How to make Boilies for Carp Fishing
How to make Boilies for Carp Fishing
How to make Boilies for Carp Fishing
What is a Boilie?
Boiliesare hard, usually round, fishing baits made from boiled paste (hence the name). They consist of a dry base mix, generally a combination ofsemolina, soya flour, fishmeal,milk proteins and bird food,which are mixed with eggs to bind and then briefly boiled to form solid balls which last well in the water before disintegrating. Flavourings and/or attractors are also included in the mix in order to attract the fish. The round shape is easily thrown or catapulted with accuracy when fishing at range.
Boilies were first formulated by Fred Wilton in the 1960s with the intention of providing a bait of a fairly large size with a hard outer skin. Fred was having trouble with nuisance' species, such astenchandbream, and sought to dissuade them with a large hard bait thatthey were unable to consume. Despite Fred's efforts boilies are also now popular not only for carp, but for the very nuisance' species that so irritated him. They are also, in various sizes, commonly used for a number of other species, notably barbel and catfish.
One of the great advantages of boiled baits is that they can be left longer in the water without falling off the hook in the same way that other traditional baits, such as bread, might. Anyone who has experienced it will know that there is nothing worse than the crushing realisation that you have been fishing with a bare hook for the last three hours.
Angling is big business and the tackle shops and online bait companies now offer us a huge variety of boilies in a multitude of colours and flavours. To read the labels on the tackle shop shelves can sometimes sound like reading a menu in a fine restaurant. Boilies come in a wide range of sizes too, from tiny micro boilies as small as eight millimetres, up to monster boilies over 40mm for anglers with the big one' in mind.
Pop up boilies are also very popular. These are boilies with buoyant properties, enabling them to sit up' off of the bottom, where they are more easily seen and taken by target fish. Pop up boilies are particularly useful when there is weed or silt clogging the bottom of a swim as they prevent the bait being lost amongst the weeds.
Commercially produced boilies often have added preservatives to prolong their shelf life in shops. These are known as shelf-life boilies. Without preservatives boilies need to be kept refrigerated or frozen to stop them from going mouldy and spoiling. These are known as freezer boilies. As with most other areas of angling, there is much debate regarding the pros and cons of freezer and shelf-life boilies, but it is generally considered that, because freezer boilies are fresher and contain no artificial preservatives, they are consequently more attractive to the carp. This, of course, is generally reflected in the price with freezer boilies often being considerably more expensive than shelf life boilies. In truth, the difference between shelf life and freezer boilies may be slight, but as a fisherman you'll know that it's all about stacking the odds in your favour and that every little helps.
Making your own boilies
Making your own boilies is not as difficult as you might think. And there are big advantages; You will know exactly what is in your boilies, you will know how fresh they are, once you have amassed a few ingredients and some rudimentary tools you will start to save money, and, perhaps most importantly, you will have fun both sticking to tried and tested formulae, and maybe trying out some of your own.
Things you will need:
Ingredients for a good base mix - check out some basic ingredientsat http://www.how-to-make-boilies.co.uk/boilie-dry-mix-ingredients.html
Half a dozen eggs
Flavouring (and colouring and sweetener if required)
2 mixing bowls
An electric mixer or whisk
A wooden spoon
A large saucepan
A syringe - or something for accurately measuring small amounts of liquid
A metal sieve
A drying tray
A clean working area
While it is possible to roll boilies by hand,if you can afford it, get a baiting gun and rolling table as well. These are relatively cheap and will make your job much easier, particularly if you want to make up a large batch of boilies for groundbaiting.
The Base Mix
Mixing the dry ingredients
Carefully weigh all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. There are lots of different boilie recipes, you can find more information at http://www.how-to-make-boilies.co.uk/dry-mix-recipes.html. As an example, for the purposes of this article, mix together 8oz. Semolina, 4oz. Soya Flour, 4oz Ground White Rice. Make sure everything is as finely ground, powdered or chopped as possible. Mix them all thoroughly together. Always follow recipes exactly. This way you can be sure of what went into the boilies, and you can keep track of any alterations or adjustments you may need to make. It is a good idea to keep a notebook of all your recipes; this will make it easier when you come to try out some of your own concoctions.
Mixing the wet ingredients
In a separate mixing bowl break the eggs and add any liquid flavourings, colourings or additives that you are using. Try something spicy as a starting point. Be careful with tiny measurements and do not be tempted to overdo it. More is not always better and if the smell is too strong it may serve to repel the fish rather than attract them. Whisk all of the liquid ingredients thoroughly ensuring that the flavourings are mixed throughout.
Bringing it together
Gradually add the dry mix into the wet mix, stirring all the time to keep an even consistency. You can use an electric mixer if you wish but a wooden spoon keeps you more in touch with what is going on. After a while the mix will be too stiff for either wooden spoon or electric mixer. Roll up your sleeves and knead the paste with your hands. Keep going until you have formed a stiff paste which is firm but malleable, like stiff putty which is just slightly tacky to the touch. Try not to make it too dry as the boilies will split. If you feel it is becoming too dry add a drop of oil. A drop of oil on your hands will also help prevent the mix from sticking to them. If this is the first time you have made boilies, make a good note of the consistency so that you can correct it next time if things do not work out right. Like everything, making your own boilies is a process of trial and error.
Making boilies
Now is the time that, if you haven't already, you will wish you had bought a bait gun and rolling table. All of thepaste must now be rolled into the correct sized balls. If you are doing it by hand, roll each ball between the openpalms of your hands. Try to achieve some consistencywith the size, although you may want to experiment with different sizes for different conditions. And remember that there are no rules that say boilies must be round. If it suits you, just roll the paste out into long sausages and cut into short cylinders. The carp won't mind.
If you have a bait gun, roll the paste out into sausage shapes that will fit into the bait gun. Use the bait gun to squeeze out thin sausages across your rolling table. The amount will depend on the size of your rolling table but it is normally about 3. Lay the top half of the rolling table across them and roll back and forth a few times. Lift off the lid and,hey presto! there are your raw boilies. The mix should not be so sticky that it sticks to the rolling table. If it does, makes it a bit stiffer next time.
Boiling boilies
This is the bit that gives boilies their name. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Place a good handful of boilies into the metal sieve and immerse them in the boiling water. The time needed will depend on the size of the boilies but will be somewhere between 45 seconds and a minute. The longer they cook, the harder they will be. If these are your first boilies try varying the time a little between batches and gauge the results. When they are done, place the cooked boilies on the drying tray while you finish the rest in batches. Allow to cool and dry.
Keeping boilies
The obvious difference between freezer boilies and shelf life boilies is the amount of time you can keep them. The best case scenario is to use your home made boilies within a few days. If the boilies are in any way still moist they will soon start to mould and so should be kept in the freezer where they will be fine for a couple of months. Freeze them in polythene bags and mark them with their flavour and the date.
For more information on making and using boilies check out http://www.how-to-make-boilies.co.uk
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