Flying Meat Problem

Total Carp Staff  |  Jun 9, 2011

Question: I fish with luncheon meat and want to try casting it a bit further. What’s the best way to keep it on the hair because it keeps flying off? Robert Taylor, Stoke-on-Trent



Total Carp says: Luncheon meat is a very effective carp bait and an underused one too. I know for a fact that over the last couple of years or so it’s been used by anglers looking to do things a little differently to catch a number of very special fish. But it never seems to get a mention in the press.

It’s a soft bait and very attractive, so to keep it on the hook or hair for the cast, and to stop it getting nibbled away by small fish very quickly, you need to toughen it up a little. The simplest way to do this is to leave it out in strong sunlight for a couple hours. The meat then develops a really tough skin, which turns it into a much more user-friendly carp bait.

Alternatively, you can fry it, which is probably better if you are in a hurry to go fishing. If you don’t need it straightaway, the bait can be frozen, ready for use.

The other thing that I recommend you do is colour it. Red luncheon meat in particular is an incredible carp catcher. To do this, tip 10ml of Nashbait Liquid Betaine into a plastic bag (you could use water), add a heaped teaspoon of red bait dye, drop in in your chopped meat, give the bag a shake and leave it for a few hours. Believe me, this really is a special bait and could be the edge that you’re looking for.

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