PVA Bag Fishing: The Complete Guide
PVA bag fishing is one of those tactics that still, in my opinion, doesn’t always get the credit it deserves these days.
What all the fuss is about is simple: we are delivering a compact, highly attractive parcel of food out into the lake at whatever range is required, with everything neatly contained. The hookbait and lead are both buried within a concentrated pile of free offerings, all wrapped up in a tidy, controlled presentation.
Solid bags, in my eyes, are one of the ultimate presentations – whether at range or in close. Everything is hidden and disguised, with a short hooklink that I genuinely believe carp struggle to deal with.
Over the past few years I’ve learned that solid-bag fishing can be a brilliant way to get a quick bite, especially from showing fish, or even when fished over a baited area of particle and small boilies. I will have no hesitation fishing three solid bags on a spot and then spodding over the top of them. I’ve had some excellent results doing exactly this on many different waters across the UK and France.
What I love most about solid bags is that they are virtually tangle-free 99.9% of the time and you always know you’re presenting a perfect little trap. They have accounted for some great carp for me over the years, including three of my personal best fish.
My current PB, which fell to a solid bag filled with Crayfish Mini Mix with a PB wafter
Versatility of PVA Bag Fishing
I don’t just pub chuck bags, although they are brilliant for casting at showing fish, and I will happily do that when the situation calls for it. I always invest time in finding proper spots too.
Solid bags will work over all sorts of bottom types including silt, gravel, clay and low-lying weed. I always bear in mind what I’m fishing over, so leading around and understanding the lakebed is still a key part of my approach every time I fish.
- Silt: I tend to make the bag slightly lighter to prevent it burying too deep.
- Low-lying weed: I compress the bag more so that when it breaks down it bursts open cleanly, flattening any debris and improving presentation.
- Gravel: I don’t do anything overly special when fishing gravel, although if possible I will still try to locate firmer silt or clay areas where presentation is improved.
Solid bags give me huge confidence because wherever they land, there is always a small, concentrated pile of attraction around the hookbait.
Types of PVA Bags
There are many variations of PVA bags on the market, from extra small through to large, with different brands offering slightly different shapes and sizes.
They also come with different melt speeds and textures. Some are perforated, meaning they already have holes in them, while others are plain and require you to pierce them yourself to release air.
Each type has its place depending on the situation, water temperature and depth.
Sizing and When to Use Them
The size of bag you use depends heavily on the venue and approach.
For long-range fishing, I will usually go for extra small or small bags, allowing me to present a compact parcel with minimal weight. I keep the finished bag no heavier than around 6oz, which allows me to hit distance accurately and consistently – even in situations where spodding might be difficult.
If I want to introduce more bait and distance isn’t an issue, I will move up to medium or large bags for a fuller approach.
Standard Versus Slow-Melt Bags
The bags I use most are the Korda small range, and I mainly use two types:
- Standard melt
- Slow melt
In winter, or on lakes up to around 8ft deep, I will generally use standard bags. In summer, or on deeper venues (8ft+), I prefer slow-melt versions to ensure the bag reaches the bottom before breaking down.
Before slow-melt bags became widely available, I used to coat the outside of the bag in Salmon Oil, which helped delay breakdown and improve bottom presentation.
Preparation and Components
Before any session, I always prepare solid bags or at least the components needed — rigs, leaders, and hooklinks. Like any tactic, preparation makes a huge difference and allows me to react quickly if I see fish showing.
My usual rig is a short length of uncoated braid to a size 4 or 6 wide gape X hook. I’ll use either a micro rig ring swivel with bead stop or Korda D-rig kickers with a micro ring swivel. Both set-ups give excellent hook holds and allow the hook to pivot and catch the bottom lip cleanly.
When using the micro ring swivel system, I always ensure the bead is positioned opposite the hook point to improve the turning mechanics when a carp sucks the bait in.
The rig is attached to a double ring swivel fluorocarbon leader (Gemini), often combined with a bag stem. This allows the lead to eject efficiently on the take. If leaders are banned on a venue, I will switch to an inline stem system instead.
I typically use inline leads between 2oz and 4oz depending on distance.
Everything is designed so I can prepare multiple bags at home, giving me a much quicker response on the bank.
The components I use for my PVA bags
How I Tie a Solid PVA Bag
Everyone has their own way of doing this, but here is my simple method:
- Place a small amount of pellet in one corner of the bag
- Lay the hookbait into the opposite corner
- Add a little more pellet to cover it, then include the lead
- Continue adding pellet while compressing the bag and removing air gaps
- Fill to the desired level, then compact tightly
- Twist and seal the top of the bag
- Secure with PVA tape and a simple granny knot
- Trim excess material
- Pierce a small hole in the bottom centre to release trapped air
- Lightly moisten and fold corners for better aerodynamics
You are then left with a perfectly compact, aerodynamic and highly effective bait parcel.
Hookbaits and Liquid
Without question, one of the best pellets I’ve used in solid bags is the Crayfish Mini Mix. It has completely transformed my bag fishing and massively improved my catch rate.
I like to combine Crayfish Mini Mix pellets with some Insect Meal. Once the bag breaks down, this creates a fine cloud of attraction and a feeding response that is hard to beat.
My go-to hookbaits are:
- PB wafters (small)
- Crayfish wafters (small)
The combination of Crayfish Mini Mix pellets and PB wafters has given me massive confidence, although I wouldn’t hesitate to use any hookbait from the DNA range.
When it comes to liquids, I have always injected solid bags with some form of attraction. Most commonly I will use DNA Salmon Oil, which adds extra pulling power and also helps indicate feeding activity when you see those big flat spots appear.
More recently I have also started using Bug Amino Smoke and Sweet Cayenne Pepper.
The combination of hookbaits, pellets and liquids I use inside my PVA Bags
Tackle for PVA Bag Fishing
It’s important to match your tackle to the demands of solid bag fishing, especially at range.
- Rod: 3.5lb+ test curve, ideally 12ft–13ft for distance
- Reel: Big pit reel with strong line capacity
- Line: Strong mainline with shock leader or tapered mainline recommended
- Minimum 15lb line straight through is possible, but carries risk of crack-offs
Remember, depending on how you fish them, solid bags can range from a couple of ounces right up to 6–7oz.
Another stunning victim of a PVA bag
Final Thoughts
Solid PVA bags are a year-round tactic that offer brilliant presentation, excellent hook-holds, and a completely tangle-free approach. They can be prepared in advance, allowing fast reactions to showing fish and providing a concentrated pile of attraction wherever they land.
However, one thing I’ve learned over the years is not to fall into the “it will do” mindset. If you don’t hit the clip, remake the bag. Make sure it’s right – because once it’s out there, it’s fishing exactly as you’ve built it.
I was taught that by a very good friend of mine, and now I can’t rest until everything is spot on.
So give them a go – I’m confident you’ll see more carp on the bank.
Be lucky.
