Will & Dre

This comming weekend we will be fishing at a new venue and we decided to write a few posts on the preparation that is done when venturing into the unknown. We will start with an explanation on the groundbait that is used and then move on to topics such as hook baits, rigs, strategies and target areas. The dam we are fishing at this weekend is a small farm dam that is rearly fished and hosts a variety of fish species such as carp, barbel and bass. We will mainly be targeting carp and barbel while keeping ourselves busy with some bass fishing during the quiet periods.

Because the dam is rearly fished it is important to keep the groundbait as natural and flavour free as possible. When fishing at an unknown venue it is wise to attract fish with natural groundbait and slowly introduce flavours as you experiment and become more confident in the flavours that are working. A good groundbait to use at a new venue is a mixture of mielie pips (maize) and a ready-to-use-just-add-water groundbait such as popcorn, manufactured by MG Baits. Because we are unfamiliar with the feeding patterns and structures at the venue, it is a good idea to make sure that our groundbait consists of particles of different sizes and textures. This will ensure a groundbait with particles floating at different levels, increasing our chances of attracting more fish.

Read more about how to prepare a basic groundbait on our How to prepare a basic groundbait mixture for carp fishing page. This page will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a basic groundbait.