UKCARP MAGAZINE 34 SEPTEMBER 6TH 2011ALTERNATIVE BAITSCutting off the knotted end tidies up the bait and releases lots of flavour.At 20mm, these big baits have hard skins just like a boilie. Thread on......and add a piece of plastic corn to the long hair. All ready to cast out.123CHORIZO HOOKBAITSEveryone knows carp love meat-based baits, so UKCarp takes out a new discovery that is mega-attractive, but selective when it comes to size. And no, it's not a boilie!Here at UKCarp we have been fans of meat baits for ages, the simple reason being that they catch carp of all sizes from a variety of waters.We also spend a lot of time on commercial waters where it is often the case that boilies are banned and products like Peperami make a very useful alternative.On a recent session the standard 'rami hookbait and PVA bag of pellets was lobbed out on a tackle testing session and we sat back to await the inevitable action. We didn't have to stay inactive for long and soon the bobbin was dancing. Trouble was, as soon as I picked up the rod I knew I was attached to something small, and a 2lb common was duly unhooked.Mini spiced salami snacks - great hookbaits and (below) chopped and mixed with pellet, perfect for a pva bag. This heralded a run of fish, but none big enough to put a bend in the carp rod I was using. Time for a drastic rethink, and it was then I remembered a beautiful fish I took from a syndicate lake a few years ago, that fell to a Chorizo mini snack hookbait. These are roughly 20mm in diameter, nearly round, and covered in a tough outer skin - just like a boilie, in fact!I hot footed it down to the local shop, leaving the slightly puzzled photographer to guard the gear, and returned with two different types of sausage balls. Once more I set about fishing, hoping that my non-boilie, boilie-like hookbaits would be a bit more selective.I trimmed the hard knotted ends off each ball to make them smooth, with the added advantage it would also leach out loads more flavour, BOILIE BAN?NO PROBLEM, WE HAVE THE ANSWER

"It wasn't long before the rod was shaking in the rests and a better fish was hooked - a 13lb common"and mounted it on a long hair plastic corn rig completed with a size 6 barbless hook. It looked really clumsy as I swung it the 20m to the centre of the arm I was fishing.Judging from the number of liners and short pulls we were getting there were plenty of carp interested, but none were willing or able to pick it up. It wasn't long before the rod was shaking in the rests and a better fish was hooked, and it was a couple of short minutes before a 13lb common popped up, a good fish for this water. Plenty of food for thought here. Had the size and texture of this bait been selective? I know one thing, I'll be experimenting with these boilie alternatives that will beat any bait bans, and hopefully catch some decent fish into the bargain. A quality mirror with a taste for spicy Spanish sausage.Bigger and Better... a chair that does it all.. Strong, spacious and robust. Legs extendable up to 22" (55cm). Fully padded head rest and optional armsthe acclaiMed original Best-seller.. Comfortable, versatile and lightweight. Legs extendable up to 17" (43cm). Ideal for anglers on the move robo 4-arm chairwww.specimen30plus.comoriginalrobo chair