Bait

• Slow-sinking hook baits• Ideal for negating the weight of the hook• Assorted fluoro colours• Flavour matched to Code Red boiliesRRP: £5. 99FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO: www. sonubaits. com.

I have lost count of how many baits I have tested in almost 12 years of working on the DHP carp titles, but it’s well into the hundreds, and every now and then I take one out that immediately impresses. Previous examples have included Mainline’s Cell, CC Moore’s Live System and Nash’s Amber Strawberry, all of which have also stood the test of time since my initial reviews. I’ve just added another bait to this illustrious list – The Krill. It’s been talked about for a very long time and many of the Sticky anglers have had some impressive results on it, but it was only this spring that I managed to get my hands on some to put through its paces.

• Ideal groundbait mix for zig fishing • Mix of Riser pellets, bug blends and crustaceans • Attractive mix hangs in the water column • Includes 1. 8kg base mix, 240g Bug & Pellet mix, 250ml Gyro JuiceRRP: £14. 99 FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO: www. esp-carpgear.

Bloodworm has been considered one of the most important and easily consumable of all natural baits for a long while – there isn’t a carp in the land that doesn’t recognise it as a highly nutritional food source. When carp are preoccupied on the naturals present in the lake it can often be hard to get their attention with artificial and human-made baits, so what’s better than giving them what they want? The only difference is that you control how much you give them. So, if you’re looking for a little edge this season then give this a go. It especially comes into its own either when using PVA sticks or bags, but remember it is buoyant so should always be mixed with other ingredients.

This is one of those products that I used years ago, then stopped and then rediscovered more recently. Throughout winter it made the perfect addition to a solid PVA bag, injected into the dry bags via a needle and syringe. I also used it last summer as a soak for my surface mixers and pellets. It’s thin enough to be used sparingly but maintain its effectiveness and doesn’t congeal in cold conditions.

It’s sometimes the simple things that can make all the difference and these little gems are extremely simple but have helped me ring the changes a few times since beginning testing them four months ago. The Corn Stops are available in either short or long-stemmed versions in yellow or mixed colours. I have been using the yellow long stems because it has always been a colour that I’ve scored well with. Plus, the longer stem offers a versatile edge to lengthen your hairs in no time at all without either changing or tying up new rigs.