to only do it with hardened baits.