How to Use Boilies To Catch Carp: Essential Tips You Need to Know
Boilie fishing is one of the most effective ways to catch carp, offering a highly nutritious and attractive food source. When used correctly, boilies can lead to some fantastic results. In this guide, we’ll cover the different ways to use boilies, how to prepare them and key seasonal tips to maximise your catch rate.
What Are Boilies?
Boilies are a specialised fishing bait made from ingredients such as fishmeal, insect meal, milk proteins, bird food and other additives. These are rolled into round or dumbbell shapes and then boiled to create a tough, durable bait that slowly releases attractants into the water. This slow release helps draw carp into the area, even if they aren’t nearby initially.
Boilies come in a variety of flavours, colours and sizes, ranging from 8mm to 26mm in the DNA Baits range, with the most common sizes between 12mm and 18mm. Larger boilies help avoid nuisance fish while selectively targeting bigger carp.
Boilies are extremely versatile and can be used in almost any fishing situation, except for zig rig and surface fishing.
Boilies come in all shapes and sizes
Different Ways to Use Boilies
- Whole Boilies
Whole boilies are a great choice for targeting bigger carp and can be applied to your swim in multiple ways:
- Spod/Spombing – Ideal for accurate baiting over a chosen area.
- Catapulting – Effective when fishing at close range.
- Throwing Stick – Great for spreading boilies over a wide area and encouraging carp to move around while feeding.
- PVA Stringers – Stringing multiple boilies together with PVA ensures a concentrated baiting approach.
Spreading whole boilies over a large area can make carp actively search for food, reducing their wariness and resulting in more aggressive takes.
- Boilie Crumb
Boilie crumb is created by grinding boilies into fine particles using a crusher or food processor. This technique is particularly effective in weedy lakes, as the lighter particles suspend in the water column rather than sinking into thick weed.
Benefits of Boilie Crumb:
- Increased attraction – More bait particles create a strong scent trail.
- Extended feeding time – Tiny particles keep fish in the swim longer.
- Great for Spombing or bait boats – Disperses well over a wide area.
- Enhances other baits – Mix with pellets or groundbait for added appeal.
For even more attraction, try glugging your boilie crumb. This soaks the bait in liquid attractants, making it denser and more potent.
- Boilie Chops
Chopping boilies into halves or quarters increases the volume of bait in your swim and extends feeding time. Tools like the RidgeMonkey Choppa or Korda Krusha can make this process easier.
Advantages of Using Boilie Chops:
- Prevents rolling – Ideal for sloped margins where whole boilies may roll away.
- Sits better on debris – Reduces the chance of bait sinking into silt or weed.
- Increases bait spread – Keeps carp searching for food.
Boilie crumb can be a great edge in a variety of situations
- Glugging Boilies
Boilies absorb liquid attractants, enhancing their pulling power. Many bait companies, including DNA Baits, produce matching liquid, but you can mix flavours to create a unique, confidence-boosting bait.
For even more attraction, try dusting your glugged boilies with a powdered additive like Insect Meal or Krill Meal. This releases food signals into the water, drawing carp in faster.
Seasonal Tips for Boilie Fishing
Different seasons require different boilie approaches:
Winter:
- Use smaller, highly flavoured boilies (8mm-12mm) to trigger feeding in less active carp.
- Opt for highly digestible baits like insect meal or veg-based baits, like The Bug and The Switch.
Summer:
- Use larger, food-rich boilies (15mm-22mm) to match the carp’s increased metabolism.
- Fishmeal-based boilies like Secret 7 and SLK are more effective when carp are feeding heavily.
Small boilies like DNA’s 8-millers are perfect for winter
Using Boilies with PVA Bags and Mesh
Boilies do not dissolve PVA, making them perfect for use in PVA bags or mesh. You can add whole boilies, chopped boilies, or boilie crumb to your PVA mix for an extra attractive package.
PVA stringers with a few boilies threaded on to PVA string are a great way to present a small, concentrated baiting approach, helping to quickly trigger a bite.
Top Boilie Fishing Tips
✅ Use whole boilies to avoid nuisance fish when targeting larger carp.
✅ Mix up your approach – using boilie crumb and chops keeps fish feeding longer.
✅ Glug your boilies to boost attraction and release additional food signals.
✅ Match boilie size to your fishing conditions – smaller in winter, larger in summer.
✅ Use fishmeal boilies in summer when carp are more active, and insect- or veg-based boilies in winter for easier digestion.
✅ Add powdered attractants to glugged boilies for an extra edge.
Dusting your boilies with Krill Meal can be a major edge
Conclusion
Boilies are one of the most effective baits for carp fishing, offering versatility, durability and a strong attraction. By experimenting with different presentations – whole boilies, crumb, chops and glugged boilies – you can adapt your approach to suit any fishing condition. Whether you’re targeting big carp or just trying to keep fish feeding in your swim for longer, mastering the use of boilies will greatly improve your success.
For the best results, explore the DNA Baits boilie range and give your fishing an edge with high-quality, highly attractive bait options! 🎣🔥
